My Daughter's Elementary School Lunches
Replies
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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?
the school lunch program is a government program. It exists for a variety of reasons but one of the big ones is so that students who are low income can recieve food while at school. Because of this, they have guidelines that they want the food to meet, and if your children are partaking (whether you pay for the lunches, pay a reduced price, or get it free) you're playing by the government's rules, because it's their program. If you don't think the lunches are healthy enough, pack your own. If they need more protein, pack it. If they need special dietary changes, talk to the school which may be able to accomodate it.
If he throws away the veggie, hopefully that's that. I understand why they make the rules about kids having to grab a veggie, but I don't think schools should be "enforcing" the actual consumption of the food. When I was a kid I was forced to eat lunches at school when I didn't want them and it really messed up my relationship with food.0 -
I don't have children, but I do work for a company that provides hot lunches to elementary students at a lot of public schools across the nation, especially a lot of city school districts. They did just enact a bunch of changes where the meals are heavily regulated based on calories, vegetable type, whole grain bread, difference for age groups, etc. It has been a sh*tstorm at work trying to incorporate all of the changes to our meals. We've had to revamp basically EVERYTHING and of course, it doesn't come cheap to us having to change all of our vendors, our system, etc. Not only has it been a pain in my butt at work, but I think it's a stupid idea. While I agree that it is in the best interest of the schools to provide healthy options and try to nudge kids in the right direction, it is the parents responsibility to make sure kids are healthy and to encourage them to make healthier choices.
And to end this with a quote..."The whole point of this country is if you want to eat garbage, balloon up to 600 pounds and die of a heart attack at 43, you can. You are free to do so. To me, that is beautiful.” - Ron Swanson0 -
aside form the lack of whole milk, it seems ok. most(that i know) kids will pick the fruit and at least eat some of it0
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Maybe you're the only one who doesn't realize that not all schools are the same, then or now.I guess I am the only one that thinks our lunches were better as a child.
Of course they aren't all the same, but I went to 4 different high schools and went to school in 4 different states. What I got was hands down better than the carbs and milk that my kids are offered.0 -
that is why my kids take their lunch! The schools serve canned, bagged, or packaged premade stuff. Not waisting good money on that junk.
^^this0 -
My daughter (and oldest child) started kindergarten today and I was concerned about the food sources when we first started realizing the school years were upon us. Then I was ecstatic to talk with the food services director and found out that the school has their own five acre garden! Last year they were serving fresh spinach well into the year. On Tuesday we had parent-teacher meetings to start out and I was jealous of all the gorgeous fresh tomatoes I saw in the kitchen prep. Looking at the menu, it doesn’t sound appealing based on what was served years ago. But seeing the actual ingredients used brought a whole new perspective. And this is a small town school with minimal financial resources…not a high tuition fancy place! My father is a cook at a high tuition fancy place, and man do those kids eat good. Absolutely everything is made from scratch.
As for the government regulation, unfortunately I think it is necessary. Way too many parents don’t set good examples and at least the kids get some exposure to foods they might not otherwise realize they enjoy.0 -
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.
That's more or less the current situation.
--P0 -
Of course they aren't all the same, but I went to 4 different high schools and went to school in 4 different states. What I got was hands down better than the carbs and milk that my kids are offered.
What's wrong with milk?
--P0 -
Three things:
1. My mother for extra money once when she wasn't working full time signed up to sub at schools and they put her as a monitor at elementary cafeterias. Those schools required children to select a fruit or veg with their lunches and about 90% of those fruits and veggies ended up in the trash. You can make them take it, but you can't make them eat it.
2. I think there will be a lot of kids not eating lunch at all unless they bring it from home. It's nice they're trying, but kids are still kids.
3. When we were young and in school and there was no childhood obesity epidemic, we had a wider variety of choices, including pizza, chocolate milk, cheeseburgers and French fries. Not to mention we could get Little Debbie snacks and ice cream, unlimited. And fruit juice that was probably only about 10% actual fruit juice. The obesity issue is not because of what's on school lunch menus.0 -
My daughter (and oldest child) started kindergarten today and I was concerned about the food sources when we first started realizing the school years were upon us. Then I was ecstatic to talk with the food services director and found out that the school has their own five acre garden! Last year they were serving fresh spinach well into the year. On Tuesday we had parent-teacher meetings to start out and I was jealous of all the gorgeous fresh tomatoes I saw in the kitchen prep. Looking at the menu, it doesn’t sound appealing based on what was served years ago. But seeing the actual ingredients used brought a whole new perspective. And this is a small town school with minimal financial resources…not a high tuition fancy place! My father is a cook at a high tuition fancy place, and man do those kids eat good. Absolutely everything is made from scratch.
