[NorthstarMom]

Modern school lunches were pretty bad even before the new rules. Eight years ago I had lunch at school with my then first grader. I took one bite and told him he didn’t have to eat it. It was a Smucker’s uncrustable grilled cheese sandwhich, still in the plastic wrapper. It had been steamed or microwaved and it is about the worst bite of food I have ever had.

While my school didn’t serve haute cuisine, the cooks did actually make much of the food rather than just microwaving convenience foods.

[tcrlaf]

“While my school didn’t serve haute cuisine, the cooks did actually make much of the food rather than just microwaving convenience foods.”

In my rural high school days, the “lunch ladies” were mothers with kids in the school, working part-time as school employees. They made almost all of the food on-site.

Today, in my wife’s district, the lunches are pre-packaged in a centralized “Industrial kitchen” by SEIU Unionized food workers, then trucked to the schools by other SEIU workers, to be unwrapped and served by yet another SEIU union employee.

[pfflier]

When I first started teaching the cooks were employees of the school district and generally you are right, the food wasn't gourment quality. But is was good and the cooks cared. Some were excellent and we found a little compliment to the baker could go a long way.

Then our program was taken over by a contractor and we got the synthofood that microwaves in seconds. They cut so many corners it was stretch to call some of the offerings food. One dessert (pre moochelle) was whipped topping sprinkled with chocolate flavored powder.

[sheana]

When I went to school, yes it was a long time ago, we actually had lunch ladies that cooked everything from scratch. While there was some of it I just didn’t like, it was all good and edible.
My 15 year old granddaughter has always taken her lunch because she can’t stand the school lunches. Even before Michelle Obama went on her school lunch rampage.