Healthier school lunches are a bad thing?

aftergypsies

Hummus? Yuck haha. But, chicken and veggies sounds good.

Elzecat

I think your feedback was dead-on. Parenting is a very touchy subject and no one wants unsolicited advice, but I agree with what you said. Kids should not create the rules.

My son was very unhappy with the changes to school lunches here as well. He is a very active 13 YO, who is lean and healthy with good muscle tone and endurance (yes, we encourage running!). He has very good eating habits, always has from baby on. He eats every vegetable put in front of him and loves to try new things. His favorite meal is grilled salmon, broccoli and brown rice. We've encouraged balance diets at home and model good choices with food & exercise.

Back to the topic - he saw his one school lunch per week as a treat. It was garbage no doubt about it. He would fill up his tray 1 x per week with mac & cheese, pizza, chicken nuggets, french fries, cheese burgers, or any number of low nutrition options one can think of and that was his reward for eating apples, carrots, oat crackers and healthy lunch options all week long.

When I explained to him that it may be very important to other students he got the message. I explained that there are some kids at his school that will not get another meal for the day. That the meals the school provides need to be healthy and full of nutrients for those kids. Also, because there are many parents out there who do not encourage eating from all colors of the rainbow daily. There are many kids who do not get a fruit & a vegetable in their lunch every day.

Might not work for all kids, but I find that if I sit down and talk to my son as an adult its helpful. While he may not always like it, he respects that we show him how to think and not what to think.

Interesting...when I was a kid my mom packed my lunch (and when I hit about age 10 I started doing it myself) and I only got to eat school lunch once a week as a treat. Back in the days when pigs-in-the-blanket were on the menu....hehe...but the rest of the time I ate the healthier stuff my family sent with me.

Elzecat

"As a teacher, I prefer trying to teach kids who aren't hungry. Surely you understand that there are kids whose families rely on thse programs to prevent actual hunger.

You know they have to be interviewed about their income and assets before their child can qualify for those lunches, right?"

I'm glad you seem to have experience with a school not abusing the system. I, on the other hand, spent 10 years witnessing nothing but abuse. No proof of income was needed where I taught, nor were interviews conducted.

Interesting...here in Colorado the free lunch program is a federal thing and there is definitely a proof of income requirement...I've never heard of a school system not asking for that. It's unfortunate that the families of your students abused the system.

DestinationFitnessChick

When most children don't know where their next meal is coming from, is serving them food that they aren't going to eat, whether it's healthy or not, going to help them??? I disagree that school lunches are fueling the obesity epidemic among children. One meal is not going to make a child obese. It worries me that children are not eating and then when they get home no one is cooking for them .........they are gorging on junk that is in their cabinets because this is all they have at home. I know I"m being stereo typical but this is truthful as I work with children in several different environments and I see it on a first hand basis. They are not eating what is on their trays. We feed children on Wednesday nights at church and they eat, and eat and eat, because they weren't filled up earlier in the day and they know they aren't going to get food when they get home. I'm all for healthy food, but I know only a handful of kids that are going to eat hummus or spinach salads.

sakuragreenlily

I actually had to go in and speak to the Principal regarding this matter because my children require a high fat, high calorie diet and so it's not possible for me to send "healthy options" according to their standards, for my children for lunch. If I do this, they WILL be malnourished & sickly.

However, mine is a very different case.

I don't know how your school does it but in our school system if a parent provides a physician's order as to what foods are medically necessary for a child we accommodate those needs.

For example, we have a student who requires only pureed food because of a swallowing disorder which causes her esophagus to become lodged with food if she attempts to eat solids.

Unfortunately we do request physician's orders because a lot of times parents will send notes saying, "My child is lactose intolerant, do not give them milk." While we watch their child eat ice cream and cheese daily with no problems. Or, "My child is allergic to [insert every vegetable imaginable here]." Obviously the school is not a restaurant and they're not going to cater to a child's WANTS even if the parents choose to do so at home.

WendySue67

This is all fine and dandy that we want to force kids to eat nutritious food, but my best friend who is a lunch worker at the school said they are seeing most of this fabulously nutritious food thrown in the trash can. I think it's possible to find a happy medium of foods that kids will actually eat and I think calling it all "trash" is extreme. I also believe chicken nuggets have gotten a bad wrap--if they are baked what is so wrong with them?

As for what kids eat at home... Parents (as well as other adults) all over the place make bad choices every day and there is no way to police them all. Unfortunately, innocent people (like kids) will sometimes pay a price for that. Hopefully with education they will grow up to make their own better choices later. That's what I did.

