Michelle Obama's New School Lunches Are A Flop

Sadly there are many many factors that contribute to the obesity of the population in general. Yes, in general, this is not an american thing at all,
It's paired with the assumption that a) genetics aren't a factor
b) healthy food is expensive in general
c) water isn't important for metabolism
d) "diet" pop or diet snacks are progressive in nature
e) kids wont eat good food
f) fast food is expensive etc


Damn I could do the whole alphabet lol
Peace

reply to post by Komaratzi11


The French spend less than $2/day per child for food and each meal is a complete four course hot meal presided over by a local chef and uses all fresh ingredients, lots of herbs and seasonal vegetables. Each meal includes a little local cheese and fresh bread and closes with a light desert, with a rich desert once a week. The children have ample time to eat. All children each this meal, no one brings food. It is mandatory. Every meal is followed by outdoor recess.

As a result of this conditioning, French kids have a real appreciation for quality food, the ritual of mealtime and are not picky eaters. The joke in France about how Americans eat? They call it the "beige diet," because everything is processed and, well, some degree of beige in color -- our breads, pasta, processed snacks, chips and crackers...

But hey, I expect the jingoists to start belching the "Amurica is number 1, if you don't like it, leave it!"

Fact is, most civil places do everything that is meaningful and life enhancing better, and for much less than it costs us. In the U.S., we do life destroying or demeaning very well.

A typical school lunch for me back in the 1970's was...

a bowl of vegetable beef soup, a PBJ sandwich, half an orange or apple, and a snickerdoodle cookie and a pint of milk

plain cheese burger with a little packet of mustard and ketchup, a "side salad" of lettuce, slice tomato, onion, pickle slices, french fries or chips, and an apple w/ milk

slice of pizza, a tossed salad with dressing, brownie, half orange or apple, w/ milk

fried chicken thigh, mashed potatoes w/ gravy, tossed salad w/ dressing, snicker doodle cookie, milk

They weren't the greatest food, but they really weren't bad. And in High School... extra portions or sides could be purchased for more money.

People will be people and as long as we have free will, we will eat what we want to eat... trying to force people to eat a certain way is a waste of limited funds within declining budgets.

If obesity is a cause of concern, it is the parent's and child's responsibilty. Cut back on the computer and video games, encourage outdoor activities, games, exercise...

As far as school's responsibility, healthy meal alternatives should be offered. How about a basic meal with unlimited salad bar? How about expanding the PE classes and activities, sports activities, field days, extra curricular sports, etc... Maybe offereing extra credit for participation in after school intramural leagues of volley ball or basketball or even kick ball... get the kids moving. Anybody remember home economics or teaching nutrition in health class... how about educationg kids and actually teaching them how to prep good meals.

I remember back in the 7th Grade... our PE teacher was our health teacher. He was an ex NFL player... not a "glory boy" but he made the league and had a brief and sucessful career until an injury took him out. He was teaching budgets, nutrition... we had to come up with a budget, a menu that included 3 meals a day for 7 days for one week, and they had to be nutritious and healthy with at least two fruits or veggies at every meal. To make it interesting, the class put in .25 cents each and the best menu won the pot.

It was so effective, I remeber it to this day and use what I learned there even now. We had less tools for education than then, but somehow we seemed to learn more...and yes, both my parents worked... but they were good parents. That is one of many important keys to good health... good parenting.

It is not mandates from above.

School lunches were always terrible in the 90s when i was a kid.

They were not any better in the 1960s when i was a kid.

The only difference was in the 1960s the food was not loaded with High-fructose corn syrup.

Few school make anything from scratch most heat from cans and boxes of precooked frozen foods.

And these foods are bought on a lowest bidder bases

most of these foods are very high carb foods and very High Glycemic Index foods.
en.wikipedia.org...
www.hsph.harvard.edu...

I thought the lunch menu sounded fairly good. Perhaps they just need to make the portions a little bigger in order to fill the kids up more. The protein is what stops you feeling hungry so keeping the carbs lower and the protein and veg higher will keep the hunger pangs from hitting in the afternoon. Would have been better to have had more than just carrot with dip, perhaps carrot, cucumber sticks, pepper sticks and some cherry tomatoes on the side and there is no reason they could not have a wee slice of cheese on their burger if they wanted, though the burger needs to be made from proper mince and not the slop that comes from mass production.