Wow. That is awesome! I wish all our food at home was made from scratch, let alone the school???Wow. I'm happy for you guys!0 -
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!
Abso-freaking-lutely!!
I don't have a problem with nutrition standards for school lunches. But at the end of the day - how much can you expect from a cafeteria setting with a cost of around $2.50/plate?
If "we" (as parents, as a community, as a country) don't want to have this type of governmental interference, "we" need to step up to the plate and be responsible for the issue.0 -
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?
I think it's a huge step in the right direction. If a child has special detary needs then their parent may need to pack their lunch rather than eating the govt. subsidized lunch. Schools can't cater to every dietary need. They must set standards based on the medical guidelines for the masses.
If a child throws away their vegetables it's no different than if they threw away any other type of food. Kids are going to be kids. Schools can only be expected to provide food. They can't force feed them.0 -
Don't worry...unless your child is obese or under-nourished.
They really need all those calories to sustain....Americans get too much fat and protein over-all, so make up snacks that help in the veggie and protein... peanut butter on celery or yogurt with fresh fruit should make up for it perfectly.0 -
This conversation is interesting to me because I live in Canada and in my city growing up I didn't even have a school cafeteria until I was in high school. I either went home for lunch or brought something with me. There were no restrictions on what I could bring and I was not an obese kid nor were about 90% of my classmates. My family ate healthy most of the time but when I got to high school I rebelled since there was the typical temptations like pizza and burgers...but I usually opted to go across the street to the Subway before eating at the cafeteria.
I think making healthier options is a good idea, if they are truly healthier, but the key word is options...not having the mush some people pass off as vegetables be the only choice. As well as teaching our children that they can have a treat once in a while but to make better choices most of the time. I was very restricted on what I could eat when I was younger and when I got my own money I kinda went crazy...I was an athlete so it didn't hit me till I was in University, but balance is a very important thing to teach our kids.0 -
Of course they aren't all the same, but I went to 4 different high schools and went to school in 4 different states. What I got was hands down better than the carbs and milk that my kids are offered.
What's wrong with milk?
--P
Nothing wrong with milk, but the fact that lunch was mashed potatoes with gravy, breadstick, and milk. Gravy had some turkey, but hope they don't cut down on that protein. One parent was telling me if her high school son got hot lunch, she had to pay for two lunches because he was still hungry with one. I can certainly see why. I don't think all schools are the same, but my kids lunch is not good. The monthly menu that is sent home makes it look great. MOST schools nationwide have contracted lunches to corporations. As with any corporation, profit is the bottom line so the kids haven't been required to take food that they will throw away. Just don't assume your kids are getting a good lunch. Go there and eat with them once a year. My kids love it when I go for lunch with them anyway.0 -
Wow. Tough subject to address...
I work in the central FANS office of my school district. I have heard practically every side of this issue. I have ended up with angry parents on the phone, because their child receives free lunch but now it's all "slop". (I pass calls like this to our district chef.)
The government has us over a barrel. We must meet the new nutritional guidelines, no questions asked. If our vendors can't deliver the substituted products we now must use to follow these guidelines, then it's a scramble to plug something into the menu that won't mess up the nutritional allowances for the rest of the week.
And if we fail? We lose our government funding, which is the only thing helping us to try and combat the increased product prices from following the guidelines.
Though I feel as if the staff here is being stretched beyond their limits, I am proud of all of them for deciding to undertake the challenge to cook more from scratch and not outsource to companies like Sodexo. We have a culinary program specifically in place to introduce kids in elementary and a few of our middle schools to try salad, healthy soups, and different, scratch-cooked entrees. And some of the schools do have their own gardens (a program that would be great to expand).
So really, there's no good call to make. Does the government have the right to regulate the food they're paying us to serve? Probably. Do parents have the right to call and complain that their child is eating "slop" that they're getting off of government support? I guess so.
No wonder FANS feels like the redheaded step-child department of the school district!0 -
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.
Funny you mention Sodexo, my husband works for them as an Executive Chef. DOH!0 -
Maybe we need to go back to the pre WWII where kids brought their own lunches and drinks and just get rid of the school lunch programs completely.
