Peanut butter, peanut butter and jelly, peanut butter and honey, ham, or cheese? When I was in sixth grade I, along with other girls from my class, got to help out in the school's cafeteria. (The fact that only girls were eligible to work in the cafeteria is bothersome... but that's a subject for another post.) I went to a private school and they really did school lunches right. There would be a main dish that was usually quite healthful, though they did sometimes serve spaghetti noodles with butter -- gag. There was no pizza or chicken nuggets that don't even remotely resemble chicken. There was always fruit, always vegetables, and the sandwich choices were available for anyone who didn't want the main course. Looking back, I know they could have made the meals more nutrient dense by using whole grain breads and so forth. But everything was fresh, everything was made right there, and nothing was frozen or processed.
My son's school lunch choices aren't at all what I had. Even though his school makes a big deal about their "wellness policy" and how they're making an effort to serve more healthful foods, the proof isn't on the plate. Breakfast choices include PopTarts, egg and sausage sandwiches, donuts, cinnamon sticks, muffins and sticky rolls. At least they also have fruit. Lunch isn't better. Nachos, chicken patty sandwiches and pizza are the staples. The vegetables they serve are soggy and unrecognizable and the salads are limp and browning. Drink choices are appalling, too. Soda is readily available as are slushies and other high-calorie treats.
There's no wonder why I pack my son's lunch every day.
When I look back at my grade school hot lunch program, I know it can be done. All the excuses -- budgeting, time constraints, staffing, number of students -- are just that... excuses. While it's certainly a big change from the status quo, our schools can do a better job of serving healthful meals to kids.
Chef Jamie Oliver thinks so, too. He tackled Britain's school lunch program and now he's come to this side of the pond. His new show, Food Revolution, airs Friday nights. I can't wait to see how he manages to shake up school lunch programs while staying in budget and working with existing staff. And I can't wait to see what the kids think when their greasy pizza goes away.
What do your school-age children do for lunches?
Jake, Age 3
Kalie, Age 5
3 comments:
The school lunches are appalling at my child's school as well. I'm actually not opposed to a piece of pizza or chicken nuggets as long as it's paired with more healthy things. I don't know why schools make it seem so impossible.
It would be nice to have healthier lunches, but schools do a great job of keeping the costs of lunch low as well as offering reduced-cost meals. If the food was made healthier, the costs would go up. And in this economy, some kids barely get to eat outside of school as it is. Increasing the cost of meals would be a huge problem.
It's a rare occasion when I let my daughter eat a school lunch. I always pack balanced, healthful lunches for her. She loves the fun of bento boxes!
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