My Daughter's Elementary School Lunches

bpwparents

I guess it's ok that they have adjusted the lunches but it is a parents responsibility to feed their children properly. If they have an allergy, it is definately the parents responsibility, not the schools. Everyone seems to forget that we had children to take care of them, not force others to do so. It's not like the lunches were huge. One slice of pizza and low fat chocolate milk is not going to kill you. I think the government needs to fix itself before it starts nosing into our lives.

snowgrrl83

So before the government stepped in to "enhance" the nutrition at the school's cafeteria, who watched over the nutrition content of the school's lunch?
The lunch lady? Does she have a degree in nutrition?
The govt looking over the school's nutrition options is better than no one at all!
When I went to school, all that was served were french fries, burgers and fried chicken and coca-cola.
The only thing I can remember that may have had some good nutritional value was 2% milk and the soup of the day.

Beats my old cafeteria.

bpwparents

And to add, my youngest eats healthier than my other child but do you want to know why he's healthier overall? OUTSIDE TIME! Another poster mentioned extending recess time. Much better idea than cutting as they have been.

freedski1

I find the whole obsession with milk in school lunches depressing.

Who cares if the milk is lowfat or fat free, if it's full of sugar, hormones and artificial color/flavor?

Natural milk already has a TON of sugars/carbs in it, anyway... perhaps not table/cane sugar, but lactose itself is a sugar. If you chill out on the sweets for a couple of weeks, then have a taste of plain milk, you will notice how sweet it actually is. But I digress...

This may sound like a radical idea, but instead of offering flavored milks, offer whole or low fat, natural milk. If the kids don't drink it, they drink water or regular milk. And the kids who won't drink unflavored milk? They will be fine. The benefits from sparing their endocrine systems the the hormonal assault caused by drinking flavored milk will outweigh the costs of not drinking the flavored milk.

I'm horrified by the state of nutrition in public schools. It was awful when I was growing up, and it's awful now.

I'm just glad I don't have kids, so I don't have to worry about this.

So depressing.

BeingAwesome247

To get certain funding, schools have to abide by gov. guidelines. And due to the current epidemic, I'm personally happy, as a tax payer and someone who has to pay for their own insurance that they're at least attempting to promote healthier food in schools.

Now, my daughter is in a very small district. So it's hot lunch or from home. There are a few different choices for hot lunch and they send home a menu you for you to fill out for your child in the elementary school. Their main choices are a joke at my daughter's school. Pizza, popcorn chicken, corndogs, bosco stix, hot pretzel....um really?? heh
They also off basic sandwiches, salads and her school still offers PB&J
Plus the fruits & veggie options.

Greenrun99

There is a growing concern of childhood obesity in the United States as well as other developed countries.. You can blame most of this problem right on the parents, and now with schools turning to healthier alternatives for their kids to eat at school parents can no longer say "Oh my kid goes to school and eats chicken nuggets and french fries".... Now parents say the Government shouldn't be telling my kids what to eat.
If they don't start this now, and parents don't start being responsible for their kids, those kids are going to grow up to be obese, have a ton of health problems, be on disability or generally increase Health Care rates (insurance companies look at this kind of stuff and increase everyone's rates because of health of the nation).

I know alot of house holds both parents work, and the quick dinner is McD's or Pizza/Takeout or anyother fast food option.. it really rests on the parents.. If you don't want your kids eating whats offered at school because you don't think the government should be involved.. Pack a lunch.. And if they need to meet a standard, I am sure you aren't giving your kid 3 pieces of pizza, 2 candy bars, bag of chips, and a can of soda for lunch.. if you are, well you know the answer to that.

T34418l3angel

I have mixed feelings on this too. My daughter is lactose sensitive (as am I) I discovered this after she told me that at school they ONLY let her get milk to drink and every day she would either have an upset stomach or throw up. I took her to the doctor and he recommended that she only drink soy milk. So I told her to ask for juice at school or soy milk and they straight up told her she can only get chocolate milk or regular milk. I went down to the school and complained so fast! they now have a note attached to her lunch card staying she needs an alternative drink. I just think in situations like this it shouldn't be a fight to get a replacement. Though I do support them not serving junk food for lunch, I also think it's important to serve things the kids can and are willing to eat/drink. Maybe even have bottled water as an option? Since at my daughters school they must raise there hand to get up and can only get up one they are finished eating so she can't really go to the facet.

cfmay

I think in the end...your child will eat how YOU teach them. Packed lunches are always best because you can control your own child's needs. However, your child needs to learn to make good choices themselves as well and have responsibility on what goes into their mouth. If a child takes a veggie just to throw it away doesn't matter. There's no lesson learned. The lesson learned needs to be from the parents at home as to why those veggies are a good choice!

