Does your kid eat school lunch?

By Lisa

April 23, 2008 2:08 PM | Link to this

My child (4th grade also) used to eat school lunch, but even after I put money in his school lunch account he was still coming home owing several dollars a week. Come to find out he would ask for extras (I have seen their portions and they are extremely small - maybe 2 spoonfuls of chili, etc.) and each extra item would cost almost more than the whole lunch. I started packing his lunch after that.

By cobbmom

April 23, 2008 2:12 PM | Link to this

Reminds me of Junie B.’s, brought lunch vs bought lunch. We check the weeks menu on line and decide which days to skip the school cafeteria, otherwise they’ll buy extras. Extras are the chips, ice cream and juice drinks the cafeteria can add to your account which mean more $$$ adding up.

By Monica

April 23, 2008 2:22 PM | Link to this

My son is a very picky eater, so we send his lunch. You can’t beat good ol’ PB&J - that doesn’t have as many calories as the starchy stuff on school lunch trays!

By Matt

April 23, 2008 2:25 PM | Link to this

I always pack my daughter’s lunch. Rarely does she eat the lunch that the school provides. It is really not a hassle; I pack her lunch at night and many times she packs her own lunch. The sandwich doesn’t get soggy, and it saves A LOT of time in the morning. Off topic- On this blog once the topic was about cooking breakfast for your kids during the week. Normally, I would give my kids cereal or waffles something super quick. But I was so impressed with the comments of the parents who prepare a real breakfast: eggs, sausage etc. I thought I can do that for my babies. Yeah, I have to get up earlier, but it is so worth it. They love it; and they are so appreciative. I feel great about it too!

By erynmarch

April 23, 2008 2:33 PM | Link to this

i used to send money for my kid to eat at school. i reviewed the weekly menus thinking the food sounded pretty good to me… then i went to have the school’s parent/child thanksgiving lunch one year and realized there were crimes being committed against the veggies. BLEH! i think as she has moved up in grades, the offerings have gotten more palatable, but that’s mostly because they offer more pizza, french fries, etc.

i’ve gone back and forth with buying/sending lunches, partly depending on how much food gets given away or thrown away when i take the trouble to send a home-packed lunch, but have been steady sending for the past two years.

when i was a kid, one of the worst things about eating home-packed lunches was the monotony. so i try to send a variety of things, including things that are not conventional lunches like the sandwich/fruit/chip/dessert combo i got so weary of. God bless my mom for making all our lunches, though. you never appreciate that kind of thing until you become the lunch maker…

today, my 15-year-old took a freshly-made fruit and soy milk smoothie in a thermos and a mixed salad with a left-over packet of dressing we had from a previous visit to some restaurant. sometimes she gets variations of easy mac, unsweetened fruit bars, edamame, pita with hummus, bite-sized fruit or veggies with either peanut butter or salad dressing for dipping, avocado halves with dressing in the middle, home made sushi and soups and sometimes even the occasional classic — PBJ.

it might sound too expensive, granola-ey or frou-frou, but i promise it’s not. i am a big-time bargain shopper but i save a lot of money by doing food prep and homemade cooking instead of buying convenience food. i rarely buy sodas, doritos & frozen entrees. the money i save on that stuff frees up the grocery budget for less- or un-processed foods which are a relative hassle to prepare, but much better for you.

we eat a lot of cheap grains, dry goods that last a long time in the pantry and root veggies and fill it in with frozen veggies and small amounts of the fresh stuff you can’t buy frozen. so basically she eats at school what we eat at home. we do eat some junk food, but just not all the time.

of course, i realize i’m lucky to have a kid that will eat all that kind of stuff.

By Karen

April 23, 2008 2:35 PM | Link to this

My daughter takes her lunch 4 out of 5 days. Every Friday is pizza day, but she doesn’t even like it. I’ve commented to the principal on several occasions that it is such a waste of our money for the children who are receiving free lunches - the majority is thrown in the garbage. The most recent time I ate lunch with my daughter, we decided to eat the hoagie sandwich being served that day; I noticed that not a single child at our table (appr. 20 children) ate the apricots that day! Even worse, these children are trying to concentrate and learn with empty stomachs and going home hungry.

