Are America's children hungry or obese?

[Family Fun Mom]

What is Big Boys sauce? I'd be happy the kids are getting a more nutritious but apparently very similar option - pasta with sauce now pasta with sauce, no? Just now whole wheat pasta and a whole grain roll. I do think there's something wrong with serving 'white' pasta and a 'white' roll for lunch - though as I don't know what Big Boy sauce is I dunno if there were vegetables involved.



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Big Boys is a popular Michigan restaurant.

The big difference here is that before the pasta and sauce tasted good. Now, it does not.

There is no health benefit to food that is not eaten.

 

[JaneBanks]

Who's fault is it when a kid doesn't want to eat healthy foods? The schools?

 

[cornflake]

Big Boys is a popular Michigan restaurant.

The big difference here is that before the pasta and sauce tasted good. Now, it does not.

There is no health benefit to food that is not eaten.

This is completely subjective though, and based on what someone is used to. If a kid only has whole wheat pasta and breads, they'd think 'white' doesn't taste good.

I don't think white bread tastes good, for the most part. It's subjective.

There's no health benefit to bad food either and possibly a detriment. If kids get used to whole grains, all the better.

 

[indimom]

I do think we are better off serving the healthier options and giving kids time to acclimate to changes in flavor. Encouraging them to give new foods a chance. Rewarding younger kids when they make healthy choices.

A bigger concern to me is making a child feel "full" while giving their body absolutely nothing to work with. Their body needs vitamins, minerals, protein, fiber, etc. The body cannot adequately perform all of the work it needs to do with empty calories and children's bodies do a LOT of work. In the case of some "food" choices, I believe kids would be better off eating a percent of real food rather than filling up on those empty calorie options.

It is my opinion (and I freely admit it may be wrong) that those kids who are throwing food away do so because they know they have their preferred food options at home. They are willing to go hungry for a few hours to get the food they want/are used to. I do not believe that truly hungry kids would throw away food that is sitting right in front of them. So, I am more concerned with the obesity problem in the US today than a hunger problem.

 

[Family Fun Mom]

This is completely subjective though, and based on what someone is used to. If a kid only has whole wheat pasta and breads, they'd think 'white' doesn't taste good.

I don't think white bread tastes good, for the most part. It's subjective.

There's no health benefit to bad food either and possibly a detriment. If kids get used to whole grains, all the better.

We're talking about pasta here, with tomato sauce and a salad. How is that so terrible? What they are serving the kids now is like cardboard with some tomato flavored water poured on it. And it's quite a small helping, too. It's not filling and there is not much of it. Even if they eat every bite they are still starving by the end of the day. I hardly think white pasta is going to lead these kids to a lifetime of destructive bad habits.

The kids uses to love pasta day, it was the most popular day of the week. Now they hate it. But nobody cares. They don't give the younger kids any say or any choices. The jr highs and high school offer several different items each day. They have many choices. They can choose an entree from about 3 or 4 offerings, 2 fruits, 2 vegetables, a bread, and a milk (white, chocolate, or strawberry). Or they can skip that all together and go to the Snack Shack. The younger kids get no choice whatsoever. Eat what the school puts on your plate or go hungry. And white milk only. You don't like white milk, too bad. And they have to take it, so there's more waste being thrown out every single day.

 

[torinsmom]

That makes sense - it isn't that the meals themselves are profitable, but the percentage of kids in the school getting them is used as a factor in deciding other funding.

BTW - I'm fairly certain that tvguy is a guy.

Oops, sorry. I didn't look back to see who made the statement.

 

[luvmy3]

Big Boys is a popular Michigan restaurant.

The big difference here is that before the pasta and sauce tasted good. Now, it does not.

There is no health benefit to food that is not eaten.

Whole wheat pasta is not created equal and I am willing to bet that school districts across America aren't using the best WW pasta there is, they are using the horrible cardboard tasting stuff.
My dses have definitely started to bring lunch more this year, my one ds brings pretty much every day now. The other likes just a few things. And FWIW they do eat WW pasta and WW breads at home, but they won't go near the stuff served at school.

 

[mhsjax]

Whole wheat pasta is not created equal and I am willing to bet that school districts across America aren't using the best WW pasta there is, they are using the horrible cardboard tasting stuff.
My dses have definitely started to bring lunch more this year, my one ds brings pretty much every day now. The other likes just a few things. And FWIW they do eat WW pasta and WW breads at home, but they won't go near the stuff served at school.

Yep, we eat whole wheat here,can't stand the while stuff, but the buns at WDW that are WW, DISGUSTING. They are not all created equal. I bet the school is using the cheapest nastiest WW around.

 

[JennaDeeDooDah]

I think we have some important questions that we need to answer.

1. Is the purpose of a school lunch to just provide nourishment or to fill your child up?

2. Should students be required to take everything and put it on their tray or should they be able to pick and choose so as not to waste food?


Addressing these questions can help with solutions.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I think we have some important questions that we need to answer.

1. Is the purpose of a school lunch to just provide nourishment or to fill your child up?

2. Should students be required to take everything and put it on their tray or should they be able to pick and choose so as not to waste food?


Addressing these questions can help with solutions.

If you are getting a "hot lunch" you take "what is required".

Now I will say different districts, states, managers prepare those choices differently.

For example when I worked in TX you had to take milk, veggie or fruit, and the entree with corresponding sides.

Our "fresh fruit" was always a choice.

If you want to split hairs about "nourishment" VS "filling you up" with regards to school lunches, that would obviously be a matter of the school, now wouldn't it?

