School lunch programs.

[BigRedBuster]

I have a serious question for anyone who has kids in school.

 

Have you seen major changes in the lunches your school provides?

 

Our school for years was known for having very good lunches for our kids. Kids from other schools would come to our school and be very jealous of what we had. This went all the way back to before I went to school here. (graduated in 85).

 

My kids came home the first week and were very upset with the lunches. They have changed everything and many things they liked can no longer be served.

 

Why??? Well, I have asked school administration and school board members and they claim it is because of government mandates.

 

Here are just a few changes that make me bang my head.

 

We used to have a very nice salad bar. This thing was filled with fresh veggies various kinds of dressings, turkey or ham, cheese, cottage cheese...etc.

NOW...it is basically only lettuce and dressing. Why? Everything else has been deemed unhealthy.

 

My kids are involved in sports. They claim that everyone is still starving after lunch because all portions have been cut back due to calorie restrictions. Sorry, athletes need a certain amount of calories per day.

 

We have an area where kids can go purchase ala carte items. Our lunch times are broken down into two groups. The ala carte area is completely out of food by the time the second lunch comes through because the main line is so bad that nobody wants it or they are just trying to find something to eat to fill them up.

 

So....my daughters thought about taking their own lunches. Many of there friends were thinking the same way. I was told by the school administrator that even if all the kids brought their own lunches, the school would still need to make a meal for every single kid and throw it in the trash.

 

Soooo....let's say they make a lunch for everyone but 50 kids don't eat it. BUT...you have an athlete that is still hungry, that athlete can't go back through the line and get seconds because he is already over his alloted calories for the day.

 

This is a typical government program. Makes absolutely no sense in the implementation. I will be investigating this more because our school has got to be misinterpreting the rules.

That is the main reason why I am posting this. What are you finding in your schools?

[ShawnWatson]

What school is it.

[Decked]

Thats stupid. Is this Middle school or high school?

[Lil' Red]

I heard that the lunch program at my old school was also radically altered in a similar fashion. Besides athletes, I'm also concerned with students on free and reduced lunches. For some of them the school lunch is the only solid meal they receive all day.

[knapplc]

Is the leftover food trashed or sent to the local shelter/halfway house/whatever? That would be ideal.

[carlfense]

We used to have a very nice salad bar. This thing was filled with fresh veggies various kinds of dressings, turkey or ham, cheese, cottage cheese...etc.

NOW...it is basically only lettuce and dressing. Why? Everything else has been deemed unhealthy.

What evidence do you have of the bold? Just looking at your list it looks like they eliminated the most expensive items (turkey, ham, cheese, fresh veggies) and kept the cheapest (lettuce and dressing).

 

I don't know your school's fiscal situation . . . but given the state of education funding and the selections made it might be a reduction in spending that drove the change.

 

Do you have anything from your state or school showing that the items were eliminated because they are unhealthy?

[ZRod]

This is just a revision of the nutrition code for schools, they don't have to follow it but they will lose out on federal funding if they don't. It actually makes a lot of sense, but I think it has some fundamental flaws. They are trying to combat our nation's problem with obesity and more specifically childhood obesity as well as sodium intake. But like you said some kids have different needs like athletes, and they don't really account for what students will be eating once they leave school. I mean in an ideal world the portions and calorie content are correct for that one meal, but things aren't ideal. For some, school breakfast and lunch maybe the only meals they will eat and that just isn't enough. My biggest grip is that I think kids should be allowed to have more than 2 grams of protein in their meal, I mean isn't 4 grams typical a portion size? These guys are growing so that is an essential item of nutrition for them.

 

I think a better rout would be to simply educate kids through required classes on how to eat properly and what kinds of foods they should eat. Then have healthier options for their main course like they do now, but allow them to pick up ala carte items like fruits veggies and generally low calorie/low fat nutritious foods.

[BigRedBuster]

I'm in a small town in central Nebraska. Sorry, on this forum that's as far as I'll go.

