Thank you for your terrific thoughts and comments. Emily, Daniel, and Stephanie, thanks for weighing in and for your support. Greg, thanks for clearly articulating the problem and providing action steps - please read these, folks, and contact your representatives. An investment of so very little can make such a huge difference to our children, and to all of our future. We need to be aware and involved.
Laura and Jackie, thanks for articulating another side of the story - the fact that there are great people (and even some good districts) working to make change. I applaud your schools (Jackie, where are you? I do find your love of school food a little bit hard to believe) and you individually.
And yet, the subsidized breakfast at my son's school includes things like "fortified" Frosted Flakes. As long as we offer these things, who is going to choose fruit? As long as we have soda machines in our schools, who will drink milk or water? I am thrilled that there is some good food out there, but there is no denying that the system is broken, and that money, awareness, forward thinking, activism, and change are needed.
Having this conversation on this site and all over the country is making a difference. Let's keep it going.
I work at a school where 98% of the 675 students get free or reduced lunch. I see a real home packed lunch maybe once or twice a month and it's never what I would consider "healthy." I see a Lunchable maybe once a week. A healthy lunch from home really isn't a reality for my students. For some of our students lunch may be the only hot meal of their day.
We do our best to feed our kids as healthy of food as we can. At lunch there is a huge salad bar and two fruit choices. Some of the kids choose fruits and vegies everyday and some never take any. When the kids tell me they are still hungry and I see their tray devoid of any fruit or vegetable I tell them they need to take those healthy foods and make better choices. St. Paul Public Schools has also implemented a program to serve locally raised foods when it is available and in season. We also recycle our food waste to pig farms.
Every child has the option of eating breakfast at school for free everyday. There is a hot option or reduced sugar cereal or yogurt. My school and others in the district were approved for a grant that gives every classroom, including teachers, an extra snack a day of a fresh fruit or vegetable.
Some school districts are doing their best to meet your demands. I rarely eat school lunch because I prefer to cook and eat organic food. However, I like some meals, some are really good, especially the rotisserie chicken. Check out the St. Paul Public Schools menu and come try that meal next time it's served.
No, it is really comes down to cost. The crap that they are feeding kids is the cheapest calories that they can find. It's not that the 'lunch ladies' don't want to serve better food, it is that they don't have the money to do it.
If they had $1 more per kid per day for better ingredients it would cost around $180 per kid per year. The average cost to educate a child in Minnesota is about $6000 per year. That's 3%.
What do you get for the money spent on better food in schools ? Better test scores, better attendance, and fewer discipline problems. It is a pennies on the dollar investment to improve the effectiveness of our education spending.
The feds are going to reauthorize the school nutrition bill by October 1st. Now is the time to contact your elected Representative and Senators to tell them that better food for school kids is important. Even if they are Republicans. Espescially if they are Republicans. Just as important, they need to get junk food out of schools.
Appleton Wisconsin's alternative high school is a poster child for better food in schools. Do some research yourself and send an email to your elected federal (it wouldn't hurt to let your state representatives know too) and tell them why you think better food for school kids is important.
I had a school lunch today & it was great! Where else can you get a well balance meal for $3.15 that includes a cup of milk? I wish people would taste test before they criticize all of the school lunch programs. Not all school lunches are bad, but when you generalize to all districts like this article does it creates an uphill battle for change. Some districts, like the one I work at, are exemplary! I cannot create a meal at home for half the cost or quality that I get at work. So, Hats off to the “High – Quality” Districts!
Understand the point but disagree with the basic premise. An apple, a can of tuna and piece of whole wheat bread is not more expensive than a big Mac! Baloney is expensive. Chips are expensive. Soda Pop is expensive. Water is cheap. Milk is less expensive than soda pop! American children are now having 3 snacks a day. AND we have become a culture of people that should not have to EVER feel hungry. We are supposed to get hungry. BEING HUNGRY IS NOT A BAD THING!
Demonizing fat people? Are insurance companies who charge sky high premiums demonizing drivers who speed and become involved in wrecks? YES Should a car have a governor so that the car can not go over a certain speed limit. Is the car manufacturer who makes the car capable of going 100MPH responsible for the person who drives it that fast? NO If the person chooses to drive that fast and there are negative consequences, then they have to pay for their choices. Even if they were driving fast because they had an emergency or were late for work. I am tired of excuses and blaming someone else for ones personal decisions.
great letter, but its so sad and true. our kids get a packed lunch. i know some parents cant afford it, and that is devastating, but for those who can, it would be great if they stopped paying for the crap in the caffeteria and made a simple lunch. maybe if every family that isnt living in abject poverty made lunch for thier kids rather then letting them eat the stuff at school our public school food would be forced to improve.
Have you had Brau Brothers? Apparently the grow their own hops etc. I was just given some for a catering benefit I did (that benefits show www.theperennialplate.com)... got a whole mix of styles. Anyways, its great that these breweries are local in the double sense. cheers - daniel
My uncle works at a progressive school in the cities and even there the food is horrible. Yesterday, I was at Abbot and saw they have a McDonalds inside the building.. it is as if our institutions are trying to make us sick and unhappy. I'm going to be looking at some of the positive things youth are doing around food in my new documentary series (www.theperennialplate.com).. we have to look towards the change.
Thank you for your terrific
Thank you for your terrific thoughts and comments. Emily, Daniel, and Stephanie, thanks for weighing in and for your support. Greg, thanks for clearly articulating the problem and providing action steps - please read these, folks, and contact your representatives. An investment of so very little can make such a huge difference to our children, and to all of our future. We need to be aware and involved.