By Anne

April 23, 2008 2:42 PM | Link to this

My daughter (5th grade) takes her lunch. At one time, she did a combination of school lunch/packed lunch during the week (depending on what was offered). However, she decided she didn’t like the offerings. That, plus the school started selling ice cream, was enough to end buying lunch from the school’s vendor (this is a private school). Now, I pack hers and mine in the morning. We usually have a sandwich, carrots & celery, and fruit. She also gets a cookie. No more school lunches!

By Drew

April 23, 2008 2:45 PM | Link to this

I’m much older now, but I remember there was a bunch of peer pressure to follow the cool kids and to comment on how gross the lunch was at school. Sure, it isn’t fine dining but I’d be willing to bet LOTS of cash, that if the cool kids thought the food was good that all the rest would eat it. Maybe as parents, when we spend those afternoons at the lunch table visiting the children, we should have a school lunch too? Be a cool kid. ;-) Again, while it may not be wonderful food, it would certainly set a good example.

By Police Wife

April 23, 2008 2:52 PM | Link to this

What to do for kids lunches can be a hard one. We pack lunch for my stepdaughter, but more often than not, she doesn’t eat the sandwich we pack. I try to get creative, but there is only so much you can do with a kid’s lunch. Is it better to give her money for school lunch which I know she will not eat, or keep wasting time and money packing lunch she barely touches?

By Mattie

April 23, 2008 3:09 PM | Link to this

My sons are in high school now. I do keep money on their accounts, but they much prefer the large hero sandwiches I make. I easily use close to three pounds of turkey and ham between the two of them over a week. When they have to buy, they end up spending between $6-$8 each per day to fill up, and then they tell me it’s awful. I make the sandwiches at night while I’m doing dinner, then add a container of cut-up fruit. They usually buy a drink, although they tell me the milk never tastes fresh, so they generally stick to Gatorade.

By Monica

April 23, 2008 3:25 PM | Link to this

To those who send meat filled sandwiches to school - do you worry about the meat spoiling, or do you also send one of those cool packs with it?

By Producer

April 23, 2008 3:28 PM | Link to this

Looking at this in a different angle, do any of you parents here feel that with the school lunches being made up of mostly processed foods, have they contributed to the explosion of type 2 diabetes in our kids? Could this be lessened if more families did prepare the lunches for the kids to take? I’m interested in y’alls opinion.

By bob

April 23, 2008 3:38 PM | Link to this

I just graduated high school and am now in college. I paid $1.25 for my lunch at school every day. Was it amazing? No. Did I expect amazing? No because I paid nothing for my meal. Better food will come if people speak up and allow schools to budget more for lunch. With more money allocated they are free to purchase more variety or better quality. Their priority is education, not five star food.

By One

April 23, 2008 3:38 PM | Link to this

Good topic. My picky eater took lunch from the start straight thru about 7th or 8th grade. She then decided she would give school lunch a try (brand new school, maybe good food)………….didn’t last long. School lunches are terrible, and generally not healthy. Now she’s in 10th grade, and back to taking lunch. The trick for high school is that they serve the regular “nasty” lunch on the main line (and she gets free lunch because I refuse to pay for that crap!), and then the edible more popular stuff (pizza, chicken tenders, fries) in the “cafe” line, which is where you pay regardless of your normal lunch status (free, reduced,etc.). So, she basically was spending close to $10 a week, even though she gets “free” lunch. And even then, she would come home hungry most days. A few months ago, I decided we’d had enough, and went back to our original plan, packing her lunch. No big deal, as I pretty much take my lunch to work also. She has loved having lunch from home again……….sandwich (we don’t do the microwave), fruit, juice, chips, and we’re both happy! Now I know that she is not hungry all day (or spending some ridiculous amount of money to keep from starving), and I think a few of her friends wish their moms would do the same for them. I never understood why school lunches had to be so bad (they were that waay even when I was in school, and my mom would pack my lunch too as long as I wanted it!). Moms rock!!! Okay, dads rock too!! lol

By One

April 23, 2008 3:43 PM | Link to this

Monica, good question! I think unless your child is outside all morning (or a great protion of the morning), that won’t be a problem. I did have my daughter arrange with a Home Ec teacher who has a fridge in her room to allow her to store hers there. But most (high) schools are kept quite cold (to keep the girls from bearing too much skin), so we haven’t had a problem. But good idea about the ice pack! And they eat so early anyway, esp. in elementary/middle schools…..

