This year our school is really hitting hard on the kids bringing healthy snacks, I'm all for this. However the school lunches are still the same chicken nuggets, pizza, hamburgers, have any of your schools gone to a healthier lunch program, or what types of food do your schools offer?
That's a question that I would bring up at the next school board meeting. If they're all for healthy snacks that the parents have to provide, why should the school system be accountable for feeding your children healthy lunches as well?
My kids are homeschooled now, but when they went to school, they were served the same things you mentioned - nuggets, pizza, burgers, tacos...
Our school district started a healthier lunch program a few years ago. I love it. There are still the same things kids like, but also fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains.
You can see a menu here: http://www.op97.k12.il.us/lunch/index.html
Article - http://www.illinoisagconnection.com/story-state.php?Id=28...
Those things are traditional but one of the things I have noticed that while a healthy lunch is provided to start there are offerings of other goodies after the healthy stuff has been provided. And the children appear to be provided with lots of money. So they eat the healthy lunch quick, or a few bites and then line up for the sweet or salty things.It apparently is money that helps provide for other things in the school. Unfortunately there is a lot of 'healthy' food being thrown out. If parents are paying perhaps they shouldn't give the children extra money for junk. Or limit it. Having never had the ability to give my children lots of lunch money I gave them lunches often and a purchased lunch was a rare treat to them. Twinkies, cupcakes and chips might not be an acceptable listed treat but that didn't hurt once in awhile either. It's when I see children eating lots of them you can see how bad it is. I used to watch one boy go back and forth for ice cream, cookies, etc. and finally chatted with him about it. There are fruits and lettuce available, but it's the rare child that gets excited over making that the main portion of the meal. I think a lot of the students that get sent with their lunch seem to do better over all nutrionally. It is just too hard to feed massive groups of people something that isn't easy to bake.
Our school doesn't have a cafeteria so the kids and staff all bring lunches from home. Is that an option for you? My kids use a thermos most days and I can do soup, stew, noodles, pot pies, etc. which they typically eat- not all days, but they are getting used to it. Then, I just toss in fruit, yogurt, chips and something sweet. They carry their own water bottles. Good luck! P.S. Go to the school board, too. They are there to support the school's mission and healthy kids!!
My kids eat lunch at school. They are given white milk everyday but Friday when they can choose chocolate. They do get pizza every Tues and sometimes a pizza puff another day of the week. I know that the lunches are not absolutely perfect but I think they have improved over the past few years. When they have pita pockets, it is whole wheat, etc. They do have chicken fingers but it is balanced with baked crackers and fruit. The principal at the school does not like them to bring junk food for a snack so discourages chips and such unless it is a "earned" day. then she sends a note saying they can bring them in. For grades 3 to 5, they are able to buy nachos once a week if they are still hungry after lunch. I know that the problem schools have is that kids will bring cupcakes and twinkies and chips even candy for a snack rather than crackers or fruit. At our schools, they are trying to cut this down. The Trib had an article about school lunches a month or so ago. In it they described a typical school lunch and it sounded horrible. I checked over the lunch list from last school year at my kids' school and was relieved.