My kids pack their lunch because I'm not willing to pay the exorbitant prices and I can pack a good lunch for less than half the price, plus make sure they actually get enough to eat.

kmbrooks15

Parents need to step up and actually PARENT their children. My kids are 13 and 14, and if they had a choice, they'd eat nothing but junk all day. I don't allow them to do that, though. They are allowed chips and sweets, but only after they've eaten healthy stuff. There is no dessert in our house unless you've eaten all your vegetables.

When my daughter was younger, she decided that dessert wasn't worth having to eat her broccoli, so she'd claim to be full when there was only broccoli left on her plate and just skip dessert. When I got wise to what she was doing, I start wrapping up the broccoli for the next meal! A few times of having to eat broccoli for breakfast broke her of that habit!

I have found, though, that if parents try to force kids to eat plain old veggies, it won't be successful. I try to find creative ways to cook veggies so they will be more palatable. Sometimes it's just as simple as adding a little garlic salt or other seasoning. Last night we had sweet potato wedges seasoned with rosemary, a little salt, and pepper and drizzled with olive oil, then roasted...yummy! The kids went back for more!

I do know people who just don't want to fight the battle with their kids. The thing is, it doesn't have to be a battle. Just put the food out for them, and when they are hungry enough, they'll eat it. But allowing kids to eat junk food because they "won't eat the healthy stuff" is not a good option. Kids won't usually choose the healthy stuff if they have the option of the junk food.

I did know someone who went to the opposite extreme. Her child got a bran muffin on his birthday instead of a cake. I don't think it's a terrible thing to have birthday cake on your birthday...you just have to not have cake every day!

LuckyLeprechaun

"As a teacher, I prefer trying to teach kids who aren't hungry. Surely you understand that there are kids whose families rely on thse programs to prevent actual hunger.

You know they have to be interviewed about their income and assets before their child can qualify for those lunches, right?"

I'm glad you seem to have experience with a school not abusing the system. I, on the other hand, spent 10 years witnessing nothing but abuse. No proof of income was needed where I taught, nor were interviews conducted.

Interesting...here in Colorado the free lunch program is a federal thing and there is definitely a proof of income requirement...I've never heard of a school system not asking for that. It's unfortunate that the families of your students abused the system.

It IS a federal program. The DOE requires proof. So unless that poster is from outside the US........... I smell something fishy about the claims of abuse.

overfences

I honestly don't know of any children in my life who don't eat a lot of chicken nuggets. I'm sure it's really easy to tell a 7 year old he has to eat hummus and steamed vegetables every day, right? Kids do need a balanced diet, but that doesn't mean it has to be all low-calorie vegetarian food.

My kids eat what I serve. Period. I never buy junk food so they don't eat it, apart from an occasional outing to a restaurant. There are many of us out here who don't think that children need some special junk food diet just because they're children. Somehow children in other countries manage to eat their local cuisine without resorting to chicken nuggets and frozen pizza.

The "alternative kids' menu" is a 1st World luxury and totally, completely unnecessary. And unhealthy.

Denise1224

My cousin is PO’d stating her son will not eat these foods because his diet is ONLY pork roll, bacon, pizza, chicken nuggets, French fries and occasionally spaghetti with butter on it. Her son is 12, approximately 4’10” and about 85-90 pounds. He’s so undernourished that his back and chest have a skeletal appearance.

Its amazing he's that small / thin given the diet ... I agree that the school should be commended for trying to make sure the children get proper nutrition too often kids don't get the proper foods to eat either because their parents let the make their choices or in a hurry to a baseball game or whatever extra curricular activity they stop at a fast food chain for a quick meal which isn't the best nutritional choice.

stephcthomas

My kids eat what I serve. Period. I never buy junk food so they don't eat it, apart from an occasional outing to a restaurant. There are many of us out here who don't think that children need some special junk food diet just because they're children. Somehow children in other countries manage to eat their local cuisine without resorting to chicken nuggets and frozen pizza.

The "alternative kids' menu" is a 1st World luxury and totally, completely unnecessary. And unhealthy.

Exactly.

Mendelianparakeets

One thing I never understood is how exactly Nachos and Cheese was ever considered a lunch. I see that as more of an amusement park or sporting event snack, even if it does come with fruit or whatever. Not necessarily just because it lacks nutrition, but because I just don't see that being a very satisfying meal.

Also:

His favorite meal is grilled salmon, broccoli and brown rice.

