School menu ridiculousness
Replies
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I'm at war with my husband over feeding our little girl. I don't want her to be so sheltered from "junk food" that she binges on it in secret or when she's away from us when she gets older
Let her have the school food for a couple days a week and you send her with lunch on the other days. Make her go play outside instead of tv/video games 24-7. Problem solved!
This is what we did. We sat down with the monthly lunch menu and she could pick one day a week. It was always pizza day. But the rest of the time it was home packed.
She's now 13 and her preferred lunch is hummus with veges and fruit. Sometimes with some cheese.0 -
I ate school lunch in elementary and middle school. We had hot dogs, pizza, mac and cheese, tater tots. fish sticks, chicken nuggets, etc.
The rest of my meals were more whole foods.
We played at recess too, as well as after school.
I can see your concern, but one meal a day isn't going to disrupt a child's nutrition, if they are getting in RDA values. Kids get fat and unhealthy from over consumption and lack of physical activity.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
I ate school lunch in elementary and middle school. We had hot dogs, pizza, mac and cheese, tater tots. fish sticks, chicken nuggets, etc.
The rest of my meals were more whole foods.
We played at recess too, as well as after school.
I can see your concern, but one meal a day isn't going to disrupt a child's nutrition, if they are getting in RDA values. Kids get fat and unhealthy from over consumption and lack of physical activity.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
Personally, I think the increase in childhood obesity is more from the decrease in activity levels and poor home nutrition than school lunches. I ate pizza, tater tots, etc. in high school also, but I also ran competitive track, played tennis, and swam on teams and my family always made dinner. I wasn't overweight until I stopped being so active and cooking at home in college.0 -
Budget restraints and lack of PE teachers in CA (especially for elementary schools) make a difference and impact on how children view physical fitness. We took fitness tests in middle school, where I think they don't now.I ate school lunch in elementary and middle school. We had hot dogs, pizza, mac and cheese, tater tots. fish sticks, chicken nuggets, etc.
The rest of my meals were more whole foods.
We played at recess too, as well as after school.
I can see your concern, but one meal a day isn't going to disrupt a child's nutrition, if they are getting in RDA values. Kids get fat and unhealthy from over consumption and lack of physical activity.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
Personally, I think the increase in childhood obesity is more from the decrease in activity levels and poor home nutrition than school lunches. I ate pizza, tater tots, etc. in high school also, but I also ran competitive track, played tennis, and swam on teams and my family always made dinner. I wasn't overweight until I stopped being so active and cooking at home in college.
It's really more about calorie control and just ensuring one meets macro/micro nutrient goal. I don't fear food (processed or not) and I don't for my family either. My DD prefers to bring lunch of her choice, but lots of times it's Lunchables. She eats a good breakfast and fruits for snacks and always a good dinner. Hasn't been sick in about 1 1/2 years and perfect attendance for school for 2 years in a row now.
Health ISN'T just about what foods people eat. Especially if it's just lunch.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
lol
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i always used to pack my kids lunches. a few times, I was short on food and needed to shop, but wanted to wait one more day. i would BEG them to get school cafeteria food the next day. they did not want to. lol. so they would end up with a really random lunch instead. lol
now we homeschool, and 9 times out of 10, they make their own lunches. :P0 -
I worked at a daycare and they served food like that, most of the kids were at completely normal weights anyways. Obviously it's not the healthiest option, but I don't think it contributed to any obesity. A lot of kids are really active, especially when they're around other kids, and the ones that I worked with definitely burned off whatever they were eating by running around outside and playing all day.0
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It must be nice to know exactly what's going to happen in your life and in the world's economy for the next 18-21 years and not have to worry about your financial situation changing.I find it a pitty when women pop out 4 or 5 babies knowing that they can't afford to take care of them. Everybody has an opinion.
exactly. how many of the people depending on the state for WIC or food stamps rubbed their hands a few years ago and went "hmm, yeah, i think i'm going to pop out five or six babies and make the Hard-Working Average American™ pay for everything while i go buy prada sunglasses and a new hummer with the money i'm swimming in!" ...i'll wait while y'all come up with the numbers.0 -
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popped out 5 babies. still waiting for all this money I'm supposed to have.....0 -
How do you observe this, exactly? Since everything is done by EBT now, I'm not even sure how you would know unless you're leaning way over and ogling their debit card. I can't remember the last time I've "seen" someone buying food with food stamps, it's a private transaction.It's no wonder we're raising generations of obese children, considering what they're getting in public school.
