My Daughter's Elementary School Lunches

Sabine_Stroehm

This is *definitely* a government issue. Its good to limit kids options to only healthy ones, but I'm scared when they don't allow kids to bring their own lunch without a doctors note. Meanwhile they are forcing these terrible GMO's and toxins as their only option. I had to cut down my own political rant. But I'm surprised I'm the only one concerned about this part. You all HAVE to watch King Corn, and other documentaries about Monsanto. Seriously. I'm not a political person, but we ALL should be worried!!!

Do some public schools NOT allow parents to send lunch? For what reason?

bltrexler

My daughter started her first day of kindergarten today and while looking over the school lunch menu I was not thrilled. We we never feed her some the the menu items. She will bring her own lunch with the occasional pizza day. Today she packed hummus with carrots for snack #1, 1/2ham sandwich on whole wheat and grapes w/ water, and nature valleu thin granola with dark chocolate for lunch and for snack#2 = pretzels.

KeriW626

My kids took their own home made food to school for lunch. It had it in what I wanted them to have. Esp. after the entire school district went sugar free. I have a daughter who is hypoglycemic, she kept peanut butter in her locker among other foods.

uahorsegirl

My son takes his lunch every day now. Last year, he would come home hungry sometimes. So I asked, did you eat lunch? His answer: just the main portion, nothing else.. I asked, Why?. He didn't like the other things. So I asked, do you want me to make your lunch every day. He said, Yes. It is actually cheaper for me to make his lunch then for him to buy it. Plus I know he'll eat what I put in there. He gets homemade lunchables which consist of crackers, cheese, and ham or turkey. I have snack buckets which have a serving size of chex mix, goldfish, or pringles (all favorites), a go-gurt, water bottle. I'll include fruit if I have something that will stand the test of a 10 year and his lunchbox (it gets tossed alot). But he's happy and I'm happy that i don't have a starving kid when i get home.

Amandac6772

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

This right here!!!! We blame the school system for our children being obese but nobody thinks about the trip through McDonald's on the way home from school, or the hours we put our children in front of a TV or video game. Where is the paren't accountability? Most school system child nutrition programs run in the negative as far as funding goes because of waste like this trying to meet government standards. I can tell you, my child would just throw the vegetable away. He is picky and I did a poor job of teaching him to eat right but I did it, not the school. We are working on trying new things but it is a slow process. And thanks to the school's food program he has tried new things at the encouragment of the cafeteria manager.

myfitnessnmhoy

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.

mitch16

In an ideal world, the local school boards would be well funded and have plenty of money to be able to afford good, solid, wholesome food and hire employees who care enough to prepare it in a healthy manner.

I think that in an ideal world, it would be up to the family to provide good, solid, wholesome food for their children... It shouldn't be up to the government or the schools...

My son is allowed to buy school lunch 1 day per week. Not thrilled about it, but there are certain foods that they make that I don't make at home, so this is his chance to eat that. Realistically this is less than 5% of the food he eats in a week, so I'm not that worried about the nutritional content because I know that the meals that I feed him are healthy and well-balanced. My son is healthy and active.

I have a bigger problem when the school tries to dictate what my son may or may not bring from home to eat.

aprilwilliams2729

I know in our school district (my son is only 9 months old, but I've talked to other parents) - they are not adjusting the serving sizes on the child's age/grade. So a kindergartener gets the same lunch as a 12th grade athlete. Also, if a child brings a packed lunch they have to sit at a special table (in case they might have peanuts or some other allergen in their lunch). At least one child has had part of their lunch taken and thrown away (a pudding cup) and then told they had to go get school lunch.

I realize the issue with allergens, but it seems wrong to segragate students because they bring their food from home. And if ANYONE took food from my child's lunch and threw it away I would be LIVID!

I guess my point is - where does it stop. Of course there have to be regulations, but when it starts infringing on my right to decide what my child eats I think we have to draw the line.

sherrirb

The only thing I really disagree with in regards to what the OP stated as the lunch options is the fat free milk.

It is a well known, well documented fact that milk fat is one of the best fats available for brain development, especially from infant to 6 years old when the brain is developing the fastest.

Our government has been really working hard to cut out this fat from the diets of our children. Government programs such as WIC that subsidize groceries for families with children up to 5 years old no longer give allowance for whole or 2% milk.

Studies have also shown that raw milk from grass fed cows is more beneficial to the body because it has not been pastuerized, which destroys beneficial enzymes and bacteria. It is easily digested by people who have experienced issues with lactose intolerance.

Something is terribly wrong with this picture. Next thing you know the government will try to regulate home grown produce.. oh wait, they are already trying to do that!

vim_n_vigor

This is *definitely* a government issue. Its good to limit kids options to only healthy ones, but I'm scared when they don't allow kids to bring their own lunch without a doctors note. Meanwhile they are forcing these terrible GMO's and toxins as their only option. I had to cut down my own political rant. But I'm surprised I'm the only one concerned about this part. You all HAVE to watch King Corn, and other documentaries about Monsanto. Seriously. I'm not a political person, but we ALL should be worried!!!

