Healthier school lunches are a bad thing?

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).

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).

I completely agree!

I don't think schools should be providing lunches. Period.

Or breakfast.

Or dinner.

Totally don't agree. For some children school lunches are the best meals they get for the day.

And for some kids it may be the ONLY meal they get in a day.

I don't think schools should be providing lunches. Period.

Or breakfast.

Or dinner.

Totally don't agree. For some children school lunches are the best meals they get for the day.

And for some kids it may be the ONLY meal they get in a day.

We're all entitled to our opinions, and I respect yours. But, based on my 10 years of experience teaching at a school where 98.7% of the children lived at or below the poverty level, this notion of the "only" meal proved incorrect. Not only did these children show up to school in high fashion gear, they also had cash on-hand for luxury items, i.e. chicken wings, ice cream, candy bars. So, again, I respectfully disagree with this notion that kids will starve if they aren't fed at school.

Kids should eat what's put in front of them. Many kids these days don't know how good they have it and unless they have an allergy or some sort of OCD that actually prevents them from eating certain colors or textures, they should eat their lunches.

No offense to the parents here but it seems as if children are indulged too much these days. Kids should get to make some choices in their lives but they also must be told to do things they don't want to or they'll never learn.

I grew up poor, but still fat since we didn't eat many good foods in my house and I was lucky to have fresh veggies or to have veggies twice in one day. I gobbled up fresh steamed broccoli at school and enjoyed it as much as I did the occasional ice cream treats.

I'm glad they've finally implemented this program and I hope they can fix any kinks that come up. But there's no reason for people to get so mad and call for it to be abolished before they even try it out properly! Sure, it won't fit every child or teenager, and some of the faster growing kids may have gotten in more calories and felt fuller from school lunches before, but they weren't getting the proper nutrients to help their bodies process things efficiently.

Another thing, everyone could do to feel hungry every once in a while, it makes you more appreciative of what you have. And most people in the United States actually have much, much more than they really need. I think I'll stop before I start ranting about sustainability and quality of life though, haha.

I don't think schools should be providing lunches. Period.

Or breakfast.

Or dinner.

Totally don't agree. For some children school lunches are the best meals they get for the day.

And for some kids it may be the ONLY meal they get in a day.

We're all entitled to our opinions, and I respect yours. But, based on my 10 years of experience teaching at a school where 98.7% of the children lived at or below the poverty level, this notion of the "only" meal proved incorrect. Not only did these children show up to school in high fashion gear, they also had cash on-hand for luxury items, i.e. chicken wings, ice cream, candy bars. So, again, I respectfully disagree with this notion that kids will starve if they aren't fed at school.

I understand your opinion - I live in a community with a high poverty rate as well. And yes, there are those who abuse the system and live in "poverty" all while affording fast food, snacks, nice clothes, electronics, etc.

But there are others - the kids on the fringes - who really are hungry every day. The kids who wolf down their meal because there is nothing in the fridge at home. Mom is too busy scoring her next high to go to the grocery store. Dad is passed out on the couch, so he's not making dinner either. Those kids with the dark circles under their eyes, wearing high water jeans and stained shirts. Those are the kids to worry about. No child should be hungry, and I am perfectly find with spending my tax dollars to make sure they get one solid meal a day.

I work in law enforcement, so I know that this problem exists - we see it all the time. Officers are called to a residence because of a problem and find out that there is no food in the house. Kids are disruptive in school because they are hungry. It happens everywhere - but it happens A LOT in low income communities and neighborhoods.

"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.

This is why I pack my kids lunch every day.

I don't think schools should be providing lunches. Period.

Or breakfast.

Or dinner.

Totally don't agree. For some children school lunches are the best meals they get for the day.

And for some kids it may be the ONLY meal they get in a day.

We're all entitled to our opinions, and I respect yours. But, based on my 10 years of experience teaching at a school where 98.7% of the children lived at or below the poverty level, this notion of the "only" meal proved incorrect. Not only did these children show up to school in high fashion gear, they also had cash on-hand for luxury items, i.e. chicken wings, ice cream, candy bars. So, again, I respectfully disagree with this notion that kids will starve if they aren't fed at school.

I taught in Oakland. My kids all (yes, 100% of them) qualified for FRL.

If we didn't feed them, yes, they WERE going to be hungry. Actually hungry. And my kids didn't have cell phones or fashion gear. They didn't have decent shoes, most of them. None of them were obese, and very few were even overweight.

So I respectfully disagree with your anecdote, by providing one of my own.

^This.

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.