My Daughter's Elementary School Lunches

AprilRenewed

In my daughter's first day of school package (she's in 3rd grade), we received a newsletter from Food and Nutrition Services (FNS). They've apparently developed monthly Energy Zone articles to go in the monthly parent newsletters.

Anyway, this part is interesting. They've changed the lunches to meet new federal nutrition standards based on the latest nutrition science by the Institute of Medicine and Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

These changes include:

Reduced calories based on the grad of the students
Reduced protein portions for grades K-5
Increased fruits and vegetables
A new requirement that students MUST select one serving of vegetable or fruit with lunch
Limited number of servings of whole grains - rich breads and cereals.
Choice of only fat-free flavored or unflavored milk or 1% low-fat unflavored milk.
Focus on reduced saturated fats and sodium and zero trans fats.

I think this is a good thing, but I was wondering what you guys thought. Part of me doesn't like the government making these decisions, but I recognize that too many parents don't teach their children to eat properly.

On the menu today at her school:

Taco meal and cheese sauce o ncorn tortilla rounds
Taco meat, cheese sauce, baked potato/fruit roll
Hummus Bitable
PB&J

Steamed Green beans
cauliflower w/sugar snap peas
tossed salad w/ chilled pears w/cherry garnish
fresh apple slices

Southwestern spicy chicken salad w/black beans and corn, corn tortilla rounds
Chef salad w/cheese, green peas, corn tortilla rounds

I'm not sure how I feel. I mean...what if a kid needs more protein? Or less? What if he needs the fat from whole milk? What if he just throws away the veggie?

twinmomtwice4

I totally agree with you.

They actually have a cafeteria worker standing at the veggie/fruit bar making the children each take a serving. But most of it gets thrown away. Plus, the fruit is usually diced peaches in syrup which kind of defeats the purpose of kid's eating something healthy since it's loaded with sugar. And the canned corn I'm sure is loaded with sodium.

I let my kids buy hot lunch only 1 day a week and on that day I come to the cafeteria to see what they're eating and bring some fresh fruit for them, along with some string cheese or a hard-boiled egg.

The school lunches aren't bad, necessarily, and I appreciate what the schools are doing to try to improve things but I don't like the idea of the government regulating it so much.

I don't know, I guess I have mixed emotions about it and I can see why it's a necessity since some parents don't know how to educate their children on healthy ways of eating.

SibylDiane

I guess I think that if a child has some sort of genetic or other abnormality that makes them require a diet different from what most children need, her parents should meet with the school district's dietician or nutritionist and see if any special accommodations can be made. If that isn't possible, then the parents should pack their child the lunch that she needs.
"The government" is always going to choose what goes into public school provided lunches. It's just whether they choose to feed the children a bunch of crap or a meal that will be nutritious for the vast majority of children, or somewhere in between.

AprilRenewed

I'm so mixed about it too.

I remember our school lunches. My mother packed for us because it was cheaper in the long run and much healthier, but one day a week was really greasy pizza, I remember "chicken" patties that were dark meat and fatty, spaghetti with sauce that was almost fluorescent orange, and lots and lots of tater tots. I don't remember ONE vegetable being offered. Not even in high school. Maybe some fruit options, apples and bananas. I think maybe in high school, there was yogurt.

If my daughter's lunch were up to me, I'd pack. But her bio-mom decided she'd rather us all spend an arm and a leg for her to buy. I'm glad she has healthy options and don't really care how it came about.

mlb929

I emailing my kids principal and food services director because my kids have celiac disease. The food services director told my 11 yo he had to have a dr note to request a gluten free option. I called BS on it Mainly, my kids were diagnosed at 1 and 3 and I rarely take them in and didn't see any reason to take them just to obtain a dr note.

They told me that the new guidelines require them to have a Gluten Free option as well. Which I also found interesting, because I doubt the kitchen staff is trained to properly prepare a true gluten free meal. No gluten in the food yes, but truly gluten safe - doubt it.

I don't view the school lunch program as responsible for feeding my kids safely or nutritionally. Having looked over a few menus, most were not food I would have EVER fed my kids to begin with. I'm glad that someone is looking at it those, the majority of kids in my childrens school are obese.

Blaqk19

Seems great to me! Much better than the unhealthy things I was offered as a child.

perpetual98

My daughter goes to a private school/daycare and about halfway through last school year they stopped serving deserts do to government guidelines. The deserts that they DID serve before that weren't very large and they weren't terribly unhealthy, but my daughter was pretty bummed at the time because she liked the deserts. Go figure.

Oh well, we're headed towards a nanny-state anyway. Might as well get used to it.

SoDamnHungry

If a kid has special requirements, the parents should be meeting it, not the school. They can try to work with the school, but a few people with a problem (like being gluten free) shouldn't be reason to change an entire menu or order special food all the time. And schools shouldn't have to police what your kid eats by force feeding him or her veggies. The parents should teach their kid right, and if that doesn't work, feed your kid the right things when they're home and you have more control.

I sympathize with people who have that problem, but it's just not practical to meet everyone's needs.

econut2000

I don't like having the government regulating what we can/cannot do. That being said, since the only regulations are involving the school lunches THEY are serving, as opposed to what the kids bring in from home, I don't think it's a bad idea. As a school they should be responsible for teaching kids how to eat properly - not all kids get nutritious food at home. Of course, canned peaches, corn and peas aren't really the cream of the crop!!

Wonderwoman2677

I think making sure the kids take the fruits/veggies is a good thing, it may help some kids(not all) open up to trying new things. The same kids that aren't eating veggies at home are going to be the ones most likely to toss it out, I would think. I know my kids eat their veggies at school.