Val_from_OH

Oh my gosh. I am so thrilled with the healthier options for school lunches. Last year, my son went to a small school that only offered one meal option per day, and it was NEVER healthy. Hot dogs, chicken nuggets, grilled cheese... blah. I understand they have limited resources, but seriously.

This year he is at the public school, which is much bigger and obviously has more money to spend on lunch. Every day they offer 2 different hot entrees, an entree salad, or a sun-butter sandwich. Surprisingly, he chooses the salad at least once a week - yay!

As for the government forcing the kids to take a fruit or veggie, I think that is great. My 6 year old does not eat vegetables, except for salad, but if they are on his plate and he is still hungry, maybe he will try a bite. If he had the choice, he would just go through the line and not get them. I put veggies on his plate every night too, knowing full well that they will most likely end up in the trash (and he will lose a privilege for the 300th night in a row).

I've not heard of the whole milk vs. FF milk debate. The AAP recommends low fat or ff milk for children over the age of 2 who are within normal weight limits.

3foldchord

it is good they are thinking about health, but I don't like the government to tell me how to parent and raise my kids. That's not the gov'ts job, to be my kids' parent.

RGv2

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?

Then his parents should pack his own lunch.

Good on the school for taking steps to improve nutrition in their cafeteria - my schools NEVER offered sides of salad or veggies, and rarely fresh fruit. Change doesn't happen overnight - it's definitely a process, so good for them for starting the process!

I agree that for the most part, it's a good thing. As I said, I'd be packing my daughter's lunches if it were up to me. But some can't afford to pack lunches. What about those kids? I like that my daughter has healthier options, and honestly, she always has, since Grade 1.

Answer your question. What about those kids. You can't expect a school to cater to each individual kid. They are trying to do the best for the kids as a whole. If there are special needs, the parents just need to talk to the school, they'll work with them. I love hypothetical "one-offs".

gramacanada

It seems to be the problem is with the word 'Government'. Parents have never had much say in what schools served. So someone else was choosing what the kids got before. Someone else is choosing now. Nothing has changed. I fail to see how the "who" is doing the choosing, matters.

momtokgo

I live in Canada, and a few years ago BC put down rules about what schools can serve. I was thrilled. Everything has to be under a certain sodium, fat, sugar and calorie limit. No more pop, candy bars, chips, prepackaged crap.

We don't have cafeterias, just a canteen, but everything is made at the school. The older kids each get a chance help through the year, there is always fresh fruit avaliable interest office and at the canteen, drink choices are white milk or water. It's up to the kids what they buy. A few times a year they have pizza day and twice a year they make hotdogs. They also do smoothie day, with the option of a soy smoothie.

If parents don't like what's served, make meals yourself. My daughter rarely chooses to eat at the school, I make her lunch every night. My little two both have allergies, I will make them lunch too. Today my daughter (grade 5) took water, 2 hard boiled eggs, 2 mini pitas with cheddar, turkey and lettuce, an orange and a few mini wheats as a treat.

There is also a free lunch program for kids who need it. They get a sandwich, a price of fruit, a bottle of water, and a granola bar. I believe they altogether soup.

rayraex

Public schools are run with government money, so why shouldn't the government have the freedom to impose guidelines to make the food healthier?

