‘Healthier’ school lunch at what cost?

[chanel]

Of course. We use an outside contractor that isn't so bad. But I see so much waste. The students must take a salad, milk, and fruit, with every entree, and I'd say half ends up in the trash.

"Healthier lunch" is certainly a good thing. But it looks like these regs. go too far. I posted a study the other day about salt studies. The push to limit sodium in healthy children is pointless at best, and possibly harmful at worst. They are using faulty science to make otherwise healthy food (like soups, and salad dressings) inedible.

 

[chanel]

Well. Interesting report. It seems the schools are doing a much better job at providing healthy lunches. But that's not good enough:

Nationwide, nearly every school district offers fresh fruits and vegetables (98%)
Whole grain foods have become readily accessible (97%)
89% of school districts offer salad bars or pre-packaged salads
About two-thirds provide vegetarian meals (63%)
Virtually all districts offer fat-free or 1% milk (98%)

Short lunch periods continue to challenge school nutrition professionals who want their students to have enough time to finish their meals. The typical lunch period length has remained unchanged since 2009, with a median of 25 minutes reported for elementary schools and 30 minutes for middle and high schools.

Healthy Foods Offered At School Lunch, But Less Time To Eat - New Jersey 101.5 FM

Now they are looking to extend the school day. Not for instruction of course.

 

[editec]

Institutional food generally tastes like it.

Institutional junkm however, food generally tastes like junk food one gets everywhere else.

No wonder the kids prefer the junk food.

 

[Ravi]

Well. Interesting report. It seems the schools are doing a much better job at providing healthy lunches. But that's not good enough:

Nationwide, nearly every school district offers fresh fruits and vegetables (98%)
Whole grain foods have become readily accessible (97%)
89% of school districts offer salad bars or pre-packaged salads
About two-thirds provide vegetarian meals (63%)
Virtually all districts offer fat-free or 1% milk (98%)

Short lunch periods continue to challenge school nutrition professionals who want their students to have enough time to finish their meals. The typical lunch period length has remained unchanged since 2009, with a median of 25 minutes reported for elementary schools and 30 minutes for middle and high schools.

Healthy Foods Offered At School Lunch, But Less Time To Eat - New Jersey 101.5 FM

Now they are looking to extend the school day. Not for instruction of course.

That's a good idea. If you are going to force kids to be in school from basically 7 am to 3 pm then you should give them enough time to eat lunch.

 

[chanel]

And breakfast too?

Sorry ravi. There's not enough time in the day to teach everything we're supposed to. We can't extend the school day in high school because of sports. So the kids would have to arrive earlier. Fat chance.

Of course we could always cut instructional time. Or eliminate recess.

We had only 17 minutes for lunch when I was in high school. And some kids in AP classes have zero minutes and have to eat in class. It's not that big a deal.

 

[Ravi]

So get rid of sports. Most kids don't join the sports teams, why fuck up the entire day for it?

 

[chanel]

No argument from me there ravi. But the football lobby is more powerful than the teacher's unions and the lawmakers put together. Sports are religion in this country.

 

[FuelRod]

So get rid of sports. Most kids don't join the sports teams, why fuck up the entire day for it?

There are many districts going to "activities" fees or basically "pay to play" systems for extracurricular activities already.

 

[lilbug]

There are so many other contributing factors to childhood obesity that targeting school lunches is futile.

By the time a kid starts school his/her eating habits have already been established. If they are not exposed to healthy choices at home, they sure as heck aren't going to chose it at school.

We have become a nation of fast food and comfort food because it's quick and easy. Folks who are fortunate to have jobs have busy lives, and while it use to be more economical to buy groceries and prepare meals at home, that's not always the case now, and folks do not really have the time or inclinication to go to the trouble.

Moreover, we have also become a nation of folks with sedentary lifestyles with 300+ TV channels and Internet that will take you anywhere in the world, not mention the Play Stations and whatever other electronic pass-times kids have these days. Folks aren't getting kids involved in organized sports either due to lack of time, lack of funds, or lack of availability, and as I understand it, PE is being cut back in schools.

Impementing and enforcing the schools to serve healthy choices is one thng, but Ms. O. plan has a major flaw that makes it doomed for failure. She is proposing a fix that leaves the decision of following through on it, actually eating the healthy choice, to kids...kids are kids, and unless she is proposing we force feed them, you cannot legislate that.

 

[bill5]

There are so many other contributing factors to childhood obesity that targeting school lunches is futile.

By the time a kid starts school his/her eating habits have already been established. If they are not exposed to healthy choices at home, they sure as heck aren't going to chose it at school.

We have become a nation of fast food and comfort food because it's quick and easy. Folks who are fortunate to have jobs have busy lives, and while it use to be more economical to buy groceries and prepare meals at home, that's not always the case now, and folks do not really have the time or inclinication to go to the trouble.

Moreover, we have also become a nation of folks with sedentary lifestyles with 300+ TV channels and Internet that will take you anywhere in the world, not mention the Play Stations and whatever other electronic pass-times kids have these days. Folks aren't getting kids involved in organized sports either due to lack of time, lack of funds, or lack of availability, and as I understand it, PE is being cut back in schools.
Impementing and enforcing the schools to serve healthy choices is one thng, but Ms. O. plan has a major flaw that makes it doomed for failure. She is proposing a fix that leaves the decision of following through on it, actually eating the healthy choice, to kids...kids are kids, and unless she is proposing we force feed them, you cannot legislate that.

To your post overall I say

However the part I bolded I must throw out the BS flag. Those are all weak excuses IMO. And since when must sports (or other physical activities) be "organized" - ? Don't kids ever just go out back and PLAY any more? I played sports my entire childhood, in fact nearly every day and often till I was so tired I was ready to drop - never played on an "organized" team. PS I think they can be great, just tired of parents (or kids, or anyone) thinking it's "organized sports" or nothing.