Our school system cut out chocolate milk too. It FLOPPED. The white milk tastes really bad in those cardboard containers(I tried it myself). The kids stopped drinking milk at all so the schools brought back chocolate milk.

amytag

I think it's great. My daughter is in third grade too, and most days prefers to buy lunch versus pack (we look at the menu and she decides each night before school). Last year we kept running low on money in her lunch account, and I realized it was because she was buying ice cream every.single.day. I'm glad that the school employees have some accountability in helping us teach our children good habits.

Unfortunately also, in our district there are many, many children who qualify for free or reduced meals. Both breakfast and lunch, and sadly enough this is the only food these kids may get all day. I think that public schools should make sure that those meals are nutritious.

Here though, the fruit and veggies options aren't bad - fresh berries, apples, bananas and veggies like steamed broccoli and celery and carrot sticks with fat free dip.

sexikc

I cant really say that I like the idea of this....however this is why I just send my child to school with the lunch I pack. I really dont care for her to drink milk at all but when she does I dont care that it is full fat milk. Infact that would be my preference for her..At my child's school tho....the fruit selection is like apple oranges and other whole fruits (unless it was just a lucky day(s) that I have gone to see them) it has never been the syrupy things that used to be in my school lunches lol I do think if it is syrupy peachs that the may as well have more protein or grain. I want my child to eat period. I am not interested in reducing calories of growing active children or the school trying to do it for me.

caseye98

i think I'd rather them have some control than none if it improves a few things and the schools won't take control themselves. I went to lunch with my daughter the other day and in two separate plastic bags, taped at the top, were, smiley tater tots-not fully cooked, sliced oranges that looked like someone had already taken a bite out of each slice them, two little sausage patties that were greasy and 3 little mini pancakes in a microwavable bag that was sealed. I took what I had for lunch and she ate what I brought as it was healthier and definitely better tasting. I was so disappointed that they say they have made changes for the better but as one other mom sitting with me said "this is crap on their trays" and it was. Definitely dissatisfied.

12skipafew99100

Hopefully this is not the only meal they will have all day. You can make up the differences at home.

camckinney

Last year our school implemented the "healthier" lunches. The problem is that that changed everything all at once and instead of the kids slowly adjusting, my kids just didn't eat, as well as many other kids. Some of the changes to the food (whole wheat everything or turkey for most meats) the kids thought it all tasted really gross and would just throw it away. Not only am I wasting money for food they are not eating, but my kids are coming home VERY hungry. At this point I'm trying to encourage them to try it, or they beg me to make them a lunch. Which is difficult because they are so picky. I'm curious if these foods they are now supplementing, taste good to the adults?

meg7399

All these people upset about government control. If the government took away control and schools only served what made them money everyone would be up in arms over the fat kids with diabetes. No one is ever happy.

electricmeow

I totally agree! I don't think a taco salad with corn chips and a baked potato is considered "eating healthy" I think they care more about saving money and having it look like a balanced meal according to the food pyramid......

You know the schools (government) are going to be all about GMO's and corn...saves them money and that's all that they care for. I for one have developed an allergy to corn (so like...90% of the things in the grocery store and restaurants) so that's all the proof I need that anything served by the government is toxic. Corn allergies are brand new, and look at its timing with the rising GMO's. Okay off my soapbox.

They DO NOT care about your daughter's health though. Please start packing her lunch!!!!

newriana

ok first of it is the parents responsibility to teach the children healthy habits, so that by the time they get to school and veggies are offered it would be no big deal to eat it. As for the goverment stepping in to change things around is not all that bad, I dont like that they are stepping in to begin with but if it improves things, then so be it. I don't understand how school can serve lunches that most adults would not even look at. but yet we expect our kids to grow up healthy on this food. I pack lunch everyday, once in a while I will let him eat at school, but when he came home last year telling the "pizza" they had that day was texas toast with spaghetti looking sauce on it, needles to say he has not eatin at school since then. why is salad not an option, with diced ham or boiled egg? with a variety of veggies as option, like a salad bar???

2012asv

As much as I like that they are trying to promote healthy eating... it's not realistic. What good is healthy food in the trash? I'm not saying they bring back un healthy food but if they are going to push them to eat well they also have to make it appealing to the kids.

But when it comes down to it, if you want your kid eating a certain way than you have to pack their lunches and raise them to eat that way... you cannot rely on anyone else- let alone the government to teach them that. Kids will not pick up good eating habits in school if their home life is all fried, fast food, and junk.

simplydelish2

I look at the meal selection and I'm not sure they even fit the guidelines. Growing children need more protein to develop both muscle mass and strength. Studies have also shown that you need to drink at least 1% milk in order to have the fat balance to absorb the nutrients. The 1% has a few more calories - but at least they are nutritious calories.

While I hate the government making decisions for parents and children, with the continued rise in childhood obesity, school lunch is a good place to start teaching kids to eat balanced meals - along with a nutrition class! Sometimes parents could use a nutrition class too!

My take - for maximum control of what your kids eat, pack them a lunch and don't send them to school with money to purchase other items.

nikic50

I noticed the changes in the lunches as well. One of my daughters (8th Gr.) is VERY picky & wouldn't choose most of what is on the menu anyway. One of my daughers (5th Gr.) HATES hot lunch so I pack her a lunch EVERY night & try to choose things that are healthier, but she won't hate & throw away anyway. One of my daughters (2nd Gr.) has NEVER even wanted hot lunch so I haven't had to worry about that yet & then she brings home what she doesn't eat & that is her "after school snack". Basically, if I have to pack one lunch, I might as well pack three of them. :ohwell: