Kids nutrition changes in schools

[hollysmom]

Yea!

State becomes sour on sweets in school
Policy aims to reduce student obesity

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/front/2029427

While I plan to pack Holly's lunch (kindergarten starts 8/13) - this is good news.

SSM

[Mimeea]

I hope this kind of development will continue to grow more prevalent in the nation's schools.

Smart choice to pack Holly's lunch, though. I can remember throughout junior high eating nothing but a hot dog and french fries everyday! Finally I had started bringing my own sandwich, though.

[Pico]

Good news! It's really saddening what's served at schools these days. The cafeteria staff always gives me weird looks when I go through the line... All I ever buy is milk to drink with what I've brought from home!

[lhall]

Wow. I wonder if it's just my county. I've got the first two weeks of school lunches printed out at home. I think they offer some great choices. There are 3 main dish choices (with one of those vegetarian) every day. There are also choices 5 sides (you get one or three depending on your main dish). There's also usually a salad option every day. Fruit, vegetables, sweets.

There is a note about morning snack, which we are supposed to send, asking parents not to send sweets.

Leigh

[zippy478]

I guess the fact that something like this makes news amazes me for some reason. I don't have any kids *yet* ;) but I can remember when I was going through school, we didn't have the junk food choices AT ALL. When I moved to New England and met my husband, I was astounded by the fact that they have a Taco Bell, Burger King or whatever the latest fad was IN the cafeteria at the high school and it's been like that for years!

NBC Nightly News did a few stories this week on the problem of child obesity and they put the blame primarily on the fact that kids are more prone to staying indoors playing video games, watching TV etc. than going outside and playing. It absolutely amazes me that I can go to someone's house at 1pm on a weekend and the teenagers are sitting inside on a beautiful day rather than outside playing! But, I guess they learn by example and if the parents are inside as well - there is no motivation to go outside.

Note to self: when I have children.....set an active example, not an inactive one!

[krispy spo]

Our county also has some good choices, including a fruit and yogurt plate every day (although DD never chooses this one). Last year my kindergartener's favorite was the Chicken Tender Salad - she chose that over the pizza!

But there was a lot of controversy last year over the 'extras'. Kids were allowed to purchase cookies, doughnuts, brownies and ice creams. These are expensive (at least $0.50) and the serving sizes are huge. Most parents were unaware that their kids were buying these items since kids were purchasing them with their meal cards. Also, the kids had to buy them at the same time as their lunch because they can only go through the line once. So there was no incentive to eat their lunch when they had a huge popsicle on their tray! After many complaints, a nutrition committee was formed and this year they are changing it so that 'extras' cannot be charged to the meal cards. I was amazed at some of the things that kids (kindergarteners) brought from home, including those mini cans of soda.

Last year my daughter was burning through her meal card $$ quicker than she should have. I finally figured out that she was buying bottled water (5 oz bottle I think) with her lunch. Milk is free but the water was $0.50. It was adding up pretty quick.

Okay, here is my last rant about this topic. DD2 is going to a pre-K program this year. At the parent orientation they told us that they will provide lunches for the kids and that you can't pack a lunch for your child w/o a doctor's note, because they want to expose the kids to new foods. Then they passed out the menu - chicken nuggets, fish sticks, hot dogs, PB&J's, etc. These are definitely not new foods in my house!

Sorry to be rambling...this is a hot topic for me!

[Chefzhat]

Originally posted by krispy spo

Okay, here is my last rant about this topic. DD2 is going to a pre-K program this year. At the parent orientation they told us that they will provide lunches for the kids and that you can't pack a lunch for your child w/o a doctor's note, because they want to expose the kids to new foods. Then they passed out the menu - chicken nuggets, fish sticks, hot dogs, PB&J's, etc. These are definitely not new foods in my house!

Sorry to be rambling...this is a hot topic for me!

You've got to be kidding!!!! New foods??????

This is a hot topic for me as well. Last year my son came home from middle school and told me they were trying out new meal options at school - that day's entree was deep fried mashed potato balls, served with french fries, a pineapple chunk and Dr. Pepper. :o Seriously. My calls to the school food administration office went unanswered. But that's the day I got out the lunch box and my son has taken his lunch ever since (and has lost the 8 pounds he gained when he started 6th grade).