Yes, it's the school's fault. :huh:
Never mind that the parents don't teach kids healthy choices, healthy eating habits, or how to listen to their body's natural hunger & full cues. Never mind that the parents allow their kids to sit and play xbox for 5 hours a day... Nope... we are all obese because we eat one crappy meal per day.
For some children school's provide 2 meals a day. And for those living below the poverty level, sending homemade lunches when the school will provide them for free is just not a luxury they can afford.
I don't know if the OP's school is public or private, but when tax dollars are spent on public school lunches we ought to at least be outraged when it's spent on junk food lacking in nutrtition.
This isn't to say schools shouldn't be concerned about providing nutritionally beneficial options in school because they absolutely should.
That being said, there is an insane number of people who qualify for free and reduced lunches who (in all honesty) probably shouldn't. I know there are plenty of people in this country who have legitimately fallen on tough times and need the assistance, but I can't even count how many times I see parents in the grocery store with their nails perfectly manicured and a coach purse buying the most expensive cuts of steak with food stamps. And many times these are the same people who complain about not having enough money to pack lunch for their kids.
Having many close friends who are teachers, I understand how stretched schools are for money and I know a lot of families are the same way. But blame for the childhood obesity epidemic does not lie only in the hands of the schools--they should be making more of an effort to provide something better than fried, processed crap.
In every state I've been in, food stamps are processed on a separate machine. It's easy to see who is using them.
Maybe not in your state?0 -
Budget restraints and lack of PE teachers in CA (especially for elementary schools) make a difference and impact on how children view physical fitness. We took fitness tests in middle school, where I think they don't now.I ate school lunch in elementary and middle school. We had hot dogs, pizza, mac and cheese, tater tots. fish sticks, chicken nuggets, etc.
The rest of my meals were more whole foods.
We played at recess too, as well as after school.
I can see your concern, but one meal a day isn't going to disrupt a child's nutrition, if they are getting in RDA values. Kids get fat and unhealthy from over consumption and lack of physical activity.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
Personally, I think the increase in childhood obesity is more from the decrease in activity levels and poor home nutrition than school lunches. I ate pizza, tater tots, etc. in high school also, but I also ran competitive track, played tennis, and swam on teams and my family always made dinner. I wasn't overweight until I stopped being so active and cooking at home in college.
It's really more about calorie control and just ensuring one meets macro/micro nutrient goal. I don't fear food (processed or not) and I don't for my family either. My DD prefers to bring lunch of her choice, but lots of times it's Lunchables. She eats a good breakfast and fruits for snacks and always a good dinner. Hasn't been sick in about 1 1/2 years and perfect attendance for school for 2 years in a row now.
Health ISN'T just about what foods people eat. Especially if it's just lunch.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
While I see your point, I never struggled with excess body fat until I moved from Canada to the USA in the 4th grade, and was introduced to school lunches. Mom had no idea what was going on and was overwhelmed by the cultural transition. Of course I kept my trap shut because I was all like "holy ****! it's like I get to go to McDonald's every day!".0 -
No its not processed on a separate machine. Our oldest son used to get food stamps which is on a debit type of card and processed on the same exact machine as the ones used for credit and regular debit cards. He has used it in NJ, PA, NY and California. All processed the same exact way on the same machine. They have a pin just like you would with a cc. Certain foods are not covered by food stamps. I think its called access cards now. Anyway, you can not purchase cooked items like a rotisserie chicken or hot meatball sandwich. Some areas are pushing to get it so that you can't purchase soda with your access cards either.