When I was in elementary school, my parents gave me money every day to buy lunch. Those lunches consisted of chocolate milk (with high fructose corn syrup), pizza, etc. Everyday I was eating high-fat, highly processed, low nutrition lunches. So, basically, if you wanted a decent lunch you had to bring your own. The government isn't mandating that your kids CAN'T eat those foods - if you want to serve your kids junk food for lunch, send them with a packed lunch full of chips and pizza. But as childhood obesity continues to rise and be an issue, isn't it an ADMIRABLE thing that the government is addressing this issue by saying that if kids are going to eat at government-funded schools, they should at least be eating healthy and nutritious lunches instead of the schools contributing to the problem?

hooperkay

that is why my kids take their lunch! The schools serve canned, bagged, or packaged premade stuff. Not waisting good money on that junk.

momtokgo

I have mixed feelings on this too. My daughter is lactose sensitive (as am I) I discovered this after she told me that at school they ONLY let her get milk to drink and every day she would either have an upset stomach or throw up. I took her to the doctor and he recommended that she only drink soy milk. So I told her to ask for juice at school or soy milk and they straight up told her she can only get chocolate milk or regular milk. I went down to the school and complained so fast! they now have a note attached to her lunch card staying she needs an alternative drink. I just think in situations like this it shouldn't be a fight to get a replacement. Though I do support them not serving junk food for lunch, I also think it's important to serve things the kids can and are willing to eat/drink. Maybe even have bottled water as an option? Since at my daughters school they must raise there hand to get up and can only get up one they are finished eating so she can't really go to the facet.

Is she allowed to bring a bottle of water from home?

k8blujay2

Meh... it's a public school run by the governments (yes plural)... if they are providing the lunch, then whatever makes them healthier... now, if I pack a lunch for my child and the schools start poking in it, telling my child what she can and cannot have from the lunch I packed... well then, that is where I would have a problem... but for the lunches they provide the students... neh, they are just doing what parents, teachers, etc. have been pushing and advocating for a while now.

secretlobster

Beans, chicken, cheese, hummus... Not sure what the protein problem is.

fuselighter

Very few schools actually prepare lunches any more. In my kids school, lunches are contracted out to Sodexo. Lunches are presented as healthy, but I went to lunch with my daughter at middle school once and I was really upset at what kids were eating. Most kids sat down with a serving of mashed potatoes and gravy, a breadstick, and milk. I asked if there was any meat and someone said there was turkey in the gravy. All I know is it couldn't have been much because I could not see it. I asked about fruit or vegetable, and was told there were apples at the bar if they wanted. I think the potatoes were the vegetable. None of the kids near me had taken the apple.

I went once with my son in elementary school, and he came to the table with a chicken sandwich and milk. Nothing else. I guess I am the only one that thinks our lunches were better as a child. We went down the line and got some of everything including vegetables. Now that lunches are run by corporations, I feel it is about profit. Yes, there are standards that must be met for a school to qualify for subsidies for free and reduced price lunches, but they seemed to be able to get around them. Maybe these new rules are a response to that. Not sure it matters if they take the apple if they are just going to throw it away. I thought about raising he11 with the school board, but decided just to pack lunch for my kids. I only allow my kids to buy lunch once a week.

mgmlap

my kids are in high school and middle school. whats so funny..they want healthier options..yet they are feeding our kids fat free stuff that is horrible..i mean too many chemicals go in to making something fat free...as if fat is horrible.

as far as the fruit...its canned ...not fresh..and in the syrupy stuff..not healthy..

I pack my kids lunches..today was salad with string cheese cut up in it with grilled chicken breast and dressing with yogurt as dessert..No soda..or juice..they drink plain old water..and as far as after school snacks...beef jerkey, hummus, trail mix...healthy stuff...

I think food education should start at home..not in schools..and for people who say they dont have time..well...what time they do put in..is what they will get out ..

BAMFMeredith

I pack my son's lunch. Problem solved.


Idk, I'm just not really a fan of school lunches. I don't know how the food's made, how long it's been sitting there, what kind of cheap grade crap they use to make it to save money...plus, it's expensive! Way cheaper to buy groceries and pack my son's lunch. He helps me pick out the things at the grocery store that he'd like in his lunch, and he helps me pack it the night before when I pack my own lunch (I almost always take my lunch/snacks to work too). My mom always packed my lunch growing up, letting me get school lunch once a week (like if they had something I really liked---I usually picked pizza day lol), and in high school our cafeteria had 3 different lunch lines and I usually opted for the one with a salad bar and baked potatoes, or I'd bring something from home. At that point lunch was up to me, I could either use my lunch money allowance for that, or take something from home and save the money.