Parents, unite!! Schools could save a lot of money that could be put towards the classrooms if they weren't paying for school lunches and the assorted administration that goes with it!

Debie

[chefamy]

Austin area schools are also restricting vending machines and junk food. However, a local newspaper article this morning said that chocolate bars and pastries are still available because they are considered "acceptable foods" by the Dept. of Agriculture. WHAT?!?!? No wonder people are abandoning the traditional food pyramid and suspecting that the 6-11 grain servings a day is a bogus attempt to push the D of A's products. I'm not a conspiracy buff, but either way, the authors of this pyramid make no distinction between healthy and unhealthy choices in the grains group, which is a pure misfortune to the masses.

This whole issue gets me hot under the collar. The country is doing lots of positive things to get kids to eat better, but putting the burden of responsibility on them and their parents is not one of those. And, really, that's all it boils down to. If I read about one more lawsuit again McD's or Kraft, I'm gonna scream. As brutal as it is to say, the convenience food market is completely consumer-driven. If people refused to buy "dinners-in-a-box" and candy bars, they'd go the way of the dinosaur pretty quickly. (I will never give up buying chocolate and do not expect others to, but if we're going to sue companies over unhealthy cookies, then we might as well recognize that our patronage drives the cookies' production.)

I am trying very hard now to eat as many whole foods and as few processed foods as possible to lose weight and feel better, so seeing the whole personal responsibility aspect left out of the national dialog on obesity is starting to really ignore me. Now I'm just venting! Thanks for listening!

[chefamy]

"really ignore me"??? Oops, I meant "annoy me"! I am a bad typist today.

[Kayaksoup]

We never had a cafeteria when I was in elementery. Once a month, there were optional pizza lunches, but apart from that, we HAD to bring our own lunches. When I moved to England, I encountered the cafeteria for the first time. I kept bringing my own lunch. They would serve thing like french fries that you felt like you had been drinking oil after you had eaten them. Uggh.

[jjsooner73]

Wow. We had no vending machines in my HS (and I've only been out, ummmm 12 years).

I recall our elementary being very bad. I always took my lunch. But in 7th grade, we were allowed to walk to the 'store' down the street (small town school). From 7-10 grade, my lunches usually consisted of a pizza pocket, Dr. Pepper, and chips or a candy bar sometimes. Or, if I wanted something different, Chili-cheese fries. :) I think I was allowed $2/day. Then I transferred to another school where we had open campus. I think the only time I sat foot in the cafeteria was for a graduation meeting.
We ate fast food almost daily, but the highlights for me were either going to grandma's house or to the fire dept when dad was on duty--he'd cook my best friend and I the best meals!

I think/hope when I have kids, I'll be sending them to school with a healthy packed lunch.

[Pico]

There was an article in the Washington Post today that listed "scores" of many school systems' lunch programs. Only one received an A (Detroit)! Washington, DC was square at the bottom with a score of 46. :rolleyes: :(

[ClaraB]

School lunches are a real pet peeve of mine, too. My ds's elementary school menu includes such nutritional zeroes as corn dogs(!), poor boy sandwiches, and chicken nuggets. They get lots of pies and cookies for dessert, too. While I don't think schools should abandon lunch programs (for many kids living in poverty, it's the only meal they get all day :( ), but I'm wondering if the fact that the USDA is heavily influenced by the American food industry plays a big role in the poor quality of food on school menus.

Now, the question is, what can I do about this? I can pack my children's lunches, but that seems like a cop-out (OK, it's a hassle, too :o ). Whom should I contact to protest the poor nutrition in schools? Has anyone dealt with this before, and if so, what was your experience?

[SusanT]

Clara and others - why not write or call your local Congress member and Senator. They have staffs devoted constituent complaints.

I'm too cynical to think that it will help much but at least you can ease your conscience.

[ClaraB]

Originally posted by SusanT
Clara and others - why not write or call your local Congress member and Senator. They have staffs devoted constituent complaints.

I'm too cynical to think that it will help much but at least you can ease your conscience. I'm cynical too - since we're not yet citizens, I'm not sure what they'll do for us (after all, it's not like we're going to vote for them, or anything... :rolleyes: ). However, I may give it a try - I think first I'll contact the food services dept of our school district. I'm just waiting for the first day of school to see what the menu will be.