Parent vs Society
By bobmnu
@bobmnu (8157)
United States
October 7, 2007 1:59am CST
At a family dinner several weeks ago my sister in law told of a friend who received a not from the school outlining what children could bring in a sack lunch. The school was part of a program called Healthy Wisconsin. The program is trying to get children to eat better and healthier. Red meat is out, processed meat - cold cuts - is out, candy, cookies and other "treats" are out. What is in are fruits and vegitables. I thought it was jsut another isolated liberal do gooders who think they know what is best for us. This week I got a phone call from my daughter. She received a call at work from a school offical to express concern that her daughter was bringing chips and treats in her lunch. Her lunch was a sandwich on musti grain low calorie low carb bread. She had a low fat cheese stick, apple slices, a bag of cookies (100 calorie bag), and a small bag of chips (100 calorie bag). The total calories content of this lunch was below 500 calories and was low carb which is what the Dr has suggested she watch. She called and complained to the Superintendent and the building Principal. Come to find out it was a lunch aid that was checking and reporting to the school offical with out the approval of the administration.
Later in the week I checke the school lunch for the week.
day 1 Turkey, Mashed Potatoes and Gravey, Corn and Canned fruit.
day 2 Pizza and fruit
day 3 Turkey gravey over Mashed Potatoes, green beans and fresh fruit.
day 4 Pizza dippers and mixed vegatables with
Apple sauce
day 5 Tomato soup and Grilled cheese sandwich with raisins and nut cup
every meal includes carrots, celery, milk and bread with butter, peanutbutter or jam. Childrer are free to take seconds of these items.
In the after school program students are given a container of yougert, pretizels and milk for a snack with a claorie count of about 425 calories.
To me this is the nanny state gone wrong.
1 person likes this
3 responses
@dreamjapan (409)
• Japan
7 Oct 07
In Japan kids have to eat the school lunch. This goes back to the end of WW2 when people were so poor that the only chance of getting good food was to provide meals at school. So in those circumstances I can understand and agree with the idea of somebody telling parents what their kids should eat. However in the 21st century I think the majority of parents are literate enough to make the right decisions for their own kids. As for not allowing red meat I think that is wrong, kids need the iron that the meat provides. I know iron can be found in other things but the amount that a growing child needs they would have to eat a lot of dark greens to get it. And my experience is that kids don't eat that much of veggies. As for treats in a lunch bag I think I wouldn't give to much sugar at lunch time as that does cause a sugar rush then a drop leading to sleepy kids in the afternoon, unless there is protien. It really is all about balance. As for the states lunch menu I can't see that as being very healthy. They are offering fillers of foods that a lot of kids are allergic to, diary and peanuts! Is there fresh water for the kids to drink instead of milk.
Yes it does seem like a nanny state. My kids won't eat the school lunches! They come home for lunch and return to classes in the afternoon. It took a lot of meetings to get the teachers to agree to that!
@bobmnu (8157)
• United States
7 Oct 07
I too have eaten lunches in a foreign school when I have taught there. Then it is for everyone, students teachers and workers. I have no problem with that but if I send a lunch I don't want someone checking up on me. What next asking you kids what the parents are serving them and reporting them for neglelct if I let my child have a soad?
@luluwow (165)
• United States
7 Oct 07
I am always appalled at the high fat - low nutrition slop the public school system passes off as food! I can also say that none of my 3 children has ever eaten any of it! Milk- meat- starch - and processed slop! I think nutrition and the "whole child' approach to education is important, an NO I do not beleive that the majority of parents are literate enough to understand the concept, thus we have the highest obesity rate of children in any civilized nation(US).
Schools should not allow unhealthy empty calorie foods in sack lunches, on the other hand they should not be such hyporcits either and stop serving garbage!
@dreamjapan (409)
• Japan
8 Oct 07
Maybe US schools need Jamie Oliver to come in and change what is being served! I don't live in England and only know from the news and internet what he did. Apparently he was appalled at what passed for lunch, basically reheated frozen foods and french fries so he got permission to work in one school and showed them that with a bit of effort and thinking that meals could be more healthy, tasty and just a cheap as the frozen stuff they were serving. Again I don't know in other countries but I have a friend who is top cook in the local elementary school and she says that every year in the summer holidays the catering staff have to go away and study nutriton and think up new meals for the next year. It is a very hard job, even though the hours arent long, but they get well paid and are a respected part of the school community!
I can also understand not wanting somebody snooping on you. It can be very frustrating. I do things very different to the way a Japanese mother would do (think slave, with no life outside of the home, no career prspects then you get what a Japanese mother is). My kids have chores and I make sure they are done, my kids in elementary school came home at lunch time because I want them to learn English. The teachers think I am strange and until a year ago made lots of excuses to visit the house. Basically I put up with but does get up my nose.
Got to run, today is a school holiday and my kids want to something!
@coffeequeen2526 (38)
• United States
7 Oct 07
I work in the school system for the past 4 years and there has definitly been a push for healthier lunches. However, we are not reporting to administration and parents if we feel a child's lunch is not healthy.
@bobmnu (8157)
• United States
7 Oct 07
Is the government giving you more money to buy healthier foods? From what I see the Hot Lunch program has not changed with the "New Governamnt Guidelines". How balanced the lunches are still depends on how the Head of the program does things. Remember the storm over a tablespoon of Katsup counting as a vegitable a few years ago?
@coffeequeen2526 (38)
• United States
7 Oct 07
I am not exactly sure how the hot lunch program works. The school I work in does not have a program (all children bring a lunch). I don't remember the ketchup thing.
@redyellowblackdog (10629)
• United States
7 Oct 07
So now at your kid's school they have the lunch police?
Imagine how these lunch nazis would react if someone actually had the audacity to bring ...GASP... Twinkies!, Ding Dongs!, Suze Q's, Oreos, and all that other really good stuff.
Perhaps they should give the lunch police aprons to wear that have a badge on them?
@redyellowblackdog (10629)
• United States
7 Oct 07
The nanny state has always thought it knows better how to raise your children. It will always try to turn the children against the parents. If only we would listen to the all wise beaurcrats, life would be paradise.