By Huh

April 23, 2008 3:45 PM | Link to this

bob, there’s a long way from bland, inedible to “five star”. Maybe it’s the “college” in you speaking, but we (parents) expect edible and nutritious, and that’s NOT asking too much.

By emjay

April 23, 2008 3:58 PM | Link to this

Back in the day, I ate school lunch in elementary school, but then again, my elem. school had awesome lunches. Once in middle and high school, I took my lunch everyday, because they quality really declined and the food was gross. It really didn’t take a whole lot of extra time - my mom or I would usually pack my lunch while breakfast was in the making (toast or oatmeal, or whatever cooking), up until she stopped forcing me to eat breakfast (I know, a bad habit) and then we’d pack lunch during the time I usually ate breakfast. I think taking a lunch and eating a lunch is the same though, as your point about buying a school lunch and actually eating it. Just because you pack it and don’t get anything brought home doesn’t mean your child ate everything you sent. I know that once I was in high school and started to have weight/body image issues, there were plenty of days that I didn’t eat what my mom sent for lunch. Of course, I threw it away because I knew I’d get in trouble if I went home with my lunch in tact and she found out I’d skipped lunch. Another bad habit, but I was a teenager and thought I knew everything :)

By Mattie

April 23, 2008 4:00 PM | Link to this

The One, speaking of kids wishing their parents would do the same and pack the lunch, I found out one of my sons was selling half his hero sandwich lunch for $7.00 each day. The kids were competing to buy it. I actually found out when purchasing the components, and the check out girl asked me if I was K’s mother. I said “yes, but how did she know?”. She told me my sandwiches were legendary, and there was a rush to the cafeteria each day to try and buy one. As of the next day, I cut down the portions!

By lovelyliz

April 23, 2008 4:00 PM | Link to this

My niece attends a private school that like almost every other one in her area has no kitchen so they cater their lunches. That means for at least 5 meals a week these kids get a fast food meal and only one is served with any sort of vegetable (sorry, fries don’t count). Served with either high fructose corn syrup laden soda/fake fruit flavored drink and occasionally milk.

Since I worked close to the school, I was the one who took dropped my niece off. When I realize what she was eating, I started making her lunches. I never used white bread and tried to stay away from HFCS. I used natural peanut butter, fruit spread, real cheese and included fruits and vegetables. I�ll include chips or candy sparingly. I have never made her a sandwich with white bread and I haven�t heard any complaints in 6 years. Sure if you asked her what she wanted, fast food fried chicken sandwiches, Mexicanish and pizza all served with Coke would be fine, but that just isn�t a healthy diet for anybody.

And yes, I invested in a couple of insulated lunch bags and those faux-ice packs to keep things cool.

By HS Teacher

April 23, 2008 4:17 PM | Link to this

The lunch room gets no money from the school—it is pay as you go. All costs are paid from those who pay as well as the allotments from free and reduced meals. Adults pay a lot more, but we get the same amount of food as students.

Here is the menu for Thur lunch choices with 4 entrees and always a vegatarian option: CHEESEBURGER BAKED POTATO PLATE GRILL CHICKEN SALAD PLATE PBJ SANDWICH BAKED CHIPS LET/TOM/PICKLE FRENCH FRIES LIMA BEANS CALIFORNIA BLEND CELERY & CARROT STICKS TOSSED SALAD SALAD DRESSING CHOICES CANNED FRUIT CHOICES FRESH FRUIT CHOICES CONDIMENTS ASSORTED MILK - VARIETY

I could have clicked on a link for the nutritional values too. But, just because it is offered does not mean the student will eat it. Back in the 50s you took what was given and did not leave the table until your plate was clean.

My daughter took her lunch to school and packed it the night before. It was at least 3 times the cost of school lunch. I must say, school lunch is a lot more healthy than it was when she was in HS. I will be glad when all the soda, candy, and chip machines are gone at my HS.