But then we have people who would argue that the school breakfast and lunch programs are the only meals some kids get in a day. Maybe THAT'S the problem that needs to be addressed.0 -
Next year if all goes according to plan, my daughter will begin attending a school which provides breakfast and lunch, and afternoon snack if they are in afterschool care. However, I will still provide breakfast at home for her (just in case she does not like what is being served), and the fare at home will still be mostly fresh fruits, veggies, whole grains and some pizza etc. She makes wise choices on her own (she is 5), preferring fruit to chips and candy, etc. I was not too crazy about the stuff I saw on the breakfast menu sample, lots of sugary cereals (I don't care if it's reduced sugar, still too much sugar - my girl likes plain original Cheerios!), pre-made breakfast sandwiches, etc. BUT I am choosing this school for the quality of academics and after school programs that are available. I think giving our kids a healthy head start at HOME is where the foundation needs to be laid, and if the school lunch is not what we would choose to serve, then we either need to pack one, get busy addressing the school boards and budget/decision makers, or just accept that these particular meals may not be ideal and we will balance it by what we serve at home. For children who only get meals throught the school meal programs, then this food is better than no food I guess. It does seem like a step in the right direction, but they underestimate what kids will choose on their own - my daughter will take a clementine over canned mandarin oranges, an apple over applesauce, any day. Every birthday party we go to, the kids devour the fresh fruit options long before the chips - as long as the PARENTS make those choices available! School budgets are ridiculously tight, but we moms feed our families on a budget all the time. Seems like we could show them how to prepare a healthier version of most every school meal within the budget and dietary guidelines!!0
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A former co-worker has a 10 year old son, who is very tall and slender for his age. She packed his lunch every day; he was a VERY picky eater. One day, she sent him to school with a ham and cheese sandwich, a bottle of milk, Goldfish crackers, and for a treat, instead of an apple or orange, dessert was a brownie.
He was told "That is NOT a healthy lunch" (because of the brownie) and it was taken away from him. He went hungry for the rest of the day, as he had no money to buy anything from the cafeteria.
True story.
I hope this never happens to any of your kids.0 -
Iin Glendale AZ the lunches here are the same. They have made sure that there are only fat free or 1% milk options and the chocolate or strawberry flavored milks are fat free. The carbs like bread are wheat or whole grain and they offer a salad bar option to all students.
Mostly I see in my sons school the fruit and veggies being thrown out even something like apple sauce or low fat yogurt was being thrown out. The kids only want to eat the burgers or pizza or grilled cheese. Many kids today are eating burgers and pizza or other fast food and have no idea how to make healthy choices because the parents dont make it for them at home either unfortunately. Too many schools have been forced to make healthy choices for students and to set an example because parents are not.
There is a great show that I watched during my applied nutrition class in nursing school called Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution. He visits some schools and tries to introduce healthy foods into the elem. school district and does not exactly have a warm welcome. It's definitely an eye opener!0 -
Must admit that I didn't read all the responses.
I'm a teacher and my little guy is a first grader. Last year, he ate the cafeteria food every day. Towards the end of the year, he started asking about taking his lunch. This year, he packs his own lunch and he loves it. So do I. I feel very comfortable with the nutrition content :happy:
I will say that the food in the cafeteria looks so much better! I did see that some folks were concerned about government intervention. I teach in a low income district. A vast majority of our students get their only meals from school :frown: We really should be doing our best to guide them. Schools are held responsible for teaching sooooo much these days. Nutrition should be high on the list!0 -
Why are they decreasing protein??? Kids need fat and protein in their diets to satiate them, it just needs to be from healthy sources, not fried foods and trans fats. When I did my student teaching, the kids always had access to a salad bar (public school!!!!) and most kids took salad, carrots, or another veggie offered. Many would take more than one serving, eat all of it, and throw out their tater tots.
Also, fat free milk is a stupid idea, especially if they are offering flavored, fat free milk. The fat in the milk is necessary to even use most of the nutrients...0 -
OP, I am pretty sure we are in the same school district because I recognize the menu and the newsletter. My daughter is also in third grade. I haven't much to say because my kids only eat lunch at school on hot ham and cheese day (him) or chicken nugget/tender (her) days. On other days I send lunches for them. Not necessarily for health reasons, although I send much larger portions of fresh fruits and vegetables, but because I have picky eaters. Our lunches do also tend to have more protein than the school option. In the end, I think that as government subsidized products, they probably do get to set a standard, and it certainly has Improved in many ways since we have been there. The amount of artificial and fat in our lunches has improved in the last few years. If your child has a specialized diet or specific preferences, chances are you are sending lunch anyway, Our cafeteria has always made the kids take two fruit/veg options, and they still do.
