Chef Ann Cooper is a renegade lunch lady. She works to transform cafeterias into culinary classrooms for students—one school lunch at a time.

She has transformed public school cafeterias in New York City, Harlem and Bridgehampton, NY, and now in Berkeley, CA, to teach more students why good food choices matter by putting innovative strategies to work and providing fresh, organic lunches to all students.

Currently, Chef Ann is the director of nutrition services for the Berkeley Unified School District (BUSD), improving meals at 16 public schools with a population of over 9,000 students.

Chef Ann's lunch menus emphasize regional, organic, fresh foods, and nutritional education, helping students build a connection between their personal health and where their food comes from.

Chef Ann's newest book, Lunch Lessons: Changing the Way We Feed Our Children (co-written with Lisa M. Holmes), is overflowing with strategies for parents and school administrators to become engaged with issues around school food. It includes many kid-friendly recipes that can be made at home, or by the thousands for a public school cafeteria.

Find out more at Lunch Lessons and Chef Ann's blog.