By One

April 23, 2008 4:24 PM | Link to this

Mattie, now that’s funny!!!!! Children are too darn smart sometimes! Yep, he would’ve gotten half the amount at that point. lol Not a bad hustle though!

emjay, yesh, kids have a way of thinking that. You should have just asked mom for something lighter like a salad or mostly fruit, I’m sure she would’ve rather done that than to have you throwing away good food. Oh well, live and learn!

lovelyliz (my moms name is Liz), we have only eaten wheat bread all my daughter’s life, and we both love it. We don’t really drink sodas (maybe one a month), so that’s not an issue, and I hate stuff with HFCS!!!! I have been in search of a juice without it (that still tastes good), to no avail. We do drink lots of water, though. And definitely, the insulated lunch bag is great! And lots of fruit, we love fresh fruit and veggies!!!

By Netta

April 23, 2008 4:32 PM | Link to this

My grand daughter complained so much about the school lunches and on some days she got sick from eating in the cafeteria at school. Since then I prepare a lunch for her every day. I dropped by the school one day during lunch time, and the noise level in the cafeteria was at an all time high. There was so much noise, commotion and chaos that I wondered why there was no control. The teachers absolutely ignored it. When I look back at my time in elementary school at the order and the delicious lunches, it makes me wonder. What happened? All of the “mystery” meat and processed foods just add weight, problems, and illnesses. To top it all off they have to eat in a matter of a few minutes. I believe that it is the school’s responsibility to fix this problem. Maybe schools should consult with us parents about healthy delicious and nutritious meals. Evidently someone in dietary does not have a clue. And, what happened to teachers sitting with their elementary students during lunch? This could minimize the chaos in the cafeteria.

By One

April 23, 2008 4:35 PM | Link to this

HSTeacher, while that sounds decent on paper, we know that the taste is what makes or breaks the deal. My daughter’s school has veggies on the menu daily (and we LOVE veggies, preferably fresh), but having them and making them taste good is two different things. My daughter says the veggies don’t even look edible, some over-done, some bland, some under-done. Mind you, we’re not talking five star restaurant style, just tasty would do. We don’t eat beef, so that always eliminates one (at least) item. And I believe she says that they don’t even have 2% milk (which we don’t drink milk like that either, milk tends to cause several illnesses that most aren’t aware of), but still. Chicken salad, again, not something I would trust from too many places. Like I said before, sounds good on paper, but what does it taste like? As for the 50’s, well, hey, this is the 21st century………times have changed for everything! For example, back in the 50’s, wives did not work, stayed home, kept house, raised the kids, and basically had to do whatever hubby said because they didn’t have anything of their own. Thank God, it’s not the 50’s anymore, and we can think for ourselves!!

By Momz

April 23, 2008 4:57 PM | Link to this

I have a five year old who will be entering kindergarten next year and the plan is to send her with her lunch for health reasons.

I took my own lunch to school for most of my school career and I packed it myself. For those parents worried about time, why in the world don’t you make your 4th or 5th grader make their own lunch? I certainly could do that at that age and my 5 year old is certainly capable. It would be a great way to help teach the child some life skills and responsibility.

By MamaS

April 23, 2008 5:32 PM | Link to this

I always pack a lunch for my son, unless there is a special day — Thanksgiving meal or the class is cooking Hobo Stew, etc. As for the question of meat sandwiches, I make them the night before, freeze them, and put them in the lunch box the next morning. By lunchtime (10:50AM for kindergarten!) the sandwich is thawed out but still cool.

By cl mitchell

April 23, 2008 6:18 PM | Link to this

school lunches taste bad and are usually bad for you. kudos to the principal in lithonia who banned sugar and the like from her school lunches with great results (fewer discipline problems and higher test scores) not to mention the health benefits (brownsmill elementary - dekalb co.). my sister, a soon to be retired teacher told me once that several years ago the teachers at her school (north dekalb county) had to complain over and over to get the lunchroom cooks NOT to keep putting SUGAR in the MAC and CHEESE!

By muffinpaw

April 23, 2008 8:06 PM | Link to this

One, try Looza juices. They are a little expensive but have no HFCS. The DeKalb Farmers Market sells them and they are very tasty. They also have different juice box juices that have no HFCS.

By catlady

April 23, 2008 8:47 PM | Link to this

Many of the overweight kids at my school are the ones who bring their lunches! I guess because the other kids won’t eat! You can never tell, either way, what your child is eating, unless you are sitting right there with them every day, so don’t be fooled by what is left over.