We have the new school menu and programs in our local schools as well.

Your town may be throwing a fit, but around here it is quite popular. The kids have been complaining about cardboard pizza and under-cooked pasta for years and this new menu gives them options. Part of the program purchases local fresh produce from local farmers and cuts cost in doing so. As a matter of fact, school lunches are cheaper this year than last year.

Don't forget that most schools offer ala carte options if they, or their parents, do not agree with the preset menu.

What's with the lack of cheese? There could / should be cheese in those meals, it would contribute to needed calcium and vitamin D, and help with the fullness factor.

No one has mentioned the mid morning snack. I hope they're getting something then, breakfast to lunch is too long without food in the middle.

Also, why would parents complain about feeding their kids as soon as they're home from school? Isn't it time for another snack by then?

Other than that, the lunches don't sound too bad, but kids really do need some dairy products to keep them full.

God forbid that Americans start eating normal sized portions? All this complaining, and no exercise explains why there is an obesity epedemic. I turned on the TV yesterday to see fat Americans everywhere.

I would eat as soon as I came from home (a meal you call dinner) around 4. It's healthier than waiting till night fall, stuffing you face and going to sleep.

Originally posted by jude11
Stay home and raise your own kids Mrs Obama. Stay out of the refrigerators of the citizens and stop talking about things of which you have no knowledge.

She owns it and I wonder how it will affect her husband at the voting booth?

We can only hope that it affects hubby just enough...to lose.

Peace

edit on 24-8-2012 by jude11 because: (no reason given)

uhmm ...she is raising her normal sized kids....just because alot of people are too lazy to make sure their fat-ass kids eat something besides sugar and fat...somehow this is going to affect obama at the voting booth?

that's like saying nancy reagans "just say no" drug campaign is wrong. parents should allow their kids to have all the drugs they want, because the parents know how to raise their own kids

Originally posted by SpeachM1litant
God forbid that Americans start eating normal sized portions? All this complaining, and no exercise explains why there is an obesity epedemic. I turned on the TV yesterday to see fat Americans everywhere.

I would eat as soon as I came from home (a meal you call dinner) around 4. It's healthier than waiting till night fall, stuffing you face and going to sleep.

your right...the school lunches don't sound much different today then they did back in the 60's...and i always had a snack when i got home from school, usually a sandwich with milk...and sweets were a treat that i had on rare occasions, not constantly through the day.

Has anyone looked into whether Michelle is on Monsanto's payroll or something?

Whenever politics pretends to care about you, there is always a hidden agenda...

ETA: Maybe that's why the kids are not eating it. The test animals didn't either.

School lunches have always sucked. That is what you get when you depend on federal money to feed your kids instead a feeding them yourselves. First people complained the food was making their kids fat, now your telling me that the food is not enough for the little fatties so they have to eat more. At least they can not blame all the fat kids on the Government anymore.

Originally posted by Komaratzi11
.

"What's the point, if I have to feed them a meal as soon as they get home?" was a common response. My favorite comment was, "Well, I better fill 'em up, because the school sure isn't."

This comment seems ridiculous to me. Many of these people complaining probably get free lunches for their kids. They always have had the option to send their kids to school with a lunch from home. Also, what parent doesn't experience their kids coming home and raiding the refrigerator? Honest to God, really this complaint pisses me off!

Some examples of the new lunches taken from my son's lunch calendar:
Tues. Hamburger on wheat bun, with no cheese; carrots and dip; orange
Wed. Soft taco on wheat tortilla, lettuce; tomato; refried beans; pineapple
Thurs. sloppy joe on wheat bun; salad; mixed fruit
Fri. Mini Corn dogs; spinach salad; pears

This is the kind of menu I would have liked, even if paying for it. My kids would have enjoyed it as well while attending school.

The serving sizes have been reduced, and I was shocked to hear that the same servings given to Kindergarteners are also being given to high schoolers.

