School Kids Skipping Healthy Lunches Mandated by Michelle Obama, Dept. of Agriculture (fast food, Congress)
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A report by local Washington D.C. news station NBC4 indicates that over 60,000 low-income students in the metro area are skipping lunch, dissatisfied with the food offered to them by their schools.
...
The kids’ failure to eat is costing the schools big money, as they lose $3 in federal subsidies every time a student on free lunch forgoes taking a meal. That’s $180,000 a day, adding up to over $32 million in a school year lasting approximately 180 days. School officials say the lost subsidies are straining their budgets, as they need the money to pay for healthier food options mandated by Congress.
...
...students were rejecting healthier lunches because they did not enjoy the food offered. Another suggested factor was that students avoided eating a free lunch because they would be stigmatized as poor.
Well, the fact that they are not eating is combating obesity. Now malnutrition - that's a different story. I understand not wanting to give the kids total junk food and super sugary drinks - but there has to be a middle ground somewhere.
I also don't like how they tie the subsidies received to how much the students eat - making the administrators and teachers sell & push these lunches to the kids. The kids aren't buying.
Look at this on successive Tuesdays for lunch for this elementary school in June. What second grader will eat this... from a school? The junk food was barely edible.
6/3
Whole Wheat Baked Ziti with Mozzarella Cheese
Local Primavera Carrots and Squash
Fresh Local Apple
Skim or 1% Milk
6/10
Whole Wheat Mac & Cheese
Local Garlic Kale
Herb Roasted Butternut Squash
Fresh Local Apple
Skim or 1% Milk
6/17
Turkey Sloppy Joe on a Whole Wheat Bun
Local Southern Cabbage
Buttered Green Peas
Fresh Local Apple
Skim or 1% Milk
Look at this on successive Tuesdays for lunch for this elementary school in June. What second grader will eat this... from a school? The junk food was barely edible.
6/3
Whole Wheat Baked Ziti with Mozzarella Cheese
Local Primavera Carrots and Squash
Fresh Local Apple
Skim or 1% Milk
6/10
Whole Wheat Mac & Cheese
Local Garlic Kale
Herb Roasted Butternut Squash
Fresh Local Apple
Skim or 1% Milk
6/17
Turkey Sloppy Joe on a Whole Wheat Bun
Local Southern Cabbage
Buttered Green Peas
Fresh Local Apple
Skim or 1% Milk
My 6 year old niece would eat this. It's basically what my sister feeds her at home. I think it's a great menu.
A report by local Washington D.C. news station NBC4 indicates that over 60,000 low-income students in the metro area are skipping lunch, dissatisfied with the food offered to them by their schools.
... The kids’ failure to eat is costing the schools big money, as they lose $3 in federal subsidies every time a student on free lunch forgoes taking a meal. That’s $180,000 a day, adding up to over $32 million in a school year lasting approximately 180 days. School officials say the lost subsidies are straining their budgets, as they need the money to pay for healthier food options mandated by Congress.
... ...students were rejecting healthier lunches because they did not enjoy the food offered. Another suggested factor was that students avoided eating a free lunch because they would be stigmatized as poor.
Well, the fact that they are not eating is combating obesity. Now malnutrition - that's a different story. I understand not wanting to give the kids total junk food and super sugary drinks - but there has to be a middle ground somewhere.
I also don't like how they tie the subsidies received to how much the students eat - making the administrators and teachers sell & push these lunches to the kids. The kids aren't buying.
Look at this on successive Tuesdays for lunch for this elementary school in June. What second grader will eat this... from a school? The junk food was barely edible.
6/3 Whole Wheat Baked Ziti with Mozzarella Cheese Local Primavera Carrots and Squash Fresh Local Apple Skim or 1% Milk
6/10 Whole Wheat Mac & Cheese Local Garlic Kale Herb Roasted Butternut Squash Fresh Local Apple Skim or 1% Milk
6/17 Turkey Sloppy Joe on a Whole Wheat Bun Local Southern Cabbage Buttered Green Peas Fresh Local Apple Skim or 1% Milk
My kid would have eaten most of that...except for the squash. He hates squash.
Naturally, kids raised at home on Doritos and KFC won't be used to it. Maybe they should be fed better at home, given an apple instead of a Twinkie, for example, but I guess that's just too hard.
Kids exposed to healthy food at home will eat healthy food at school.
In any case, I don't care if you stuff an entire wedding cake into Porky's backpack for lunch....you're not obliged to buy the school meals.
My kid would have eaten most of that...except for the squash. He hates squash.
Naturally, kids raised at home on Doritos and KFC won't be used to it. Maybe they should be fed better at home, given an apple instead of a Twinkie, for example, but I guess that's just too hard.
Kids exposed to healthy food at home will eat healthy food at school.
In any case, I don't care if you stuff an entire wedding cake into Porky's backpack for lunch....you're not obliged to buy the school meals.
Quote:
Originally Posted by hammertime33
My 6 year old niece would eat this. It's basically what my sister feeds her at home. I think it's a great menu.
At first I was going to say the only issue is the squash (I don't like squash), but then I looked at the menu on the website... I didn't see squash anywhere. It's a pretty good menu. Wheat bread, berries, green veggies, & turkey seem to be the staple items.
Baked ziti, carrots and squash, an apple, and milk is pretty standard fare for kids. Kale and cabbage, maybe a little more far-flung, but not out of bounds.
Isn't this what most grown-ups eat? Why wouldn't you feed what you eat to your kids?
My kid would have eaten most of that...except for the squash. He hates squash.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lycos679
At first I was going to say the only issue is the squash (I don't like squash), but then I looked at the menu on the website... I didn't see squash anywhere. It's a pretty good menu. Wheat bread, berries, green veggies, & turkey seem to be the staple items.
My niece's only issue would be with the turkey sloppy joes. She's not big on meat in general, and pretty much flatly refuses to eat meat with sauce on it.
We do Sunday dinners at the grandparents, and my dad often makes beef stew. She only eats the beef if we rinse it off.
Good menus. Picky eaters could do well with a simple sandwich on whole grain bread and don't need tons of options or hot dishes. If I had my way I'd simply the entire thing school meal plans and not worry so much about covering every food group with every meal, it makes school far too complicated. I don't want JUNK being served, but there is nothing wrong with a sandwich either. Especially if it's a good one.
Of course the school meal plans benefits big businesses and make a lot of people money so that will never happen!
The menu looks like a good one and certainly how my daughter eats - and has always eaten. Fast food and junk foods are not a big part of our lives.
However, it is bothersome that Michelle pushes a healthy diet while eating bad herself per numerous pictures taken of her over the past years.
Eating chicken wings once in a while isn't going to hurt. That being said, the media falls over itself getting a picture of the dastardly deed. Do they photograph her eating fruit or salads?
No.
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