Wow, your son has good taste. That's my favorite meal sides and all right there.^

sakuragreenlily

My kids eat what I serve. Period. I never buy junk food so they don't eat it, apart from an occasional outing to a restaurant. There are many of us out here who don't think that children need some special junk food diet just because they're children. Somehow children in other countries manage to eat their local cuisine without resorting to chicken nuggets and frozen pizza.

The "alternative kids' menu" is a 1st World luxury and totally, completely unnecessary. And unhealthy.

Exactly.

Amen. Feeding your kids healthy food is not child abuse

stephl21uk

i think the heathy school dinners are fantastic, when my son started full time school (reception class in UK) he was such a fussy eater but i was adamant that he had school dinners and not a packed lunch so he was geting proper hot food to keep him going.....his school is a healthy eating school award so has good nutritious meals.....he soon cottoned on to he either eats it or goes hungry....hes now 7 and enjoys vegtables and fruit and has a really good apetite!
dont know how it works in us, but in uk you have a choice to send ur kids in with a packed lunch or pay £10 a week for school dinners x

BeingAwesome247

I WISH my daughter's school menu looked more like that!!

Your cousin is a twit....kinda like I had a cousin who threw a fit on facebook b/c her son's Kindergarten teacher asked for $20 from each parent so she could provide snacks for the kids for the school year....now my daughter's teacher has all of us on a snack rotation there are special guidelines on what we can and can't bring blah blah blah...
I would have much rather paid the ONE TIME $20 and been done with it lol

MsMargie1116

:drinker: Good for them for changing the menu... :flowerforyou:

RGv2

Kid runs the house.

Well that is the main problem right there. I understand NOT wanting the government to tell you what you can/can't feed your child. It isnt doing that though. It is telling a federally and locally funded entity what it can and can't do with that money. Schools are government products. You send your kids to school every day. In your absence we make decisions about your child-what behaviors are acceptable, what they can wear, what they learn, and so forth. And as a veteran employee of schools, I can say this: the only parenting some children get is when they are *at* school. But heaven forbid we try to tell your kids what they can consume while on school grounds with food that is subsidized with federal funds. Now all of sudden schools are Nazis (which is a truly horrible analogy as the Nazis mass murdered people. Nothing like some gross exaggeration).

The Nazi comparison was in comparision to schools who inspect bag lunches and throw any food that doesn't meet federal regulations. Now, how again is that food that is subsidized with federal funds?

I'll hang up and listen.

jlnk

"As a teacher, I prefer trying to teach kids who aren't hungry. Surely you understand that there are kids whose families rely on thse programs to prevent actual hunger.

You know they have to be interviewed about their income and assets before their child can qualify for those lunches, right?"

I'm glad you seem to have experience with a school not abusing the system. I, on the other hand, spent 10 years witnessing nothing but abuse. No proof of income was needed where I taught, nor were interviews conducted.

Interesting...here in Colorado the free lunch program is a federal thing and there is definitely a proof of income requirement...I've never heard of a school system not asking for that. It's unfortunate that the families of your students abused the system.

It IS a federal program. The DOE requires proof. So unless that poster is from outside the US........... I smell something fishy about the claims of abuse.

Nothing fishy here, I promise. Forms are filled out, indeed they comply in that manner. But, no proof of income is necessary. Here in the south we say, "If I'm lyin' I'm dyin'" and I can assure you I am very much alive. In my district, the paperwork that is filled out IS the proof...

I'm seriously not trying to be argumentative, and perhaps my experience is unique, but I swear, the FRL program is a means to an end (i.e. more funds for the school) for my principal and district.

Obviously, I want hungry children fed and am happy and willing to contribute to do so. Just wanted to clarify. And, for the record, I'm all for a healthier menu.

I guess my teaching experience has left me with a sour taste in my mouth and a rather narrow view of this socioeconomic class of society. I'll keep in mind that all is not black and white, there are indeed grey areas. Thank you for relaying your personal experience, I appreciate the insight.

Apologies to OP for interjecting this issue to the board.

Be well, everyone.

anemoneprose

This doesn't happen that often, but sometimes there are other reasons behind the weird food tastes of some kids. I knew one who'd only eat hot dogs and carrots (parents were fine, rest of the family ate well, no other behavioural problems that I'm aware of). Maybe it's a sensitivity to stimuli, who knows.

'Pickiness' can also be a way of trying to impose some control in a house that feels out of control.

DesireeLovesOrganic

Our school lunches are pure garbage. My kids do not eat them but I see the calendar online, ick! Lazy parents make me crazy, PACK THEM A FREAKING HEALTHY LUNCH. She's whining about the school getting better options? Oh boo hoo. The kid craves that crap because it's what she has allowed him to have.