Laura and Jackie, thanks for articulating another side of the story - the fact that there are great people (and even some good districts) working to make change. I applaud your schools (Jackie, where are you? I do find your love of school food a little bit hard to believe) and you individually.
And yet, the subsidized breakfast at my son's school includes things like "fortified" Frosted Flakes. As long as we offer these things, who is going to choose fruit? As long as we have soda machines in our schools, who will drink milk or water? I am thrilled that there is some good food out there, but there is no denying that the system is broken, and that money, awareness, forward thinking, activism, and change are needed.
Having this conversation on this site and all over the country is making a difference. Let's keep it going.
I work at a school where 98%
I work at a school where 98% of the 675 students get free or reduced lunch. I see a real home packed lunch maybe once or twice a month and it's never what I would consider "healthy." I see a Lunchable maybe once a week. A healthy lunch from home really isn't a reality for my students. For some of our students lunch may be the only hot meal of their day.
We do our best to feed our kids as healthy of food as we can. At lunch there is a huge salad bar and two fruit choices. Some of the kids choose fruits and vegies everyday and some never take any. When the kids tell me they are still hungry and I see their tray devoid of any fruit or vegetable I tell them they need to take those healthy foods and make better choices. St. Paul Public Schools has also implemented a program to serve locally raised foods when it is available and in season. We also recycle our food waste to pig farms.
Every child has the option of eating breakfast at school for free everyday. There is a hot option or reduced sugar cereal or yogurt. My school and others in the district were approved for a grant that gives every classroom, including teachers, an extra snack a day of a fresh fruit or vegetable.
Some school districts are doing their best to meet your demands. I rarely eat school lunch because I prefer to cook and eat organic food. However, I like some meals, some are really good, especially the rotisserie chicken. Check out the St. Paul Public Schools menu and come try that meal next time it's served.
Please don't judge every district the same.
No, it is really comes down
No, it is really comes down to cost. The crap that they are feeding kids is the cheapest calories that they can find. It's not that the 'lunch ladies' don't want to serve better food, it is that they don't have the money to do it.
If they had $1 more per kid per day for better ingredients it would cost around $180 per kid per year. The average cost to educate a child in Minnesota is about $6000 per year. That's 3%.
What do you get for the money spent on better food in schools ? Better test scores, better attendance, and fewer discipline problems. It is a pennies on the dollar investment to improve the effectiveness of our education spending.
The feds are going to reauthorize the school nutrition bill by October 1st. Now is the time to contact your elected Representative and Senators to tell them that better food for school kids is important. Even if they are Republicans. Espescially if they are Republicans. Just as important, they need to get junk food out of schools.
Appleton Wisconsin's alternative high school is a poster child for better food in schools. Do some research yourself and send an email to your elected federal (it wouldn't hurt to let your state representatives know too) and tell them why you think better food for school kids is important.
Greg
Greg Reynolds
Riverbend Farm
I had a school lunch today &
I had a school lunch today & it was great! Where else can you get a well balance meal for $3.15 that includes a cup of milk? I wish people would taste test before they criticize all of the school lunch programs. Not all school lunches are bad, but when you generalize to all districts like this article does it creates an uphill battle for change. Some districts, like the one I work at, are exemplary! I cannot create a meal at home for half the cost or quality that I get at work. So, Hats off to the “High – Quality” Districts!
Understand the point but
Understand the point but disagree with the basic premise. An apple, a can of tuna and piece of whole wheat bread is not more expensive than a big Mac! Baloney is expensive. Chips are expensive. Soda Pop is expensive. Water is cheap. Milk is less expensive than soda pop! American children are now having 3 snacks a day. AND we have become a culture of people that should not have to EVER feel hungry. We are supposed to get hungry. BEING HUNGRY IS NOT A BAD THING!
Demonizing fat people? Are insurance companies who charge sky high premiums demonizing drivers who speed and become involved in wrecks? YES Should a car have a governor so that the car can not go over a certain speed limit. Is the car manufacturer who makes the car capable of going 100MPH responsible for the person who drives it that fast? NO If the person chooses to drive that fast and there are negative consequences, then they have to pay for their choices. Even if they were driving fast because they had an emergency or were late for work. I am tired of excuses and blaming someone else for ones personal decisions.
Love this Kris! It was a
Love this Kris! It was a pleasure meeting you at Busters last week and I look forward to following this piece!
great letter, but its so sad
great letter, but its so sad and true. our kids get a packed lunch. i know some parents cant afford it, and that is devastating, but for those who can, it would be great if they stopped paying for the crap in the caffeteria and made a simple lunch. maybe if every family that isnt living in abject poverty made lunch for thier kids rather then letting them eat the stuff at school our public school food would be forced to improve.
Have you had Brau Brothers?
Have you had Brau Brothers? Apparently the grow their own hops etc. I was just given some for a catering benefit I did (that benefits show www.theperennialplate.com)... got a whole mix of styles. Anyways, its great that these breweries are local in the double sense. cheers - daniel
My uncle works at a
My uncle works at a progressive school in the cities and even there the food is horrible. Yesterday, I was at Abbot and saw they have a McDonalds inside the building.. it is as if our institutions are trying to make us sick and unhappy. I'm going to be looking at some of the positive things youth are doing around food in my new documentary series (www.theperennialplate.com).. we have to look towards the change.
Thanks for the letter.
Excellent post - and very
Excellent post - and very sad. Great idea to write it as a letter to children. Thank you for meeting with the children and writing about it.