My children generally bought school lunch. It was easier when they were in high school because there was a little choice—they could get a salad. They were welcome to pack their lunch, but it was their responsibility to choose among the healthful foods I had on hand. No candy, no chips available. Sometimes they did, sometimes they did not. Eating was not an issue—they knew if they were hungry what they had to do beforehand. I virtually never sent money for school snack store—talk about junk!

I am a teacher and I rarely eat school lunch. First, altho we pay more than double, we don’t get more food. Second, the food has too much fat, too much salt, and is too processed for me. I eat school lunch about once every 3 weeks, if I really like something on the menu. The quality of our lunches has fallen off markedly since I started teaching in a small, rural school 34 years ago. We have blamed it on centralized purchasing. We used to have REAL chicken and REAL mashed potatoes! At our school there is pizza and a burger every week, plus some kind of nuggets. The other two days rotate among a hot dog, corn dog, “country fried steak”, spaggetti made with ground “beef” and red water sauce, or barbeque. I do enjoy Thanksgiving dinner—great rolls and dressing, but now the turkey is that horrible processed turkey loaf.

Many of the kids at my school who bring their lunch bring over processed, over wrapped junk to eat, instead of good, wholesome food. Lots of Little Debbies.

Noise level in the lunchroom is slightly less than unbearable. Kids are on partly silent lunch most days due to the monitored noise level. Parapros man the lunchroom, so teachers can eat. Unfortunately, there is little recourse for kids who misbehave during lunch, so the noise level builds on itself. The kids have about 20 minutes to eat, once they get their food. Many talk and play instead of eating—their parents (70% on free lunch) send money for them to buy the junk the school snack store sells after lunch. Teachers have lobbied for fruit, but the admin says no one would buy and they need the revenue stream. Such is the reality of the modern school.

I was a very picky eater but my mother wanted me to be exposed to stuff. I sure was—I was on the “Picky Eaters Club” list almost every day! I still remember the embarrassment, and gagging on canned spinach.

By fer

April 23, 2008 9:18 PM | Link to this

You’re right, Momz, teach your kid(s)how to pack their own lunches early on. They can also be part of the buying of the supplies and can learn to make healthy choices. And if they choose it, they will probably eat it.

By Monique

April 24, 2008 12:49 AM | Link to this

I bought my daughters lunch for the first part of kindergarten but then got fed up with paying 1.50 a day to have her come home and say she ate pb&j, nachos, hot dogs, burgers, pizza. Needless to say I’ve been packing both my kids lunch for 3 years now. I save money and peace of mind by knowing I’m sending a well balanced healthy meal. And we have a rule in our home about finishing lunches, the main meal and veggies has to be eaten before the fruit or there is no dessert at dinner. The kids help make lunch and give healthy suggestions so they don’t get bored.

Monica, here is a tip for making sure food is kept cool…..we have 10 oz bottles that we fill half way with milk/water and freeze it the night before. In the morning we fill it the rest of the way and put it in the lunch box. It keeps the lunch cool and by the time they eat it’s melted enough to shake up and drink.

By Colleen

April 24, 2008 5:40 AM | Link to this

Well, I work in an elementary school lunchroom in Georgia. We have to follow USDA guidelines, we also have to follow specific recipes made up by a registered dietician. This dictates how the food is prepared, caloric and fat content, etc. Our elementary schools in my county offer FIVE choices for main dish foods. Chef salad is always a choice. We offer low fat pizza, nachos, tacos, turkey hot dogs, BAKED fries or tater tots, PBJ, chicken nuggets, sweet and sour chicken, baked potato with broccoli and cheese, chicken quesadilla, and our turkey over the holiday meals is real whole turkeys, not turkey roasts. My son has been eating school lunches since he started school. I know how the food is prepared, I know the cleanliness standards in the school kitchens, and I know he is getting quality food. We even make the macaroni and cheese from SCRATCH. (that is one of our most popular days with the kids, they love the stuff) School foodservice budgets are very low, so it is hard to please everyone. But, honestly, where else can you get a full course meal with all the essential food groups and tightly controlled fat and calorie content for 1.50 a day? I gave up packing a lunch for my kid long ago…he likes HOT lunch, and tires quickly of cold sandwiches. Whatever floats ones boat I guess.

By New Mommy

April 24, 2008 7:42 AM | Link to this

I used to faithfully let my kids buy a school lunch even though they would come home starving. On Valentine’s Day, my daughter’s class had a “special lunch” and the parents were invited. The lunch that the parents contributed to was pb&j, apple slices, strawberries, capri sun and carrots. The school lunch was fried fish, tater tots, mac & cheese and a cookie.