Prove it.

My son reported to me that the trash can was stuffed with uneaten food and kids were complaining to the teachers about being hungry very shortly after lunch.

Let 'em go hungry for a few days by not doing the parental responsible job of feeding their own children anyway, and guess what? They will eat it, and like it!

The number of students carrying lunch from home has been increasing daily and Michelle Obama would be livid if she saw the things parents were buying, I'm sure. I sold a lot of lunch meat and cheese, chips, Lunchables, and Little Debbies to the disgruntled parents this week. They were buying Kool-aid type drinks as well, so forget that skim milk.

Is that crap supposed to fill kids up and give 'm healthy brain function? Next week all those parents will be in line griping about how their child's physician had to put them on drugs for being hyperactive!!!!!!

This whole situation got me wondering, "What do Barrack and Michelle's kids eat for lunch?" Well, obviously not what the children of commoners eat. Their lunches at prestigious Sidwell Friends School are catered by an outfit called Meriwhether-Godsey. Apparently, the good folks at Meriwhether-Godsey believe there are no bad foods if eaten in moderation. Their motto is "fresh is best" and "can the can". Too bad our children can't say the same.

As said before, these complaining parents are probably getting free lunches for their kids. When I attended school, we were sent home for lunch until I got into about 8th grade. By then we had to take a sack lunch, and the only item available in the cafeteria was milk. These parents disgust me.

The truth is government regulation is never going to end obesity for children or anyone else for that matter. People are growing tired of the endless involvement of government in their personal business. Almost every parent that complained at the store blamed Michelle Obama for this mess. Whether Mrs. Obama acted alone or not, her face IS the face of this mess. She owns it and I wonder how it will affect her husband at the voting booth?

Once again, coming from a person who probably lives in a town where tax payers instead of parents are paying for these free lunches. Don't like it? Buy your own kids crap! Why should I have to buy your kids lunch? Or breakfast? Nobody ever paid for my kids to eat, but me! What a bunch of ungrateful whiners!

Originally posted by Komaratzi11


Almost every parent that complained at the store blamed Michelle Obama for this mess. Whether Mrs. Obama acted alone or not, her face IS the face of this mess.

Those parents are idiots. If you have a problem with the school lunch menu, talk to the school district.
Michelle Obama has simply publicly advocated feeding kids healthier food. That's it. Nothing's been forced, there have been no laws passed, no mandates, nothing. What is the "mess" you refer to? A recommendation of healthy eating and proper exercise? Oh, the horror of making public statements about healthy eating and exercise. How dare she. Nancy Reagan was a saint because she advocated "say no to drugs". And there have been plenty of laws passed regarding drugs. Michelle Obama is evil incarnate because she advocates eating healthier - and no laws have been passed mandating healthy eating.

What a bunch of idiots.

You know most of those meal sound ok until you read a little further. Wheat buns/tacos?!? If you want to ruin a meal throw it on a wheat bun. Even in my home town there's about a 10 to 1 ratio of white to wheat products. Most people don't eat wheat products and i can't blame them.

And then looking at the sides (well probably the main because of portion size), they don't match at all. Who eats an orange with a hamburger? You need potato sides to go with half those dishes.

If you want people to eat healthy, you need to get back to the basics and use some spices and actually cook the meals, not just reheat them. The problem, though, is that it's actually cheaper to buy the already "prepared food" than it is to buy the individual ingredients and make it from scratch.

reply to post by Komaratzi11


When is that Michelle going to admit GMO is badddddddddddddddd?

Send in my favorite chef Jamie Oliver!

school lunch has always sucked

it just not good for any of us to have a sucky AND unhealthy menu because we all pay for it in health costs (diabetes, high blood pressure)

lemme guess, the idiot parents were stocking up on ring dings and chocolate milk ?

Originally posted by SilentNoise
You know most of those meal sound ok until you read a little further. Wheat buns/tacos?!? If you want to ruin a meal throw it on a wheat bun. Even in my home town there's about a 10 to 1 ratio of white to wheat products. Most people don't eat wheat products and i can't blame them.

