Coconut36
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 19, 2011
Exactly. I'm hearing friends complain about their kids being hungry, but those are the same parents I've heard complain time and again about how their kids don't like any veggies other than maybe canned corn or raw carrots with ranch. Of course they're hungry, because they're eating the entree and throwing out all the rest.
I volunteer in the lunch room at my girls' school once a week. Today, I watched a young man, 7th grade I think, pick each and every shred of lettuce and tomato off of his taco, eat the meat & cheese with a fork, and throw out the whole wheat tortilla along with his black beans & rice and the carrot sticks that were his only selection (they have to choose one, but can have up to four) from the fruit & veggie bar. I'm sure he'll be starving by the end of the day. But from that same lunch program, my 5'8", 177# 8th grade football player has no problem getting full - because he eats the whole taco, the beans & rice and all four of his fruit & veggie selections.
So what is the solution? Do we decide having full bellies is worth serving junk/kid food without regard to calories or nutrition? Or do we keep offering healthy meals and trust that kids will eventually try some of these "weird" (different) items rather than go hungry?
Personally, I think it is far too soon to make any judgments as to success or failure of the new standards - the program isn't even a month old in much of the country, and at most two months old in the earliest starting regions. Kids generally need to be exposed to new foods multiple times before they accept them. If this is still a problem in May, then it is time to rethink how to go about changing youth diets.
I agree..especially in regards to them being hungry not because it isn't "enough" (because the reality is that it is plenty) but because they eat 1-2 items and toss the rest.
I personally can't get behind the mentality that since junk is all they want/know we should give them junk for the sake of a fully belly. Repeated exposure is key to kids trying and eating new foods and I also agree it is way too early to call things a failure (I also imagine it doesn't help when they go home and Mom and Dad pat them on the back and say "your right..how dare they give you carrots and whole grain tortillas..that's gross" and just enable their complaints and lack of willingness to try.