Taoyuan Raises School Lunch Subsidy to NT$71.3 per Meal, Adds More Meat and Special Menus

Taoyuan Mayor Chang San-cheng began the new school year by sharing a welcome lunch with students and teachers at Renhe Elementary School in Daxi District. Two Taiwan Beer Yongfeng Leopards players, Kao Chin-wei and Lin Hsin-kuan, joined the meal.

Starting with the 2026 school year, Taoyuan has raised its free lunch subsidy for elementary and junior high school students by NT$6 per meal, bringing it to NT$71.3. The city says this marks the third increase since the free lunch policy began.

Chang said he visits schools at the start of each semester to check meal quality in person. The city also invited the basketball players to share their dietary experiences and encourage children to eat balanced meals. Kao said speed and stamina require training as well as “eating properly, maintaining a balanced diet and not being picky.” Lin encouraged students to finish their lunches so they can grow up healthy.

Education officials said the additional funding responds to price fluctuations and aims to improve meal quality. The “large meat” menu will appear twice a week instead of once, while a weekly “happiness meal” will feature dishes children enjoy. The city will also subsidize lunch costs for homeroom teachers and lunch secretaries who care for students and handle meal-related work during lunchtime.

Renhe Elementary has linked its lunch program to food conservation and environmental education. Its students learn about food waste and global warming through a program called the Food Justice Task Force, and reuse kitchen cooking oil to make household soap. Schools also use certified ingredients and local products such as black pork and bok choy, with the city targeting an A-plus standard for nutrition, food safety and regional特色.

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Eating properly, maintaining a balanced diet and not being picky