I feel like they should follow some sort of nutritional standard in school cafeterias for sure, but ultimately I think it's the parents' responsibility to make sure our children are eating properly and learning about nutrition. Leading by example is the best way!

Ruthe8

I guess I am the only one that thinks our lunches were better as a child.

Maybe you're the only one who doesn't realize that not all schools are the same, then or now.

scheatwood

My only disagreement at the moment are the drink options, my child dislike plain milk so strawberry or chocolate milk is a way for me to ensure she does drink it. And is milk the only option or are they allowed any juices?

mrs_schultz2012

Very few schools actually prepare lunches any more. In my kids school, lunches are contracted out to Sodexo. Lunches are presented as healthy, but I went to lunch with my daughter at middle school once and I was really upset at what kids were eating. Most kids sat down with a serving of mashed potatoes and gravy, a breadstick, and milk. I asked if there was any meat and someone said there was turkey in the gravy. All I know is it couldn't have been much because I could not see it. I asked about fruit or vegetable, and was told there were apples at the bar if they wanted. I think the potatoes were the vegetable. None of the kids near me had taken the apple.

I went once with my son in elementary school, and he came to the table with a chicken sandwich and milk. Nothing else. I guess I am the only one that thinks our lunches were better as a child. We went down the line and got some of everything including vegetables. Now that lunches are run by corporations, I feel it is about profit. Yes, there are standards that must be met for a school to qualify for subsidies for free and reduced price lunches, but they seemed to be able to get around them. Maybe these new rules are a response to that. Not sure it matters if they take the apple if they are just going to throw it away. I thought about raising he11 with the school board, but decided just to pack lunch for my kids. I only allow my kids to buy lunch once a week.

Funny you mention Sodexo....I work in a rehab and psychiatric hospital and that is who does our meals here.

Ruthe8

My only disagreement at the moment are the drink options, my child dislike plain milk so strawberry or chocolate milk is a way for me to ensure she does drink it. And is milk the only option or are they allowed any juices?

It clearly says "flavored or unflavored milk".

KinzieElise

I personally don't have any kids but my younger sister is in high school and the entire school absolutely HATES the new lunches. A few years back our school introduced a salad bar which was apparently popular and with the new government regulations they are now limited in the amount of salad they get because it is all pre-portioned. This is probably ok for the average student but some of them just need more, for example I have a cousin who is about 13 or 14 and he is already over 6 foot and in general needs more food. He's homeschooled now but even when he was younger and in public elementary school he had this problem. They refused to give him more because he was younger even though he was as big (if not bigger) than some of the high school students.
In general I think the intent and idea behind the legislation is good, it just hasn't been put into practice very well since it doesn't consider more than the average student.

KellyMirth

I guess I'm the only one that thinks this is awful. Kids don't need more carbs to get through their day, protein and fat are not evil. Serving flavored milk (which is loaded with sugar) but only if it's fat free is a double whammy. The sugar burns off quickly and removing the fat that helps keep you satiated means the kids will starving 30 minutes after they eat. Additionally, forcing them to take a fruit or vegetable that they aren't going to eat isn't the answer. All that does is cost the school more in wasted food.

I send my child with lunch almost every day because the lunches that are being served are so processed and full of junk that they're not worth the time it takes to eat them. Every time the government steps in and "improves" school lunch requirements, lunch quality goes down. Because my child has ADHD and we don't medicate him, I know that food is a huge part of helping control his behavior. I'm not willing to let the school decide what he eats. I bought him a thermos and I send him with leftovers, along with a container of whole milk almost every day. His lunches have high protein, some carbs and a fruit that he will eat. The only day he eats school lunch is pepperoni pizza day and I still send whole milk with him.

This is just my opinion, my perspective and how I deal with my child.

I don't disagree. The standards are very imperfect, and the implementation of the standards is problematic.

On the other hand, I remember going to school as a lower-income child when we pretty much had to use the subsidized school lunches or my parents could not put food on the table at supper from our family income, and the Government Cheese and Government Milk only went so far.

