School Lunch Secrets

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Food For Thought

Sunday, October 09, 2011

by Janelle Sorensen, Chief Communications Officer, Healthy Child Healthy World

Her name was Georgia and she loved using a megaphone. She was my elementary school lunch lady and she sent me to the Principal’s office for flicking a banana chip. Apparently that constituted an attempt to start a food fight. In actuality, my friend had put the banana chip on my tray and I flicked it back at her because I didn’t like them. Nor did I like pizza burgers (an awful concoction with a mystery middle) or the rubbery pancakes or lifeless vegetable mush often served at my school.

Menus have changed little at many schools across the country and my own daughter reports that her school often serves “yellow, smashed-up stuff.” She asked a friend who eats it what it was and there’s no definitive answer - it’s a real secret recipe. She also claims that EVERY kid drinks chocolate milk.

On the other hand, our local middle school has a salad bar, a sub sandwich bar, and a variety of standards like pizza, burgers, and pasta. Not too bad, relatively speaking. But even though my daughter is not a milk drinker, and we send her to school with a bottle of water (reusable, of course), she is required to take a milk - even though it ends up in the garbage. That REALLY gets my goat.

Are the tides about to shift?

The child nutrition bill, signed into law by President Obama last December, requires school districts to serve healthier foods. And, while the specific nutrition requirements haven’t yet been established, the mission is commendable.

Tom Vilsack, Agriculture Secretary, spoke with National Public Radio (NPR) about the initiative and said “The Institute of Medicine basically took a critical look at our school lunch program and they found that we had too much fat, too much sodium, too much sugar, not enough fruits, vegetables, low fat dairy and whole grains.” The bill will give school lunches a long overdue makeover - though districts are questioning what it might cost.

The USDA is also funding research to encourage better eating habits. According to other coverage by NPR, researchers at Cornell's Center for Behavioral Economics in Child Nutrition Programs “went into three school cafeterias that had been keeping their fruit in stainless-steel bins behind sneeze guards in the lunch line where kids could barely see it. And they did some strategic rearranging. They moved the fruit into colorful bowls or attractive baskets, and placed them near the cash register. The result? A 103 percent increase in the purchase of fruit.” Wow. That seems like an easy fix to me!

What’s the scoop at your child’s school?

Find out this week on October 12 - National Take Your Parents to Lunch Day!

Here’s some background on what it’s all about: There’s a lot of buzz surrounding school lunches, but there’s no better way for parents to start getting involved than by lining up with a lunch tray. Lunch Day is about communication—talking to the school and kids about what’s working, and how we can all work together to make school food even better.

There are even toolkits so that you can set up a National Take Your Parents to Lunch Day event and make the most of out it. The kits and more information are at My Healthy School.

When you’re there, take a picture of your lunch and post it to Jamie Oliver’s Best and Worst School Lunch Photo Wall! And, if your school cafeteria could use a salad bar, apply for a grant through the Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools program co-founded by our friends at the Whole Kids Foundation.

Have you ever eaten lunch at your child’s school? Will you try it this week?

Learn more:

Photo courtesy Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution

Posted by Hazel on 10/15/2011 at 03:19 AM

I know that this is a big issue for families - I’ve just published a book specifically for busy parents who want to provide healthy packed lunches for their kids and I’ve been surprised at the level of interest - they’re becoming very aware of the issue.

The problem now is that parents are overstretched - I know, because I’m one myself! Parents are short of the time, ideas and sometimes the money to provide healthy lunches for their kids day after day. Yet I don’t believe anyone cares more than parents do about the health and well-being of their children. It’s really not easy for them.

And governments, food manufacturers and marketing men are all trying to fill the gap, but it seems to me that their agenda is altogether different to that of the parents!

I do hope that parents can begin to take this challenge on in a way that suits their needs. I’m confident it can be done, because I’ve done it myself.

Posted by Jen Gorney on 10/15/2011 at 12:31 AM

We also learned of the milk issue when we requested that our children be served water at their pre-school. No luck as the USDA requires that “liquid fluid milk” be served, even if parents object AND even if you have a formal written letter from your health care provider. I’ve talked to the state licensor, contacted our state legislator on the issue and have requested that our congressman take a look at this ridiculous federal law. Additionally, our local Minnesota news station interviewed our family and aired this segment:

http://chaska-chanhassen-waconia.kstp.com/news/news/107672-carver-couple-wants-more-control-their-kids-food

In our minds, this is NOT a milk issue, but rather a parental rights / health freedom issue, with milk as the example.

Posted by Cecile on 10/14/2011 at 03:16 PM

wowwww I can’t believe they just waste it to throw it away… I mean literally, all that cow’s suffering its whole life, very likely, and just to throw it away with no child to drink it? So sad…..

That meal in the pic is looking really sorry :( but I recall eating something very, very similar in school myself. That’s just not real brain food for a kid…. and not good…..

Posted by healthy thoughts healthy life on 10/14/2011 at 12:45 PM

I am very interested in finding out the most healthy lunch service vendor in the LA area (Mulholland corridor). Any thoughts?

Posted by Sarah with Veggie Kids on 10/14/2011 at 11:39 AM

Such good information and I love Jamie Oliver’s plight to get healthier lunches at the schools. I posted an article at Veggie Kids about how to PACK a healthy lunch for both kids and adults alike. I know it’s more work to pack a lunch and not everyone has the time but it sure beats eating the junk served at most schools!
http://veggie-kids.blogspot.com/2011/10/vegan-lunch-box.html

Posted by Juan Miguel Ruiz on 10/09/2011 at 08:09 AM

Attention must really be given to school food. Freshly cooked food definitely tastes better than reheated frozen, processed, and pre-packaged food. I read a study somewhere that children who ate healthier meals had significantly improved performance in school. Let’s not forget the improved physical and mental health of the kids.

One of the greatest methods of educating young people is through example, and I don’t think wasting resources (like milk for people who don’t drink it) is a good example. What people don’t realize is that the youth pay attention to the small details. We should set a better example, these children are the future of our nation and we should bring them up as best we can.

Juan Miguel Ruiz (Having Fun on GreenJoyment)

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