School Lunches - My Son Voices Opinion

a reply to: Realtruth
I'm old, so I remember when schools had real food!
The awesome smells drifting upstairs from the cafeteria,
all morning as lunch was cooked from scratch!
The stronger the aroma, the closer it was to lunchtime!

We went to Grandparents Day at two different schools.
You would think they would put their best foot forward for visitors!
If what we had was their best, it's no wonder childhood obesity is rampant,
and kids are developing so many allergies!

Most of the milk cartons had a list of six ingredients!
I don't know how it can even be labeled milk!
Corn syrup, carrageenan, artificial flavoring...
It should have to be called a 'milk drink',
just like orange drink is, when OJ has junk added to it!
The applesauce or fruit cup had corn syrup in it too.

The 'meat' patty, I think it was pork, was awful!
Before we even left the cafeteria,
I had a headache & stomach cramps!

The school our other grandkids go to was a little better.
But breaded chicken fingers, nuggets or patties,
are on the menu three times a week!
They get greasy chips, walking tacos, so many empty carbs!
They do have veggie sticks & dip,
but the dip comes in little sealed cups & is full of preservatives!

If I was a kid today, I'd be sick all the time if I had to eat that stuff!
Most of the food is 'processed'. Very little fresh or 'real' stuff!
But I guess it just reflects what the American diet has become!
Kids won't eat anything they aren't familiar with.

I'm glad we raised ours on healthy food.
So many of their friends are overweight
& have health problems already!
Our kids were the 'weird' kids.
They liked broccoli & spinach!
They still are food adventurers!
WOQ

It takes 10 minutes to make a lunch for kids why don't people just do that instead of bitching what the school feeds your kids?

The time it took you to type out this op you could have made the kid a good lunch.

originally posted by: Hoosierdaddy71

Her biggest complaint is the milk. They got rid of the chocolate milk and only have low fat milk.

.

Low fat milk ? In other words "white water" .

I remember the first times I had both 2% and skim milk it was nothing but water to me , after being raised on unpasteurized whole milk .

originally posted by: SlapMonkey
a reply to: Realtruth

Sheesh...good luck with the meeting, but something tells me that their hands will be tied either by gov't oversight or budget constraints.

I'm so glad that my wife homeschools now...

Bravo for you!
Truth be told, if you can't afford to homeschool or private school, you shouldn't have kids.

originally posted by: frostie
a reply to: Realtruth
I enjoy Bojangles and Chick-fil-a on a weekly basis

I eat Chick-Fil-A for breakfast relatively often (spicy chicken burrito, no peppers & onions, salsa please), but used to love the Bojangles Cajun Chicken Biscuit for breakfast about a decade ago on my way to college in TN. Haven't seen a Bojangles in a long time.

a reply to: TonyS

Everyone could homeschool if they'd quit stealing my money for "property taxes" and then giving it to schools that my child doesn't attend.

Derailment, but I'm just sayin'...

originally posted by: TonyS

originally posted by: SlapMonkey
a reply to: Realtruth

Sheesh...good luck with the meeting, but something tells me that their hands will be tied either by gov't oversight or budget constraints.

I'm so glad that my wife homeschools now...

Bravo for you!
Truth be told, if you can't afford to homeschool or private school, you shouldn't have kids.

IMO public schools prepare you for the real world. Yes you may receive better education through Private/Homeschool but I believe really people skills are developed in interacting with the variety of characters in public schools.

a reply to: frostie

You haven't been anywhere near a Public School in a long time, have you.

a reply to: TonyS

Im sitting in one right now

I figure this is the part when you enlighten me about the "adult" world and how different schooling impacts your success in it

originally posted by: frostie
a reply to: TonyS
Im sitting in one right now

I figure this is the part when you enlighten me about the "adult" world and how different schooling impacts your success in it

This is the part where I remind you that the old ignorant belief that there is no socializing for homeschooled children is wrong. Sure, you get many more people in a public school, but it's not about the quantity of people with whom I want my son to interact, it's the quality.

I remember public schools quite well...there is a very high quantity of low-quality people that attend them.

a reply to: SlapMonkey

Yes I've interacted with many home schooled kids through scouting and my job, no disagreement about their social interaction.

I still think that public schools provide a better "melting pot" if you will. It's good to experiance the bad. (Yes there will be bad people in any social situation).

I think it's safe to say public schooling provides you the BEST interaction with the MOST variety community allowing for a wider understanding of how this spectrum of people think.