Needless to say my kids have been taking their lunch every since.

By Colleen

April 24, 2008 9:05 AM | Link to this

If your kid is in elementary school, in Georgia anyway, there is NO frying AT ALL in the schools. So, that ‘fried’ fish, was baked. We have that too. Middle Schools and High Schools are allowed ONE day a week to fry anything. My son is in middle school, and LOVES the catfish, grits and hushpuppies. That is his favorite meal at school. He doesn’t do cold sandwiches well at all. He likes variety, and he gets that at his school.

By Monique

April 24, 2008 1:40 PM | Link to this

Colleen, how exactly do you think the nachos or the taco shell is crispy? Those are fried before they are sold. And everything that you listed in the choices is unhealthy. Nachos, tacos, hotdogs, pizza, etc…are you serious? Also, just because you make something from scratch and kids love it does not make it healthy. And where are the vegetables on that list? You mentioned a chef salad which normally has egg, bacon, croutons, ham, turkey, or in other words, fat fat fat fat and fat. And if it isn’t made with green leafy lettuce like red leaf, romaine, etc and they make it with iceburg then you’re not getting any nutrients there. I just moved from GwinnettI saw , which had the horrible lunches that you described, to Downtown Decatur and was really impressed with the choices in the cafeteria. All the choices were of the whole grain and low fat variety and they offer lots of fruit and veggies. I still send in lunch to ensure that they are not only eating something good for them but that they are actually eating enough.

Oh and by the way, catfish, fish, and hushpuppies? And we wonder why this country is facing such a problem with childhood obesity and juvenile diabetes.

By Monique

April 24, 2008 1:40 PM | Link to this

Colleen, how exactly do you think the nachos or the taco shell is crispy? Those are fried before they are sold. And everything that you listed in the choices is unhealthy. Nachos, tacos, hotdogs, pizza, etc…are you serious? Also, just because you make something from scratch and kids love it does not make it healthy. And where are the vegetables on that list? You mentioned a chef salad which normally has egg, bacon, croutons, ham, turkey, or in other words, fat fat fat fat and fat. And if it isn’t made with green leafy lettuce like red leaf, romaine, etc and they make it with iceburg then you’re not getting any nutrients there. I just moved from GwinnettI saw , which had the horrible lunches that you described, to Downtown Decatur and was really impressed with the choices in the cafeteria. All the choices were of the whole grain and low fat variety and they offer lots of fruit and veggies. I still send in lunch to ensure that they are not only eating something good for them but that they are actually eating enough.

Oh and by the way, catfish, grits, and hushpuppies? And we wonder why this country is facing such a problem with childhood obesity and juvenile diabetes.

By decatur mom

April 24, 2008 2:18 PM | Link to this

My kids love school lunch, probably because it is junk that I don’t serve at home, like shrimp poppers and rib-a-que sandwiches. I let them get it once a week. However, whenever they do get it, they come out of school starving! I don’t think it is very much food. My kids are in a school district where I think the school lunches are probably a little better than average, but still they’re not great.

By mitchell

April 24, 2008 5:49 PM | Link to this

school lunches are not to eat!!!!!!!!They are Horrible!!!!!!!!!

By Colleen

April 24, 2008 6:02 PM | Link to this

Um..ONE meal a week the fryer is used. The rest of the week is BAKED. Easy sentence structure there…. I didn’t mention vegetables because I thought most people actually visited their kids schools and noticed! We have TWO hot veggies daily, from peas, corn, carrots, turnips, green beans, mixed veggies, etc…we have salad EVERY day, and also offer fresh carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, cucumbers with FAT FREE ranch dressing..and guess what? The kids COMPLAIN it is FAT FREE! The hot dogs are LOW fat, as is the ground beef, as it is part soy/part ground beef. ALL are controlled by RECIPES. I can tell you what your kid eats just by looking at the recipes. Not all school districts are this strict with the rules, but Houston County in middle Georgia is. Perhaps that is why we have won awards on portion/calorie control and making meals healthier in the state. I dare you also to find kitchens in the state that serve over 800 people a day to maintain 100 percent health inspections continuously over the years. Go try to serve the same people in the time span of two hours. It is hard work what lunch ladies do to feed the kids in the schools. Try visiting one one day and thank the ladies for all they do instead of dissing them. Go ahead, send a Lunchable while you are at it. Go see how much fat and salt are in those, and compare that to a low fat hot dog! Those of you complaining about the lunch food complain about the quality! Well, guess what, the quality goes down when the fat/sodium content gets changed to meet the new obesity guidelines. You complain when the fryer is used, yet then you complain that the food tastes gross when it isn’t! Oh, btw, we don’t FRY our taco shells, we use TORTILLAS…wheat ones at that, and also only wheat bread and wheat buns.