You must live in the deep south, because most people do eat processed, bleached wheat anymore, that is loaded with nothing but empty carbs.

And then looking at the sides (well probably the main because of portion size), they don't match at all. Who eats an orange with a hamburger? You need potato sides to go with half those dishes.

Excuse me, I might start with the orange and then eat part of a hamburger, but I have always eaten this way. That is why I am very physically fit, and wear a size 4 at 56 years old. Also, forget the bun altogether.

If you want people to eat healthy, you need to get back to the basics and use some spices and actually cook the meals, not just reheat them. The problem, though, is that it's actually cheaper to buy the already "prepared food" than it is to buy the individual ingredients and make it from scratch.

Spices are something that can be added and not taken away once a meal is prepared. I never cook with salt at all........possibly some herbs.

Guess what, parents still have a choice to make their kids lunches. Why don't you get up and whip up a batch of salty fried chicken and potato salad every morning for kids lunches?

Otherwise, this is your other option. Quit complaining!

Originally posted by AlreadyGone
A typical school lunch for me back in the 1970's was...

a bowl of vegetable beef soup, a PBJ sandwich, half an orange or apple, and a snickerdoodle cookie and a pint of milk

plain cheese burger with a little packet of mustard and ketchup, a "side salad" of lettuce, slice tomato, onion, pickle slices, french fries or chips, and an apple w/ milk

slice of pizza, a tossed salad with dressing, brownie, half orange or apple, w/ milk

fried chicken thigh, mashed potatoes w/ gravy, tossed salad w/ dressing, snicker doodle cookie, milk

They weren't the greatest food, but they really weren't bad. And in High School... extra portions or sides could be purchased for more money.

People will be people and as long as we have free will, we will eat what we want to eat... trying to force people to eat a certain way is a waste of limited funds within declining budgets.

If obesity is a cause of concern, it is the parent's and child's responsibilty. Cut back on the computer and video games, encourage outdoor activities, games, exercise...

As far as school's responsibility, healthy meal alternatives should be offered. How about a basic meal with unlimited salad bar? How about expanding the PE classes and activities, sports activities, field days, extra curricular sports, etc... Maybe offereing extra credit for participation in after school intramural leagues of volley ball or basketball or even kick ball... get the kids moving. Anybody remember home economics or teaching nutrition in health class... how about educationg kids and actually teaching them how to prep good meals.

I remember back in the 7th Grade... our PE teacher was our health teacher. He was an ex NFL player... not a "glory boy" but he made the league and had a brief and sucessful career until an injury took him out. He was teaching budgets, nutrition... we had to come up with a budget, a menu that included 3 meals a day for 7 days for one week, and they had to be nutritious and healthy with at least two fruits or veggies at every meal. To make it interesting, the class put in .25 cents each and the best menu won the pot.

It was so effective, I remeber it to this day and use what I learned there even now. We had less tools for education than then, but somehow we seemed to learn more...and yes, both my parents worked... but they were good parents. That is one of many important keys to good health... good parenting.

It is not mandates from above.

My school lunch from the 70s was pretty unexciting but i guess it was healthy. stews, casseroles,undercooked veggies, salad one day a week, fish and chips on friday, we did have stodgy puds most days, but only water to drink, and only an apple or 2 plain biscuits was aloud for break. We also had our bottle of milk a day until Maggie took it away.

reply to post by AlreadyGone


Just like you, i was taught home economics in school, budgeting etc.. i can remember my o level exam challenge being to make a dish with offal, so i made a liver and bacon casserole. Most kids these days wouldnt even be in the same room as a piece of (nutricious and cheap) liver.
My 13 year old daughter does cookery, (well they call it tech), she brought home hamburger patties uncooked because there wasnt time to fry them, how does that teach cooking? they were probably riddled with bacteria by the time she got home. She made an apple pie, the teacher provided already chopped up apples, Whats the point of that? what does that teach?
I envy the french, italian and spanish, i watched jamie oliver in Italy, and he was asking some 5 year old children to name fruit and veg, these kids knew what aubergines were, fennel, courgettes etc. A lot of british and american kids dont even know that a chip comes from a potato. Its all very sad.