Who's to say that this different in interaction will really matter.. It probably doesn't

a reply to: frostie

Yes, but experiencing the bad is what Walmart is for

a reply to: SlapMonkey

LOL

New assignment kids: sit in Walmart for a total of 10 hours a week

a reply to: Realtruth

You know the Obama apologists will be in here in a minute or two to wonder why you want your son and all the other kids to be fat and unhealthy just like they do when any of the rest of us here think this lunch program has issues.

As a teacher in the UK I have seen the dinners in secondary school change over the past 16 years. Chips and burgers were available everyday, along with a range of potatoes and veg to accompany the meat of the day. Today we have salads, sandwiches, pasta bar, jacket potatoes with choice of fillings, pizza (twice a week.) There is also a main (value) meal with veg/salad with an alternative veggie option. Desert is pudding/custard or fruit. This costs £1.80. There are some strange combinations but generally a good meal for those kids who won't be getting a decent meal at home. Less healthy they also do bacon sandwiches but also toast, bagels, cereal and toasted teacakes before school and at breaks.

My memories of primary school dinners are a happy one. A table of about 10 with two older pupils who were the "servers." Pupils from a range of classes/ages made up the table and it was, looking back, almost creating a family type atmosphere, sitting down for a meal together. Once you were seated, there you stayed until you were dismissed and the meals were home cooked and delicious.

Secondary school was different. Endless queues and bland food meant kids opted for a chip butty at the local shop - they were the best chip butties I ever tasted and cheap at 38p. I occasionally took sandwiches when I became aware that a chip butty for lunch everyday wasn't the healthiest thing.

So all in all, with regards secondary school, meals here have changed for the better in my opinion however still some way to go when I see school dinners from around the globe.

originally posted by: frostie

originally posted by: TonyS

originally posted by: SlapMonkey
a reply to: Realtruth

Sheesh...good luck with the meeting, but something tells me that their hands will be tied either by gov't oversight or budget constraints.

I'm so glad that my wife homeschools now...

Bravo for you!
Truth be told, if you can't afford to homeschool or private school, you shouldn't have kids.

IMO public schools prepare you for the real world. Yes you may receive better education through Private/Homeschool but I believe really people skills are developed in interacting with the variety of characters in public schools.

All I learned about people in public school was how to endure them because it turns out I more or less hate (strong word - disdain would be better) interacting with them.

a reply to: frostie

Yes, everyone should spend at least one year subjected to the intense bullying of a public school.

We used to complain about the school lunches too when I was in school -- this isn't anything new. I remember how I couldn't wait to enter High School and have the freedom to leave the campus at lunch time.

I think school lunches are the one thing students think maybe, just maybe their voice will be heard over. I know it felt that way for my classmates and I way back then.

a reply to: ketsuko

I too endured some bullying in public school...let me share a little story...

I was in 9th grade, a freshman in my High School taking a computer class. The computer lab had round tables with 4-5 computers set up on each table. At my table, I happened to be graced by the varsity football quarterback. This guy was a senior, 17 or maybe 18 -- and the most "popular" guy in school. He wore number 7 on his jersey, and his team had just won the state championship.

One day he decided that I would do his computer work for him. He kept pestering me to come over to his computer and finish the assigned task for him. I had basically had it with this guy and told him flat out "NO". He then proceeded to make fun of me (my appearance, my neediness, ect). I don't recall exactly what precipitated my response but I said something to the effect of, "your mom".

This caused him to get out of his seat and come over to me, all 180 imposing pounds of him. He proceeded to poke my stomach, pinch at my nipples and whatnot. I kept brushing his hands away. He then started to threaten my girlfriend at the time, and that he would "do things" to her at the winter holiday dance that weekend.

I had it. I had had enough of this guy. With all my frustration and anger, I did a karate-style punch directly in his gut. His eyes got very wide, he stepped back and began threatening me for what I just did. About this same time the teacher finally came over to see what the commotion was about.

I spent the rest of the day in the principal's office --- which really sucked because it was my birthday.

In the end, because of his threats he was unable to attend that winter holiday dance. This was a big deal for him, considering he was crowned "King" of that dance. In the yearbook, he's not present in the photos of the "court". He also had to attend peer counselling with me for a few sessions (snicker).

The football coach for the varsity team had to hold a meeting with the entire football team and inform them that I was not to be messed with. For the rest of the year the coach kept trying to get me to play football. *eye roll*

I didn't end up getting suspended or detention or anything -- I became somewhat of a freshman hero for the remainder of the year.

TLRD: I stood up to the most popular guy in school, he missed the dance. Bullies suck, and are usually cowards inside.

a reply to: MystikMushroom

My brutal year was in 3rd grade. I got to be "that kid." The kid in class that everyone picks on because there always has to be one in grade school. Worst year of my life.