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82 posted on Mon Sep 24 2012 16:36:03 GMT-0500 (Central Daylight Time) by mom4melody: “I leave for work at 4:45am. I pack a lunch that includes a meat and cheese sandwich, salad or raw veggies and dip, dessert, salty snack and water for the kiddos before they ever wake up. Their father feeds them a good warm breakfast before taking them to school, before he goes to work. If we can do it, so can others.”

First off, good for you taking charge of your children's meals. That is the job of parents, not the government.

Second, however, you may want to ask if there's refrigeration available for the sandwich, or if you can include something in the lunch box to keep the meal cold. Having meat sit in warm or hot temperatures from 4:45 a.m. until noon may not be a good idea.

But that's your decision as parents. Government needs to stay out of it.

“Second, however, you may want to ask if there’s refrigeration available for the sandwich, or if you can include something in the lunch box to keep the meal cold. Having meat sit in warm or hot temperatures from 4:45 a.m. until noon may not be a good idea.”

My daughter had a year of a school day being from 5:30 am- 4:00 pm thanks to being in a special program. I worried a bit about refrigeration as an RN, then had the revelation that a lot of what we’re told by the USDA is nanny state crap and the chance of her getting ill was extremely unlikely, especially since her meat sandwich was eaten at lunch. It wasn’t baking out in the sun and was pretty well insulated in her backpack or locker. I never packed her tuna fish salad though ;)

I swear that year I practically had to pack a grocery bag, and packed extra because her special program was in one of the worst schools so “No Child Left Behind” guidelines could be met. She might have been the most popular kid at lunch. She confessed she regularly traded half her sandwich to the highest bidder. Her daily pack included a meat sandwich with cheese, lettuce, tomato and mayo (grain, protein, dairy, vegetable and fat), a fruit (grapes were easiest), a mini candy bar (so she didn’t felt denied/deprived/forbidden), a prepackaged fruit cup treat, healthier chips/ crackers for snacking on the bus, some packaged cheese, and probably other things I’m not remembering. I think she traded a good portion away for Twinkies, but she’s still skinny as a rail. As a pediatric RN, these guidelines are just ridiculous.