Posted on 10/06/2012 5:15:20 AM PDT by reaganaut1
...
The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, which required public schools to follow new nutritional guidelines this academic year to receive extra federal lunch aid, has created a nationwide version of the age-old parental challenge: persuading children to eat what is good for them.
Because the lunches must now include fruits and vegetables, those who clamor for more cheese-laden nachos may find string beans and a peach cup instead. Because of limits on fat and sodium, some of those who crave French fries get baked sweet-potato wedges. Because of calorie restrictions, meat and carbohydrate portions are smaller. Gone is 2-percent chocolate milk, replaced by skim.
Before, there was no taste and no flavor, said Malik Barrows, a senior at Automotive High School in Brooklyn, who likes fruit but said his classmates threw away their mandatory helpings on the cafeteria floor. Now theres no taste, no flavor and its healthy, which makes it taste even worse.
Students organized lunch strikes in a suburb of Pittsburgh, where in late August the hashtag brownbagginit was trending on Twitter, and outside Milwaukee, where the Mukwonago High School principal, Shawn McNulty, said participation in the lunch program had fallen 70 percent.
There is a reduction in nacho chips, there is a reduction in garlic bread, but theres actually an increase in fruits and vegetables, Mr. McNulty said. Thats a tough sell for kids, and I would be grumbling, too, if I was 17 years old.
In New Jersey, more than 1,200 people have joined a Facebook group that urges Parsippany Hills High School students to boycott the school lunches. Despite the enticement of a Chinese-themed lunch a week ago Friday, the first day of the strike, only a few students bought anything from the cafeteria, according to the strike organizers.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
WTH is a “Chinese-themed lunch”?
Can’t the NYT simply say they had “Chinese food”?
On Monday, I think I’ll announce ask my co-workers “Hey, let’s head over to the joint for a Mexican-themed lunch.”
They might respond, “No, I’m in the mood for the Italian-themed lunch.”
Yeah, it was tucked into the constitution just below the abortion provision, but before the section on gay marriage.
Basically the constitutional concept is that there is no such thing as a constitution.
Unexpected.
They waste the food because it’s awful. I’ve been to school cafeterias since this has become law and they force the kids to take big scoops of bland, overcooked vegetables.
Imagine peas that have been cooking for hours so they become mush, broccoli and beans reduced to a pale, limp, unseasoned mound. “Salads” made up of shredded lettuce with diced tomatoes.
I like to eat healthy, but the food they serve would send me looking for a Snickers bar.
My boys have been “brown bagging” since the first day of the 2012 school year. They told me that there “might” be something edible on the menu but it is not often. they agree that 75% of the food served is garbage (literally)!
...the school admin shouldn't be surprised by a good old fashion USA version of Somali 'technicals' pushback.
Kids should dump every bit of that slop into the trash, without fail and as soon as they get it.
I volunteered for lunch duty several times and what they call green beans (which are not even green) I would feed to my dog!
It makes me sick that schools are going along with this crap, apparently without question.
If they are going to be cheap, and least add some fiber to their diet.
I have also heard that it is no longer legal to feed hogs any slop from cafeterias or restaurants. Now where does it go?
Throw in a ham hock for the salt, along with an onion and garlic, my kids wouldn’t eat it but it was good when I was a kid, with fresh baked bread and butter.
I always loved lima beans. (My mom would say I loved everything)
With ham hocks, or with sausage, and I like everything spicy, so I’ll put red peppers in it too... Slices of corn bread on the bottom of the plate, cover it with the beans and meat, corn bread with butter on the side, and then, if you got some cold butter milk to go with it...oh man.
MEAT?!? HAM?!? Real Butter? Like our government fat farms will ever serve something that is not halal or on the daily food pyramid.
Corn bread? Too ethnic (pick one of many to pretend to be offended).
Buttermilk? Do you know the fat content? Nothing but extra skim or blue milk for these wards of the state.
Fresh baked bread? Gives off too many volatiles outside the bakery, so no longer allowed.
Onions and garlic? Nope, not those either. Religious sensitivities against vampires, plus offensive breath.
Sorry, the kids get lima beans served the old Soviet way - tasteless cold gruel.
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