One example I particularly remember from elementary school was "french onion soup". Lukewarm water, with a few slices of raw onion on it, covered in a slice of Wonder white bread, then sprayed with a quick spritz of Cheez Wiz. That was Thursday. Every.. single.. Thursday... from 1st grade to 6th grade. Came with a helping of unrecognizable green stuff we were told was string beans, but they had been mashed into a paste and could have just as easily been peas or broccoli or something that had gone horribly bad - it was literally impossible to tell.

But, hey, it was eat that and be hungry or not eat it and be really hungry. There was little fat and no protein to be had, but it was the best the school could do on their budget for the subsidized kids. My plate was clean every single day, though I doubt I got much in the way of actual nutrition from it.

Imperfect standards are better than no standards at all.

I debated saying something about the subsidized lunches, but decided not to since I wasn't sure it was relevant to the original question. Having said that, I agree that where kids are concerned, some food is better than none. We didn't have school lunches where I grew up, it was a small community and the school just didn't have the option of providing a "hot lunch". I know there were kids that were going hungry, or eating minimally, so I am glad those same kids today would at least be getting a minimum standard meal to help them get through the day.

I will also say that while it's good to have standards, the amount of bureaucracy involved in school lunches is ridiculous. The book(s) of rules are about a foot thick. It's extremely difficult for the schools to both meet the standards and stay within their limited budget. Added to that we see that most schools no longer have the ability to cook on site, everything is packaged and just reheated at lunch time. Contracts with food corporations are at least a year out so nothing can get changed immediately even if everyone was on board.

There are things that could be done to improve the situation, I recently read the book "Lunch Wars" and it was full of viable ideas for making lunches healthier and better received by the kids. It also laid out exactly the difficulties in getting things changed in the current system. There's no quick fix but more regulation is rarely the answer.

HMLouise

I think it is great. Schools are really trying to teach kids how to eat healthy and still have a tasty variety. Yes, you're right ALOT of kids don't get taught at home how to eat well.
As for the part about what if kids need more/less protein, throw away their veggies etc. Well that's up to the parents. If your kid needs a special diet then you pack them a lunch with the things they need. They can't monitor every kid and make sure they eat the veggie. They also can't have 10 different options for kids each day to make sure they are individually catered to. That just isn't cost effective or time effective. From the example you provided it seemed like they had a couple different things to choose from. But i always go back to the fact that if you want to make sure your kid is getting the nurition they need and are eating healthy, just make them a lunch from home. Most likely it will be 10x healthier than any hot lunch and cheaper in the long run. It takes an extra 5 minutes the morning of or night before to do this.
They are doing basically the most they can do to make sure kids have the healthy food options at school and they are hoping if they make every kid have a vegetable on their plate, they might eventually eat it.
Great job to the school system for making these improvements. I really like the fact they are focused on sodium as well- that is a huge problem with alot of processed school foods that no one really thinks about.

luvnall3

My mother has worked at a school cafeteria for 30 years. She has always preached to the children to eat the healthy things on the plate. But in the past that could consist of buttery corn or a pumpkin cake. I mean, there hasn't been much accountablility with what has been served to our children over the years. But I can tell you, if you do not like the menu, disagree with the government, or have a child with a special dietary need. Then do not buy or let your child eat in the cafeteria! Simple.
My mother works at a low income school and they have implimented many of these new changes. These are kids that get food baskets delivered to their homes for christmas. I know because I volunteer to deliver. To them, these school breakfasts and lunches is a main source of nutrition for them. So to see that many of them will eat whatever is on the plate is good, so why not offer a better choice. For the children that are tossing the veggie or fruit, the parents should step up and talk to the children of the improtance of healthy eating. I do with my kids.
My daughters school has begun many of these changes. I am borderline diabetic, nutrition is important to me and have talked with my children about what we put into our bodies since they could understand. They eat the healthy things on their plates at home and school. My daughter is in 3rd grade as well and thinks it is cool to eat from the salad bar. They also have a lady who comes and teaches all the children in the school about fruits and veggies and how to eat and cook them. They all get to help prep and sample. So if the government is getting too involved in schools in your opinion, sack lunch it. But IMO, I think it couldn't come soon enough. Wish they had thought of that when I was a kid in school and maybe I wouldn't have had a weight problem growing up!

rayraex

It is also interesting that everyone critiques the schools lunch quality, but most don't want to pay higher taxes for the schools to have the budget to do so.