In every state I've been in, food stamps are processed on a separate machine. It's easy to see who is using them.
Maybe not in your state?0 -
No its not processed on a separate machine. Our oldest son used to get food stamps which is on a debit type of card and processed on the same exact machine as the ones used for credit and regular debit cards. He has used it in NJ, PA, NY and California. All processed the same exact way on the same machine. They have a pin just like you would with a cc. Certain foods are not covered by food stamps. I think its called access cards now. Anyway, you can not purchase cooked items like a rotisserie chicken or hot meatball sandwich. Some areas are pushing to get it so that you can't purchase soda with your access cards either.
In every state I've been in, food stamps are processed on a separate machine. It's easy to see who is using them.
Maybe not in your state?
I'm glad they changed that then! I do distinctly remember that separate machine though, and knowing who was using EBT and who wasn't..0 -
I can assure you... they are not getting enough money to pay for prada sunglasses or a hummer and they are hardly swimming in money. Do you know the max for food stamps per person is 120 a month? I would like to see you live off of that. Could you live off of $600 a month in financial assistance? Our son who had a massive stroke barely gets from one month to the next. Try finding a place to rent and pay all of your bills on $600 a month. Its not easy. If you're lucky you might find a room to rent for $300 to $400 a month and if you're really lucky you won't have any critters sharing that room with you or sharing your food. Hey you might even have a pimp sharing the building with you or a drug dealer.. now isn't that the american dream?
It must be nice to know exactly what's going to happen in your life and in the world's economy for the next 18-21 years and not have to worry about your financial situation changing.I find it a pitty when women pop out 4 or 5 babies knowing that they can't afford to take care of them. Everybody has an opinion.
exactly. how many of the people depending on the state for WIC or food stamps rubbed their hands a few years ago and went "hmm, yeah, i think i'm going to pop out five or six babies and make the Hard-Working Average American™ pay for everything while i go buy prada sunglasses and a new hummer with the money i'm swimming in!" ...i'll wait while y'all come up with the numbers.
Edited to add: If your really lucky and there is a salvation army near you then you can do what our son does and stand in line for over an hour for your free outdated food. You'll have to sign a waver saying you're eating it at your own risk but hey...what's a little food poisoning when you're hungry?0 -
Same in WV. Same machines.No its not processed on a separate machine. Our oldest son used to get food stamps which is on a debit type of card and processed on the same exact machine as the ones used for credit and regular debit cards. He has used it in NJ, PA, NY and California. All processed the same exact way on the same machine. They have a pin just like you would with a cc. Certain foods are not covered by food stamps. I think its called access cards now. Anyway, you can not purchase cooked items like a rotisserie chicken or hot meatball sandwich. Some areas are pushing to get it so that you can't purchase soda with your access cards either.0 -
I can assure you... they are not getting enough money to pay for prada sunglasses or a hummer and they are hardly swimming in money. Do you know the max for food stamps per person is 120 a month? I would like to see you live off of that. Could you live off of $600 a month in financial assistance? Our son who had a massive stroke barely gets from one month to the next. Try finding a place to rent and pay all of your bills on $600 a month. Its not easy. If you're lucky you might find a room to rent for $300 to $400 a month and if you're really lucky you won't have any critters sharing that room with you or sharing your food. Hey you might even have a pimp sharing the building with you or a drug dealer.. now isn't that the american dream?
It must be nice to know exactly what's going to happen in your life and in the world's economy for the next 18-21 years and not have to worry about your financial situation changing.I find it a pitty when women pop out 4 or 5 babies knowing that they can't afford to take care of them. Everybody has an opinion.
exactly. how many of the people depending on the state for WIC or food stamps rubbed their hands a few years ago and went "hmm, yeah, i think i'm going to pop out five or six babies and make the Hard-Working Average American™ pay for everything while i go buy prada sunglasses and a new hummer with the money i'm swimming in!" ...i'll wait while y'all come up with the numbers.
