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That must be a local issue. I have never attended, worked in or sent one of my kids to a school that did not have a full cafeteria kitchen with multiple stoves, ovens, fridges, etc.
Where I went to school elementary schools did not have working kitchens. The food was cooked at a nearby junior high or high school and sent over.
Where I went to school elementary schools did not have working kitchens. The food was cooked at a nearby junior high or high school and sent over.
Thats how the K-3 schools do it here. The Intermediate School makes its own food. So does the HS/MS. Most of the food is processed. When it comes to the "budget", the Food Service is at the bottom of the totem pole .
The food in the video looks great. That looks like a really nice cafeteria too. As I understand, the food is prepared by the chef and her staff and sent out to the other schools. She says it is doable anywhere, but I don't know how feasible it would be for a large school district.
That must be a local issue. I have never attended, worked in or sent one of my kids to a school that did not have a full cafeteria kitchen with multiple stoves, ovens, fridges, etc.
The building was built in 1965, long before provided school lunches became the norm (in public schools). There is little to no chance they will be adding one anytime soon (they barely keep up with basic maintenance), the district is bankrupt. Almost no primary schools (and most middle schools) in the Chicago area has more then a basic kitchen. Most have nothing more then a fridge and microwave in the teachers lounge. I think it continues to this day for new construction in Chicago, where adding a kitchen would cost more the $2 million per school, money it doesn't have.
Feeding kids seems like it outside what a school district should be doing. My high school had no cafeteria (granted a private school) and we got by on once a week hot lunches made by volunteers. The rest of the week you brought your own lunch.
Maybe the answer is volunteers, if there aren't any salaries, they could spend more on food. There are plenty of retired folks in their 50's and 60's that would do that, especially if they have grandkids in the school.
The building was built in 1965, long before provided school lunches became the norm (in public schools). There is little to no chance they will be adding one anytime soon (they barely keep up with basic maintenance), the district is bankrupt. Almost no primary schools (and most middle schools) in the Chicago area has more then a basic kitchen. Most have nothing more then a fridge and microwave in the teachers lounge. I think it continues to this day for new construction in Chicago, where adding a kitchen would cost more the $2 million per school, money it doesn't have.
Feeding kids seems like it outside what a school district should be doing. My high school had no cafeteria (granted a private school) and we got by on once a week hot lunches made by volunteers. The rest of the week you brought your own lunch.
Maybe the answer is volunteers, if there aren't any salaries, they could spend more on food. There are plenty of retired folks in their 50's and 60's that would do that, especially if they have grandkids in the school.
The school lunch program started in 1946. My junior high was built in the late 50s and served lunches. I don't know if it had kitchen facilities.
The school lunch program is a federal program, federally funded, for the most part.
I do not know anyone in their 50s, and few in their 60s, who isn't working. Furthermore, volunteers may have some health department restrictions.
Our schools all have huge working kitchens. The very favorite item on the menu at the HS is Chicken turnover, made from scratch. They say the kids run to the cafeteria when it's on the menu.
Here's a weeks menu in October: Mon-Popcorn Chicken, Oven Browned Potatoes, Assorted Fresh or Canned Fruit Tues- Taco Tuesday! Taco Salad, Side of Salsa, Assorted Fresh or Canned Fruit, Wed.- Pierogies with Meatballs, Tossed Salad, Assorted Fresh or Canned Fruit Thur.- Jr Turkey Club,Baked Lays Chips,Baby Carrots,Assorted Fresh or Canned Fruit Fri - Chicken Turnover, Mashed Potatoes & Gravy, Golden Corn,Assorted Fresh or Canned Fruit
They also have a build your own salads and several a la carte items available. The elementary and middle schools have similar menu's minus the chicken turnovers which are pretty time intensive. Nothing is fried. There is no processed cheese allowed either. I do think the ground beef is probably the crappy stuff. Generally, I think there are enough choices for everyone. If kids were forced to eat cafeteria food and their were no options, I would be upset. But there are lots of choices, including just bringing food from home.
Yep. The district very conveniently changed its menu right when the show was starting to air. Hmmmmm. They also took out chocolate and strawberry milk this year I believe. I don't see why kids can't just drink regular milk. We did in the 90's. Now, none of these changes were made until after a new superintendent got into power.
Better yet, the kids could drink water- billions of dollars could be saved each year if that were to happen...
By the way, the person in the video alluded to this, but did not dwell on it: The federal department responsible for school menus is in bed with Agribusiness, and much of the purpose of the school lunch program is to funnel federal funds into the corporate processors of junk food.
There was also the scandal back in the 80s, I think, where 3 or 4 local dairies would all agree to submit outrageously high bids to provide milk to the school, and take turns rigging the slightly lower bid, thus gouging the school of about double the real cost of the milk.
Bingo.
Money talks in the US. It always has and it always will IMHO.
Other countries tend to focus on health vs. profit - not so much with the US. It's more to produce food for the masses and make lots of money doing it IMHO.
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