By JJ

April 25, 2008 10:29 AM | Link to this

My daugther takes her lunch every day. We make it right after we clean up the dinner mess.

The lines are so long at the high school, that by the time they get their food, and get to the table, it’s time to go to class.

By Doug Clemons

April 29, 2008 6:28 PM | Link to this

Faerie Films Calls for a �Manhattan Project� to Improve School Food

Activist film company seeks a complete overhaul of how kids are fed at school

Laguna Beach, CA � April 29, 2008 � Faerie Films, the company behind the teen documentary “All Jacked Up”, claims that the existing public school food system is so badly broken that the only solution may be to start all over again � this time with a healthy, nutritious and tasty lunch ending up on the plate.

Each day, the USDA-administered National School Lunch Program (NSLP) feeds over 29 million children, whether it’s full-price, low cost, or free. With over 50 million students enrolled in public schools, that means over half of America’s children count on the NSLP to provide up to three meals a day (breakfast, lunch, snack). The USDA reports that the NSLP costs $7.6 billion annually.

And the net result? According to Jennifer Mattox, founder of Faerie Films, and director of �All Jacked Up�, �Our kids are on a life-threatening path, and because of the system that�s in place to feed our kids at school, the kids ultimately suffer.� The independent film company is calling on federal and state governments, the food industry, charitable foundations, and the public school systems to come together and make drastic changes.

�Last week PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) put out a challenge to food scientists and researchers to develop artificial chicken that �tastes just like chicken� by putting $1 million on the table. This empty offer does nothing to solve the big picture problems we have with food. It�s going to take a �Manhattan-style� project, with a financial incentive for everyone involved, to begin to tackle the mess that is our national school lunch program,� said Douglas Clemons, the producer of �All Jacked Up�.

According to a recent USDA report, these issues �can only be answered by an integrated study of school meal program operations, costs and outcomes. The USDA has previously fielded studies of both outcomes and costs, but has never collected these data as part of a unified design and sampling plan, allowing the information to be combined to fully answer these questions of compelling policy interest. An integrated study would allow an unprecedented level of analysis of the relationship of key operating characteristics, costs, and outcomes�with outcomes including both quality of meals offered and students� participation and consumption.�

In a statement, the USDA’s Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services Nancy Johner commented, �the USDA is committed to continuing to support schools with guidance, training and technical assistance to ensure their operations are effective and efficient in providing good nutrition to our children.�

�The food system is so screwed up�would I want to eat it, would I want my kid to eat it? No way!� exclaimed Stacey J. Bell, D.Sc., nutrition doctor and former Harvard nutritionist.

Recent student-initiated protests and boycotts over the quality of NSLP-administered lunches have re-awakened the dialogue about food served at the nation�s public schools. Middle and high-school boycotts in Oklahoma, New Jersey and Wisconsin have all caught the attention of their school administrators, hoping to quell the situation. �As our film documents, it�s up to the individual to take a stand and demand change, and that�s what we�re encouraging,� Mattox concluded.

�There are progressive school systems that have taken the lead and made healthy school meals a priority, and have been financially responsible in doing so,� Clemons continued. Faerie Films intends to rally support for initiatives and pilot programs that provide organic foods to public schools at the national level.

About Faerie Films � Faerie Films, LLC is an independent film company located in Laguna Beach, California. Inspired by the current conditions of today�s health and social challenges, Faerie Films is developing projects that touch, move and inspire moviegoers to take action to reform thought patterns and human behavior.

For more information, contact Douglas Clemons at 949.494.7240 or visit www.faeriefilms.com or www.alljackedupmovie.com.

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By Doug Clemons

April 29, 2008 6:29 PM | Link to this