 

Carl,

 

The reason it is deemed unhealthy is that most of what they took away is protein. The federal guide lines state that if you offer a certain amount of protein the main line lunch, then you are not allowed to offer more protein on the salad bar. Which is just absolutely asinine because if you are eating main line then you aren't going to be eating the salad bar. ALSO....PROTEIN DOESN'T MAKE YOU FAT. Good lean protein is one of the best things you can eat if you are trying to lose weight or stay thin. It takes more calories to digest, it builds muscle that burns more calories and it gives you more of a full feeling so you don't eat as much.

 

I am very close to one of the school board members and he and others have told me that funding is NOT the problem. It's all in governmental regulations.

 

School lunches are NOT the problem with child hood obesity. That is farthest from the problem and as some mentioned, for some kids, this is the only meals they get all day. Sad but true. The problem is that that fat kid doesn't do anything after school as far as an activity and he pigs out on crap at home or at burger king that night for supper.

 

Knapp....

 

Left overs are thrown in the trash. Honestly, from what I have heard, I would feel sorry for the people at the local shelter for being fed this crap.

[BigRedBuster]

I'm sure somewhere in these 81 pages is the great wisdom the government has put forth.

 

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2012-01-26/pdf/2012-1010.pdf

 

SUMMARY: This final rule updates the

meal patterns and nutrition standards

for the National School Lunch and

School Breakfast Programs to align them

with the Dietary Guidelines for

Americans. This rule requires most

schools to increase the availability of

fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fatfree

and low-fat fluid milk in school

meals; reduce the levels of sodium,

saturated fat and trans fat in meals; and

meet the nutrition needs of school

children within their calorie

requirements. These improvements to

the school meal programs, largely based

on recommendations made by the

Institute of Medicine of the National

Academies, are expected to enhance the

diet and health of school children, and

help mitigate the childhood obesity

trend.

[Lyons in the Sea of Red.]

I'm in a small town in central Nebraska. Sorry, on this forum that's as far as I'll go.

 

Carl,

 

The reason it is deemed unhealthy is that most of what they took away is protein. The federal guide lines state that if you offer a certain amount of protein the main line lunch, then you are not allowed to offer more protein on the salad bar. Which is just absolutely asinine because if you are eating main line then you aren't going to be eating the salad bar. ALSO....PROTEIN DOESN'T MAKE YOU FAT. Good lean protein is one of the best things you can eat if you are trying to lose weight or stay thin. It takes more calories to digest, it builds muscle that burns more calories and it gives you more of a full feeling so you don't eat as much.

 

I am very close to one of the school board members and he and others have told me that funding is NOT the problem. It's all in governmental regulations.

 

School lunches are NOT the problem with child hood obesity. That is farthest from the problem and as some mentioned, for some kids, this is the only meals they get all day. Sad but true. The problem is that that fat kid doesn't do anything after school as far as an activity and he pigs out on crap at home or at burger king that night for supper.

 

Knapp....

 

Left overs are thrown in the trash. Honestly, from what I have heard, I would feel sorry for the people at the local shelter for being fed this crap.

 

Actually, too much protein can turn into fat. Especially if you arent doing any physical activity. But most kids arent going to run into that problem from just one meal. But, it is technically possible.

[Lyons in the Sea of Red.]

I'm in a small town in central Nebraska. Sorry, on this forum that's as far as I'll go.

 

Carl,

 

The reason it is deemed unhealthy is that most of what they took away is protein. The federal guide lines state that if you offer a certain amount of protein the main line lunch, then you are not allowed to offer more protein on the salad bar. Which is just absolutely asinine because if you are eating main line then you aren't going to be eating the salad bar. ALSO....PROTEIN DOESN'T MAKE YOU FAT. Good lean protein is one of the best things you can eat if you are trying to lose weight or stay thin. It takes more calories to digest, it builds muscle that burns more calories and it gives you more of a full feeling so you don't eat as much.

 

I am very close to one of the school board members and he and others have told me that funding is NOT the problem. It's all in governmental regulations.

 

School lunches are NOT the problem with child hood obesity. That is farthest from the problem and as some mentioned, for some kids, this is the only meals they get all day. Sad but true. The problem is that that fat kid doesn't do anything after school as far as an activity and he pigs out on crap at home or at burger king that night for supper.

