Guest Essays in the National Press

As a public scholar, Dr. Gaddis has written for national audiences through the opinion pages of outlets ranging from The New York Times to Teen Vogue. Through this writing, she seeks to challenge assumptions about the current model of school food in the United States, amplify the perspectives of school nutrition workers and youth who rarely have a seat at the formal policy table, and encourage readers to imagine a world in which all preK-12 students eat nourishing free school meals that are made from scratch with local ingredients by workers who are respected and well-compensated for their labor.

The Washington Post, “Scratch Cooking is Better for Kids, School Food Workers, and Supply Chains,” April 13, 2022.

The New York Times, “Why are You Still Packing Lunch for Your Kids?,” February 10, 2020.

The Washington Post, “It’s Long Past Time to Give Every Child Free Lunch at School: Only This Will End Lunch Shaming,” December 12, 2019.

Teen Vogue, “How to Fight Back Against Injustice in Your School Cafeteria,” November 13, 2019.

The Guardian, “Why School Cafeterias Should be the Frontlines of Policy Change,” September 8, 2019.

USA Today, “Cafeteria Workers Need Support During the COVID-19 Pandemic,” April 5, 2020.

Media Interviews and Appearances

Dr. Gaddis regularly speaks with the media about school food history, politics, and programming. Her media commentary includes expertise on local, state, national, and international issues related to school food, farm-to-school programs, community impact, and more.  Recent examples of reported stories, radio/podcast interviews, and documentary features are listed below. To reach her for for an interview or media commentary, click here.

Print/Digital Reporting 

• “All School Kids Should Eat Lunch for Free,” Bridget Huber, Mother Jones, January/February 2023. Read here.
• “Free School Meals Helped Families During the Pandemic. This Fall, Those Lunches Won’t Return.” Nadra Nittle, 19th News, August 1, 2022.  Read here.
• “'Lunch Ladies' Are Tired of Being Underpaid and Overlooked,” Nora De La Cour, Jacobin, March 13, 2022. Read here.

Radio and Podcasts

• "The State of School Lunches," A Public Affair, WORT 89.9 FM, October 3, 2022. Listen here.
• “School Principles: School Lunch,” The Takeaway, NPR, September 15, 2022. Listen here.
• “The Future of Free School Lunch Programs,” Central Time, Wisconsin Public Radio, June 7, 2022. Listen here.
• “There is Such a Thing as a Free (School) Lunch,” Bite, Mother Jones, Sept. 20, 2019. Listen here.

Documentaries

• “What’s Wrong with School Lunch in the US?,” Eat This, AJ+, January 4, 2023. Watch here.
• “Private Sector Problems,” Wyatt Cenac’s Problem Areas, HBO, May, 10, 2019.  Watch here.​