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so glad this show is back for another season. we really enjoyed the first season -- not for entertainment reasons, but realizing there has to be some way to do this better. we are foodies so we love learning more about foodie-related things. we don't have kids yet, but it's definitely opened my eyes to the differences in lunches now versus when i was in school a million years ago.
Quote:
Originally Posted by twingles
Giada DeLaurentis was on the Today show this morning and she was actually talking about some program to help these kids who have so little to eat on the weekends, which is a problem with some of the kids in our schools as I mentioned earlier.
our church is helping with a program like this for hunter elementary in southeast raleigh. it's a program where volunteers agree to provide food in a backpack for kids to take home with them on weekends. parents are allowed to sign their kids up for the program.
i think it's a good idea. however, i had a couple of small issues with the food items they wanted. i understand the hygenic & travel reasoning for the particular items, but was disappointed that it would mean certain healthier items could not be included. however, it may be healthier than some of what the kids would eat & it's definitely better than nothing.
off the top of my head, the food items to include per backpack (for the weekend) are:
* 2 sealed shelf-stable milks
* 2 breakfast items (oatmeal packets, small cereal boxes, etc.)
* 2 snack items (granola bars, cracker packets, etc.)
* 2 canned fruit items
* 2 canned vegetable items
* noodles (not sure what that meant -- a box of pasta??)
the rest is sort of fuzzy since we volunteered for the breakfast items & snack items. i ended up getting oatmeal packets & granola bars, although i wasn't happy about it. the oatmeal packets were loaded with sugars but i figured flavored was probably more appealing & may still be better than some of what they may be having (pop tarts or honeybuns or super-sugary cereal). i wanted to do unsweetened applesauce cups for snacks but soft-top items weren't allowed (i think for spillage reasons).
The food you saw in the Huntington season is the exact same crap that is given to kids in NC schools. The EXACT same down to that nasty nasty pizza. I asked my younger brother who is a senior at Wakefield if they are still serving that crap, and sure enough they are.
The way some of you are talking though it sounds like there are at least more "healthy options" now at least in some districts? A turkey hot dog and whole wheat buns where never ever and option 7 years ago.
The food you saw in the Huntington season is the exact same crap that is given to kids in NC schools. The EXACT same down to that nasty nasty pizza. I asked my younger brother who is a senior at Wakefield if they are still serving that crap, and sure enough they are.
Yes, I noticed this too! They were serving the same exact crap when I went to Durham and Orange County schools in the late 80's-90's. This season it looks like the L.A. school system doesn't even make the food on premises, which is really sad.
I hope by the time I have children and they are going to school, things have changed dramatically. Of course, I would send them with a school lunch most of the time anyways.
Yes, I noticed this too! They were serving the same exact crap when I went to Durham and Orange County schools in the late 80's-90's. This season it looks like the L.A. school system doesn't even make the food on premises, which is really sad.
I hope by the time I have children and they are going to school, things have changed dramatically. Of course, I would send them with a school lunch most of the time anyways.
ive eaten at my daughters middle school.
well, i sat and watched the kids eat LOL
its still the same mystery meat and imitation pizza that was around in the 90's and before.
The food you saw in the Huntington season is the exact same crap that is given to kids in NC schools. The EXACT same down to that nasty nasty pizza. I asked my younger brother who is a senior at Wakefield if they are still serving that crap, and sure enough they are.
The way some of you are talking though it sounds like there are at least more "healthy options" now at least in some districts? A turkey hot dog and whole wheat buns where never ever and option 7 years ago.
At least in Wake County it's all the same food at the schools which is regulated by CNS (Child Nutrition Services).
I grew up eating school food in Florida and it wasn't terrible (tasting that is, no clue about ingredients). I go to these schools in Wake County and the smell alone from the cafeteria grosses me out.
Maybe we should band together and try to effect some change around here. Healthy eating seems to be important to many people around here. We're a highly educated and caring bunch, aren't we?
In Fayetteville we always thought that the mystery meat was soy, at the time that didn't mean anything to me but now I'm wondering if they were doing us a favor.
Confession: I almost always cleaned my plate. I really LIKED the cafeteria food, except for the tater tots. I even grew to like the slimy turnip greens w/vinegar. I would give a lot for one of those rolls we got and fought for seconds on. We didn't have a choice of juice or snacks, and in the 70s there was a dentist on the school board who kept chocolate milk out of the equation. When I moved to VA in 1985 all they served were things in buns and fries.
I asked about the chocolate milk/ice cream in my current district and was told it was part of the deal with the dairy...they would lose money if they only provided the white milk.
A lot of kids who get a home packed lunch aren't being done a favor...a whole lunch pail (in NY they call it a pail even if it is a velcroed tote! how cute is that?) full of processed, packaged junk. Crustless PBJ on white bread and capri sun and cookies and chips. WTH?
Jamie Oliver is right, we CAN do Better, and I would be happy to join the cause.
POLL: What did you send your kid to school with in his/her lunchbox?
Peanut butter and banana on 12 grain bread (peanut butter was the "natural" type with no hydrogenated oils)
Steamed broccoli
Fresh strawberries
An organic yogurt
A serving of mixed nuts
No drink because he left his thermos at school yesterday. It was filled with milk, so I'm really looking forward to cleaning that out tonight
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