Yeah, but if we made poor people even more miserable, they would try harder not to be poor, so really we would be doing them a huge favor. So logical!0 -
I'm no expert but what else would a school serve except for process food? They don't have chefs.0
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This is all very interesting but the facts are that children will almost never eat the school provided meals if they are fruits, veggies and wholesome choices. The problem is for every responsible parent who feeds their children a decent diet there are 20 other parents who feed their kids crap at home. If you eat fatty sugary things at home and are then offered healthy choices... your kid will decided not to eat until they get home.0
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Wow.0
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am i the only one that misses school lunches? pizza day with ranch and chocolate milk!!!!!! or oen faced pizza burgers with ranch!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!0
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I can assure you... they are not getting enough money to pay for prada sunglasses or a hummer and they are hardly swimming in money. Do you know the max for food stamps per person is 120 a month? I would like to see you live off of that. Could you live off of $600 a month in financial assistance? Our son who had a massive stroke barely gets from one month to the next. Try finding a place to rent and pay all of your bills on $600 a month. Its not easy. If you're lucky you might find a room to rent for $300 to $400 a month and if you're really lucky you won't have any critters sharing that room with you or sharing your food. Hey you might even have a pimp sharing the building with you or a drug dealer.. now isn't that the american dream?
It must be nice to know exactly what's going to happen in your life and in the world's economy for the next 18-21 years and not have to worry about your financial situation changing.I find it a pitty when women pop out 4 or 5 babies knowing that they can't afford to take care of them. Everybody has an opinion.
exactly. how many of the people depending on the state for WIC or food stamps rubbed their hands a few years ago and went "hmm, yeah, i think i'm going to pop out five or six babies and make the Hard-Working Average American™ pay for everything while i go buy prada sunglasses and a new hummer with the money i'm swimming in!" ...i'll wait while y'all come up with the numbers.
Yeah, but if we made poor people even more miserable, they would try harder not to be poor, so really we would be doing them a huge favor. So logical!
Some people physically are not able to work PERIOD! So your logic just got a reality check. As in our son's case he had as I said massive stroke. He has no use of his left side. Has severe short term memory problems, vision problems, bladder problems etc. He will never get these things back. He has gone through testing to try to go to school to learn something...anything... But he has failed those tests miserably and we were told there is no way he will ever be able to pick up a trade or work in his life... period. He still tries. He insists that he will some day do something. We all smile and support him and tell him yes some day you'll do something. Just hang in there. You have no clue!!!0 -
I can assure you... they are not getting enough money to pay for prada sunglasses or a hummer and they are hardly swimming in money. Do you know the max for food stamps per person is 120 a month? I would like to see you live off of that. Could you live off of $600 a month in financial assistance? Our son who had a massive stroke barely gets from one month to the next. Try finding a place to rent and pay all of your bills on $600 a month. Its not easy. If you're lucky you might find a room to rent for $300 to $400 a month and if you're really lucky you won't have any critters sharing that room with you or sharing your food. Hey you might even have a pimp sharing the building with you or a drug dealer.. now isn't that the american dream?
It must be nice to know exactly what's going to happen in your life and in the world's economy for the next 18-21 years and not have to worry about your financial situation changing.I find it a pitty when women pop out 4 or 5 babies knowing that they can't afford to take care of them. Everybody has an opinion.
exactly. how many of the people depending on the state for WIC or food stamps rubbed their hands a few years ago and went "hmm, yeah, i think i'm going to pop out five or six babies and make the Hard-Working Average American™ pay for everything while i go buy prada sunglasses and a new hummer with the money i'm swimming in!" ...i'll wait while y'all come up with the numbers.
Yeah, but if we made poor people even more miserable, they would try harder not to be poor, so really we would be doing them a huge favor. So logical!