Do some public schools NOT allow parents to send lunch? For what reason?

There are some that regulate what you can send with your child for lunch - it must meet the federal standards. That is overreaching in my mind. I don't have a problem with the school saying no candy for lunch or something like that, but when they dictate everything that must be packed, I have a problem with it.

http://foxnewsinsider.com/2012/02/14/outrage-after-school-tells-mom-her-child’s-lunch-is-unacceptable/

southpaw211

I think it's great they're finally making an effort to serve healthier choices in school cafeterias. Why are people all upset that it's a government program? This knee-jerk anti-government nonsense has got to stop. I just wrote a long political rant but, but on second thought, this isn't the place for it so I deleted it.

This is my feeling exactly. I don't mind the government regulating healthier school lunches. I'm sure most people with kids would love to see a lot of fresh choices for lunches and not the processsed/can stuff that's commonly served. But then the budget would be affected and it would come down to what program do parents want to see cut for the added expense of the fresher, healtheir food? I wonder at that point whether keeping the football program would be more important to parents than the healthy food program?

My girls at 1st & 3rd grade often eat like birds. They would eat cereal three times a day if I let them, for crying out loud. So we brainstormed together before the year started and made a chart with 4 categories (Sandwich, Fresh Fruit/Veggie, Snack and Dessert). They pick one item from each category the night before. With the exception of little snack packs of cookies in the dessert category, we kept pretty healthy choices in each. So I know they're eating something healthy, and more importantly, something they requested. Hopefully it's not hitting the garbage can. And once in a while, because I remember what it was like to be a kid, I let them buy an ice cream on Fridays.

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?

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.

AMYJK7110

I see your side of the issue, but as a former teacher in a low-income school, I think providing at least one healthy meal a day for kids through the school is a good thing. Some of my kids didn't get enough to eat at home or subsisted on a diet of Ramen noodles and cereal because they're cheap. The fruits and vegetables being offered at school are the only ones those students saw all day. Most students aren't super athletic in grade school, so a reduction in their protein intake at one meal isn't going to harm their health, especially since it is in line with the new government standards. All this being said, I brought my lunch to school most everyday by junior high and high school because I realized how gross the food was. Certainly as a teacher, I brought my lunch everyday. It made me sad to realize the food I wouldn't touch was the best meal many of my students got all day.

I was just about to say the same thing! In my school district, 53% of the children are on free or reduced cost breakfast and lunch. Sadly, it is often the ONLY meals they will have all day. We also offer a summer feeding program where anyone 18 and under, regardless if they attend or live in our district, can come in to the school and eat free breakfast and lunch.
That being said, I have to pack my youngest son his lunch everyday, because the cost of his lunch kept going up and we asked him why (traditionally you could choose what you want and pay for those items only) and he told us the lunch ladies told him he HAD to choose a vegetable, which they charged extra for. Which always ended up in the garbage anyways. And he's not even that picky of a veggie eater, but 'waxed yellow beans' and mushy broccoli doesn't sound particularly appetizing to me either!

waldenfam2

I have 3 kids, from 11th grade to 3rd grade and since the changes in the food menu they refuse to eat hot lunch. But it's not really the dietary changes that they object to, it's the fact that the food is no longer prepared at the school. It's prepackaged by a company and sent in. Many times (last year) they complained because the food was cold or the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches were mainly bread with a scrape of peanut butter on it. This year we've been brown bagging it. They get a sandwich, water, one 'unhealthy' snack and one healthy snack. The unhealthy snack is a single serve bag of chips or oreo's, etc, and the healthy one is usually an orange or an apple.

The other thing I've noticed, and I'm not sure if it's changed this year, but they counted the pizza sauce as a vegetable...ummm, really? A tablespoon of tomato sauce is a vegetable? And the corn..omg. My high schooler is allergic to corn, so we have to be extremely careful with what she eats since it's in everything! Even generic ibuprofen and zyrtec. Nice since it's an allergy med! We can't really know what's in the food from the school so it's better for her to brown bag it anyways...:)

lhergenr

The only thing I really disagree with in regards to what the OP stated as the lunch options is the fat free milk.

It is a well known, well documented fact that milk fat is one of the best fats available for brain development, especially from infant to 6 years old when the brain is developing the fastest.

Our government has been really working hard to cut out this fat from the diets of our children. Government programs such as WIC that subsidize groceries for families with children up to 5 years old no longer give allowance for whole or 2% milk.

Studies have also shown that raw milk from grass fed cows is more beneficial to the body because it has not been pastuerized, which beneficial enzymes and bacteria. It is easily digested by people who have experienced issues with lactose intolerance.