What I did want to mention though is that my son just started middle school. Their menu is VERY similar, but not always exactly the same, as the little kids, but every day they have a more substantial salad option, and EVERY DAY they have pizza on the menu as an option. So, hypothetically a kid in middle school could eat pizza every single day for lunch! I'd much rather they be presented with a mandatory lunch menu that tries to be good, than pizza every day. At our school (both of them) you have the option to buy a second entree if you are really hungry. Most kids don't, but if you really need a second plate of chicken/fish/etc you can buy it for a reduced price.0 -
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?
Yes, nutritional needs are different for every child. However, it's cheaper and simpler for them to make the same meal for everyone. And if it has to all be the same, they do a pretty darn good job putting together affordable, healthy meals for elementary school kids.0 -
Out of curiosity I looked at the menu for the high school I went to. Now I'm not picky eater (I've always loved veggies) but I don't think I would eat half of what they are offering. And they only offer white milk. I hate white milk. Always have, even as a child, but I'll drink chocolate. My milk would be getting tossed in the trash or passed to someone who wanted it. I think I would be begging my mother to pack my lunch.
As for the government, I think they need to butt out. Just cut out the junk food like chips, ice cream, ect which I bought EVERYDAY in Jr. High. After my parents divorced I was on reduced in high school, but in jr high I bought everyday. My lunch consisted of a bag of Cheetos or Fritos, a Little Debbie peanut butter bar and either chocolate milk or orange drink.0 -
My son's school changed a bunch of stuff this year, but honestly I am not impressed. The real problem I would think with kids trashing the fruit or vegetables is that they literally have NO time to eat lunch! I pack my son's lunch b/c he is allergic to milk and eggs so there are so few things he can have that they serve anyway. That said, they have 20 minutes. So they move to the cafeteria. He's in first grade, so the teachers carry the lunch boxes in a laundry basket. They are distrubuted in the cafeteria, so they are already cutting into the eating time. He tells me every day that he didn't have time to finish. He can be a pokey eater at dinnertime which is usually when I get him to try new things or eat what we are eating. Lunch time is all stuff I know he will scarf down in minutes. So if he says there is not enough time, I believe him. The couple of times I went in and had lunch with him at school, he and all of the kids who packed lunch were halfway done by the time the kids who buy even sat down, which probably means the kids buying have less than 10 minutes to eat. I watched the kids scarfing down what they could, most of them never even getting to open their milk carton! Sad really.
Ultimately regardless of what is on the tray, the kids are only going to eat the part they want if they have no one there reminding them to eat the other stuff. If kids are taught to eat properly at home, MAYBE they'll eat the vegetables at school, but maybe not.0 -
I completely disagree with their program (we have the same thing in our schools). For us, we have 2 very active boys that are straight A students. They DO NOT get enough to eat at lunch to keep them satisfied throughout the day. Their brains (and the brains of the other children) need to have as many nutrients as they can to effectively learn. I understand the concept behind the 'healthy lunch' options, but you're forcing the 'need' of a few on the entire population of students.
Besides the obvious issue of picky eaters (of which I have one), my concerns are for their friends who have food allergies or the like and can't eat the options that are now the only thing available. In my middle school son's lunch, they only have a salad bar available for their vegetables. So where did the 'hot' lunch go? I mean if this is supposed to be a healthy option and all it is for them is cold, raw veggies, what if you have a student who doesn't like raw veggies, but likes cooked ones? I really think they are missing the boat on some of these topics.
If the government has anything to say about lunches, I wish they'd just focus on the extras being offered. Limiting the snack items (cookies, chips, ice cream) is totally understandable, but changing the main foods is not acceptable.
In the end, for this family, my grocery/lunch bill has effectively doubled since the boys went back to school. I have to pay higher prices for lunches and then since they don't get enough to eat, they come home starving and eat another mid-day meal and an after school snacks. - Also, for me, I'm glad I'm not in school any longer, because, I'd be in trouble, I don't like 1% milk, I don't like raw veggies and the offerings for the entre are not few and far between of items that I'd eat...0 -
The new government plan is not going to make anyone healthier, they just want to be in every part of your life. Real nutrition should be taught, not this BS from the USDA. honestly teach people why things are good or not so good and teach people about portion size.
It has to start at home, the school can serve what they want but if not done at home the lunch will end up in trash0
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