Some people physically are not able to work PERIOD! So your logic just got a reality check. As in our son's case he had as I said massive stroke. He has no use of his left side. Has severe short term memory problems, vision problems, bladder problems etc. He will never get these things back. He has gone through testing to try to go to school to learn something...anything... But he has failed those tests miserably and we were told there is no way he will ever be able to pick up a trade or work in his life... period. He still tries. He insists that he will some day do something. We all smile and support him and tell him yes some day you'll do something. Just hang in there. You have no clue!!!
I think your ability to detect sarcasm from a person who agrees with you needs a reality check.
Oh wait, I just realize there are people who would say what i said and actually mean it. My bad.
For the record I am a former randroid and dedicated pinko.0 -
It must be nice to know exactly what's going to happen in your life and in the world's economy for the next 18-21 years and not have to worry about your financial situation changing.I find it a pitty when women pop out 4 or 5 babies knowing that they can't afford to take care of them. Everybody has an opinion.
Speaking of which, can someone please return my crystal ball? I really need that before the next big Powerball drawing.
That wasn't the point. It had nothing to do with the future, and all to do with the present. A person knows whether or not they can afford a child when making the decision to have one. I waited 4 years post marriage because we knew we weren't financially stable enough yet. Others on the other hand, don't care and go ahead anyway. That was the point.0 -
It must be nice to know exactly what's going to happen in your life and in the world's economy for the next 18-21 years and not have to worry about your financial situation changing.I find it a pitty when women pop out 4 or 5 babies knowing that they can't afford to take care of them. Everybody has an opinion.
Speaking of which, can someone please return my crystal ball? I really need that before the next big Powerball drawing.
That wasn't the point. It had nothing to do with the future, and all to do with the present. A person knows whether or not they can afford a child when making the decision to have one. I waited 4 years post marriage because we knew we weren't financially stable enough yet. Others on the other hand, don't care and go ahead anyway. That was the point.
I know that. It was a joke.0 -
Schools have to feed a lot of children for pennies because they get no budget. It's more economical to bring in prepared foods and heat them than to buy everything fresh and pay the cooks more for all the extra time they need to make it.
I brought my own lunch to school every day because the cafeteria food was TERRIBLE. If nothing else, save your kid's tastebuds and send a sandwich.
Right?
Easy Peasy....but it can be a complicated situation.
I'm not really sure why people feel it's the the school's responsibility to nourish our children with their food offerings. I keep hearing about an uncomfortable amount of school age children not having *anything* to eat or going hungry without the food offered by schools.
I suppose it's important to note that I live in NY and I come from the generation where I remember when it was innovative to provide breakfast at school. We didn't go hungry, but I *do* remember being hungry a lot when I was a kid growing up in Astoria. Mostly in the summertime.
In pics, one could see that my body fat was very low and at 6 yrs old, I had a 4-pack :huh: My point is, if it weren't for the school meals, I'm sure I would've been hungry more often.
Are they nutritious?....They didn't have to be. They comprised about 1/2 of my daily consumption of calories, sometimes less cause let's face it, the stuff wasn't very good, but nutrition and palatability are not the point :ohwell:
If you are well-to-do enough that you can afford to take the time to make your children's lunches, please do.:drinker:
I'm not sure why this is an issue though, even here we as MFP'ers don't agree on what is a proper nutritious diet, why would you think our education system would be able to agree enough to offer it....NEVERMIND the pink elephant in the room ($$$). :indifferent:
I find it kind of disturbing that because someone is able to afford better for their little ones/family that they begin to look down on those who cannot & must make do.
This is one of the reasons I take issue with jokers who like to go around exclaiming that fat people/obese people/overweight people (pick your poison if it matters) :huh: are completely to blame for their state. It's a complicated issue involving demographics as well as environmental factors. Oversimplifying the issue, in my opinion is arrogant and promotes a very 'us and them' attitude.
I find the disdain for school cafeteria food judgemental and ridiculous.