 

Knapp....

 

Left overs are thrown in the trash. Honestly, from what I have heard, I would feel sorry for the people at the local shelter for being fed this crap.

 

Actually, too much protein can turn into fat. Especially if you arent doing any physical activity. It just requires really high amounts. But most kids arent going to run into that problem from just one meal. But, it is technically possible.

[BigRedBuster]

I'm in a small town in central Nebraska. Sorry, on this forum that's as far as I'll go.

 

Carl,

 

The reason it is deemed unhealthy is that most of what they took away is protein. The federal guide lines state that if you offer a certain amount of protein the main line lunch, then you are not allowed to offer more protein on the salad bar. Which is just absolutely asinine because if you are eating main line then you aren't going to be eating the salad bar. ALSO....PROTEIN DOESN'T MAKE YOU FAT. Good lean protein is one of the best things you can eat if you are trying to lose weight or stay thin. It takes more calories to digest, it builds muscle that burns more calories and it gives you more of a full feeling so you don't eat as much.

 

I am very close to one of the school board members and he and others have told me that funding is NOT the problem. It's all in governmental regulations.

 

School lunches are NOT the problem with child hood obesity. That is farthest from the problem and as some mentioned, for some kids, this is the only meals they get all day. Sad but true. The problem is that that fat kid doesn't do anything after school as far as an activity and he pigs out on crap at home or at burger king that night for supper.

 

Knapp....

 

Left overs are thrown in the trash. Honestly, from what I have heard, I would feel sorry for the people at the local shelter for being fed this crap.

 

Actually, too much protein can turn into fat. Especially if you arent doing any physical activity. But most kids arent going to run into that problem from just one meal. But, it is technically possible.

 

I agree. But, like you said, it is going to be a very rare case that a kid ate that much because of a school lunch.

[carlfense]

I'm sure somewhere in these 81 pages is the great wisdom the government has put forth.

 

http://www.gpo.gov/f...f/2012-1010.pdf

 

SUMMARY: This final rule updates the

meal patterns and nutrition standards

for the National School Lunch and

School Breakfast Programs to align them

with the Dietary Guidelines for

Americans. This rule requires most

schools to increase the availability of

fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fatfree

and low-fat fluid milk in school

meals; reduce the levels of sodium,

saturated fat and trans fat in meals; and

meet the nutrition needs of school

children within their calorie

requirements. These improvements to

the school meal programs, largely based

on recommendations made by the

Institute of Medicine of the National

Academies, are expected to enhance the

diet and health of school children, and

help mitigate the childhood obesity

trend.

[BigRedBuster]

I have no idea. I have emailed the superintendent to see what guidelines they are using for our lunch program. This is just something that was found on the Internet. Not sure if it is what is being used now.

[ZRod]

School lunches are NOT the problem with child hood obesity. That is farthest from the problem and as some mentioned, for some kids, this is the only meals they get all day. Sad but true. The problem is that that fat kid doesn't do anything after school as far as an activity and he pigs out on crap at home or at burger king that night for supper.

I agree that they probably are not, but they do not necessarily contribute to kids making better decisions about eating and how it affects there health. It's been awhile since I was in school but there was all kinds of junk food to eat there and you could always buy it as long as you had the money. We really don't need to be serving chips, pop (probably even juices), and fried foods; and that's what the heart of this is about.

 

You're probably going to hate me for this, but your kids are not starving after they eat lunch it's mostly in their heads. Most people don't know when they are actually full or not and a lot confuse boredom and anxiety with hunger. looking though the pdf the minimum requirement is a something like a 500 calorie lunch and that is plenty. When I was lifting weights I would eat about 4-400 calorie meals plus 3 or 4-100-200 calorie snacks (fruit, protein shake, nuts, etc.). And I was able to build muscle and lose fat on a 240+ lbs body. Now when practice roles around their stomach maybe empty and then they will actually be hungry and a snack or small meal isn't a bad idea. But once you start eating 700+ calories most normal people are going to have that stuffed feeling.