Something is terribly wrong with this picture. Next thing you know the government will try to regulate home grown produce.. oh wait, they are already trying to do that!

That's exactly what bothered me about it. Why should kids be drinking fat free/low fat milk? Fat is important, especially for brain development. This part of the menu seems completely unnecessary and possibly even harmful.

KipDrordy

If you don't want the government making the nutrition choices for your family, then don't rely on the government feeding your family. You don't see cigarette machines in schools, do you? Do you not have a problem with the government making the decision to not make cigarettes available? Make your kids bring a lunch to school and give them candy bars and left over pizza. No one will stop you.

KipDrordy

The only thing I really disagree with in regards to what the OP stated as the lunch options is the fat free milk.

It is a well known, well documented fact that milk fat is one of the best fats available for brain development, especially from infant to 6 years old when the brain is developing the fastest.

Our government has been really working hard to cut out this fat from the diets of our children. Government programs such as WIC that subsidize groceries for families with children up to 5 years old no longer give allowance for whole or 2% milk.

Studies have also shown that raw milk from grass fed cows is more beneficial to the body because it has not been pastuerized, which beneficial enzymes and bacteria. It is easily digested by people who have experienced issues with lactose intolerance.

Something is terribly wrong with this picture. Next thing you know the government will try to regulate home grown produce.. oh wait, they are already trying to do that!

That's exactly what bothered me about it. Why should kids be drinking fat free/low fat milk? Fat is important, especially for brain development. This part of the menu seems completely unnecessary and possibly even harmful.

Plenty of fat in the meals already.

jaireed

I think that it is a good idea to make the lunches more healthy, however, as usual the government's involvement in the schools has not addressed the issue appropriately. The kids are now required to have one fruit and one veggie on their plate or they get sent back to the end of the line. The new requirements take forever to get the kids through the lunch line and then they end up only having a few minutes to scarf down what they can in order to enjoy part of thier only recess. How about we go back to having 2 to 3 recesses a day and give the kiddos a chance to get the ants out of their pants so they can focus in school. Kids need more exercise rather than a diet. The fruit is generally sugared and the mandatory salad is generally thrown out, since Ranch is no longer allowed. However mayo and other full fat dressings are available at the condiment table which makes little to no sense. They want the kids to eat their veggies but take away Ranch and give them full fat Italian. Wouldn't a lite Ranch be a logical step in the right direction? Fruits and veggies can still be a bad choice if they are full of sugar and fat and they are still served along side pizza, hamburgers and tacos. Just another time the government has failed to improve an important issue.

dakotababy

Let your daughter be the judge of the new food - its her body, not yours.
One thing i noticed is that it says the student MUST take 1 fruit or veggie - well no one can FORCE the child to EAT the fruit or veggie.

Parents need to step it up - to rely on the government and schools to teach children about proper eating habits is disturbing. This is the job of the parents.

Though - I think this is an excellent thing because its better than french fries and french fries.

myfitnessnmhoy

This is *definitely* a government issue. Its good to limit kids options to only healthy ones, but I'm scared when they don't allow kids to bring their own lunch without a doctors note. Meanwhile they are forcing these terrible GMO's and toxins as their only option. I had to cut down my own political rant. But I'm surprised I'm the only one concerned about this part. You all HAVE to watch King Corn, and other documentaries about Monsanto. Seriously. I'm not a political person, but we ALL should be worried!!!

Do some public schools NOT allow parents to send lunch? For what reason?

There are some schools that require that school lunches brought in by the child meet the same standards as the school-prepared lunches. There have been a few well-publicized cases of school employees supplementing lunches and/or taking away what they consider unhealthy choices, and charging the parents for the alternatives provided.

The only problem I have with that is that there's apparently been no clear expectation set beforehand, and/or in cases where the parent was never contacted prior to the replacement. If you want to mess with my kid's lunch, call me first. There might be some specific issue that I can help with, or an allergy you are unaware of.

Our daughter's school DOES set clear nutritional standards for what is expected to be in our kids' lunches, and particularly what is NOT allowed (sweets, candy, cake, etc), and all of the parents have received the standards and have signed off on them with an exceptions process (classes that have kids with severe allergies might receive specialized standards based on the class, for example, and kids with specialized nutritional needs fall under standards agreed to by the parent and teacher).

But that's a discussion we have at the class level, and our school is too small to have a lunch program. The federal mandate is included in the discussion, but parents meet with the teacher in a group setting to discuss dress code, nutritional standards in lunches, and behavioral expectations before class starts each year.

It really frees the kids up to actually spend their time learning, rather than worrying about the fact that someone else has nicer shoes, or one of the kids "is allowed to bring in cake every day, so why can't I?"

It's all in the presentation - if the parents are included in the conversation and understand why the standards exist, it seems to be more supported. The parents who never show up to the parent meetings are generally also the ones who gripe about it.