I read a post yesterday about 1200 cal diets, where someone said, in response to another poster, who exclaimed it would be nightmarish to be forced to live 1500 cal (jas she consumed 1700 on the regular) and the response of one poster was something along the lines of 'It's good to live in a country where one considers eating 1500 cal per day a nightmare'. :huh:
I DO declare, that statement stuck with me :ohwell:0 -
My mother works in a school kitchen and let me tell you this (from her experience) you can give the kids healthier options. Brussel sprouts, sweet potato fries, etc and you can force them to take them (their lunches must include 3 of these five: entree, vegetable, fruit, a grain, a milk) but that doesn't mean that they will eat them. The food will be thrown in the trash untouched. I will disclose that in my mother's school 90% of the kids are on free lunch because it is a low income neighborhood. I want to see kids eat healthier too, but I do think that offering only "healhy" foods that kids don't like and won't eat isn't the answer. And I put healthy in quotes because we could start a whole debate on what should be considered healthy or unhealthy. Like in our schools they removed all the fryers and the french fries are baked. the kids love them. They also offer a free vegetable tray. That is a hit too. A happy medium can be a good thing.0
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I am a teacher and for a (school) year I at most of my breakfasts and lunches at school. I did not exercise (it was pre transformation for me.) I gained 20 lbs that school year.
My son (he is a 14 year old competitive cyclist) and I both went to the school to try to change what they feed the students. We were told that the students wont eat the healthier options. (My response, I guess not if they can walk to the other lunch line and get the junk food.)
And you are right they claim to be healthier because nothing is deep fried. (and yes french fries, tater tots, potato triangles and steak fries are on the menu 20 out of 23 meals.)
It drives me nuts thankfully both of my kids would rather pack. (more time to eat because they don't have to stand in line.) :blushing:0 -
It must be nice to know exactly what's going to happen in your life and in the world's economy for the next 18-21 years and not have to worry about your financial situation changing.I find it a pitty when women pop out 4 or 5 babies knowing that they can't afford to take care of them. Everybody has an opinion.
Speaking of which, can someone please return my crystal ball? I really need that before the next big Powerball drawing.
That wasn't the point. It had nothing to do with the future, and all to do with the present. A person knows whether or not they can afford a child when making the decision to have one. I waited 4 years post marriage because we knew we weren't financially stable enough yet. Others on the other hand, don't care and go ahead anyway. That was the point.
I know that. It was a joke.
You should probably take a look at your sarcasm font, seems to be broken0 -
It must be nice to know exactly what's going to happen in your life and in the world's economy for the next 18-21 years and not have to worry about your financial situation changing.I find it a pitty when women pop out 4 or 5 babies knowing that they can't afford to take care of them. Everybody has an opinion.
Speaking of which, can someone please return my crystal ball? I really need that before the next big Powerball drawing.
That wasn't the point. It had nothing to do with the future, and all to do with the present. A person knows whether or not they can afford a child when making the decision to have one. I waited 4 years post marriage because we knew we weren't financially stable enough yet. Others on the other hand, don't care and go ahead anyway. That was the point.
I know that. It was a joke.
You should probably take a look at your sarcasm font, seems to be broken
Mine too!0 -
I'm sure a lot of the people who had kids right before the economy crashed and a huge number of people lost their jobs knew were perfectly stable when they decided they would have kids. The point is that economic statuses change and just because you have a stable job now doesn't mean you'll have one in a year.
It must be nice to know exactly what's going to happen in your life and in the world's economy for the next 18-21 years and not have to worry about your financial situation changing.I find it a pitty when women pop out 4 or 5 babies knowing that they can't afford to take care of them. Everybody has an opinion.
Speaking of which, can someone please return my crystal ball? I really need that before the next big Powerball drawing.
That wasn't the point. It had nothing to do with the future, and all to do with the present. A person knows whether or not they can afford a child when making the decision to have one. I waited 4 years post marriage because we knew we weren't financially stable enough yet. Others on the other hand, don't care and go ahead anyway. That was the point.0
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