Some schools are able to provide better "nourishment" than others. Some provide better classes, technology, safety, parent involvement, bus service, music programs, and on and on....

It is just how it is.

 

[JennaDeeDooDah]

If you are getting a "hot lunch" you take "what is required".

Now I will say different districts, states, managers prepare those choices differently.

For example when I worked in TX you had to take milk, veggie or fruit, and the entree with corresponding sides.

Our "fresh fruit" was always a choice.

If you want to split hairs about "nourishment" VS "filling you up" with regards to school lunches, that would obviously be a matter of the school, now wouldn't it?

Some schools are able to provide better "nourishment" than others. Some provide better classes, technology, safety, parent involvement, bus service, music programs, and on and on....

It is just how it is.

But my question is about whether or not things should be "required". Should a student be allowed to say "no peas" because they know that they hate peas and will just throw them away? Should a child be required to take a hot roll if he doesn't like them? Should we keep the policy this way, or should we change it? Should we keep it this way for elementary, but allow junior high and high school kids to have more say?

 

[The Mystery Machine]

But my question is about whether or not things should be "required". Should a student be allowed to say "no peas" because they know that they hate peas and will just throw them away? Should a child be required to take a hot roll if he doesn't like them? Should we keep the policy this way, or should we change it? Should we keep it this way for elementary, but allow junior high and high school kids to have more say?

When you are preparing the food you base it on the number of students that you think will eat that day.

If the students did NOT take it, it gets thrown away anyway.

Some things like canned fruit can carry over for 1 day but that is if it has not been served.

With elementary you do a "count" for the day & you do have to be specific in elementary since usually it is several hundred kids.

Guess what happens when you don't "keep count", you run out of food on other days because ALL of sudden kids are taking sides, fruit, veggies.

There is no "win" to this issue.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Just curious, Cornflake, but you do realize there are other cities on Earth other than NYC? I was worried maybe you didn't since you always type the City like its the only one.

I just needed to point out that basically everyone I know within 200 miles of NYC call it "The City". I realize people outside that metro area don't get it, but basically if you live within driving distance, New York City is "The City".

See also: The Valley. A common nickname for The Lehigh Valley (the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton-Phillipsburgh metro area) is "The Valley" with a capital V. We are aware it's not the only valley in the world. It's just a nickname.

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

I just needed to point out that basically everyone I know within 200 miles of NYC call it "The City". I realize people outside that metro area don't get it, but basically if you live within driving distance, New York City is "The City".

Yeah we call it the city here too and Albany is LITERALLY 5 minutes down the road. It is the closest city, but "The City" is NYC.

 

[luvmy3]

Yeah we call it the city here too and Albany is LITERALLY 5 minutes down the road. It is the closest city, but "The City" is NYC.

I think when anyone in NY state refers to "The City" they are talking about NYC. We have been going down to The City for ever!

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

I think when anyone in NY state refers to "The City" they are talking about NYC. We have been going down to The City for ever!

I'm not a New Yorker! I'm still learning these things !

I was at my inlaw's house yesterday and announced it was snowing...Everyone stared at me like I had three heads and then laughed!!!

 

[LisaR]

If you are getting a "hot lunch" you take "what is required".

Now I will say different districts, states, managers prepare those choices differently.

For example when I worked in TX you had to take milk, veggie or fruit, and the entree with corresponding sides.

Our "fresh fruit" was always a choice.

If you want to split hairs about "nourishment" VS "filling you up" with regards to school lunches, that would obviously be a matter of the school, now wouldn't it?

Some schools are able to provide better "nourishment" than others. Some provide better classes, technology, safety, parent involvement, bus service, music programs, and on and on....

It is just how it is.

To generalize and say that the new lunch program the government instituted is across the board horrible isn't fair. There are plenty of schools who are getting it right.

The same is said for education. I think we would all agree that schools in the US need a tuneup, but we would be foolish to suggest that every school in the US has major problems and isn't doing anything right. Some are making it work. The goal should be how to make the program work, instead of giving up and blaming the government for little Johnny coming home starving.

 

[CandleontheWater]

Did they cut the overall caloric value of school lunch, or did they just change things to make them healthier, but still provide the same number of calories?

I can understand people being upset if children's basic caloric needs were not being met at lunch, that would be terrible, both for regular kids and kids that are food insecure. However, if they took and ate all the food available, and it met the nutritional and caloric guidelines for children, I don't see the huge issue.

It is really difficult, expecting a program to tackle both food insecurity and obesity. Although they can intersect, the best ways to deal with the problem are radially different. There are some things that can help both, like providing food that is nutritionally dense and filling, but you don't want to provide too much food, because kids can become obese even through indulging in too much "good" food.

Also, I'm not sure that even children from food insecure households would really benefit from jamming the majority their daily calories into one school lunch. A much better way would be to work to ensure that kids had access to nutritious foods at all appropriate mealtimes. Federal food assistance programs are meant to fill that void, but they've been demonized over the years, and do not always reach those that need it most.

I really don't see a better way to address both the hunger problem with our children, and the obesity problem than to try and provide school lunches that meet children's caloric needs with healthy food. I can understand children not liking it at first, but they'll adapt. Its natural that kids like high sugar, high fat foods better, especially if that is all they have known. Its going to take a while to retrain their pallets and appreciate the taste of new things.

 

[badblackpug]

I think pretty much everyone refers to the largest city nearest to them as "the city." Here it is Philadelphia. The difference is that not everyone is presumptuous or pretentious enough to capitalize it. (Which, BTW, is grammatically incorrect) The only time it would be grammatically correct to capitalize "city" would be if it were part of the proper name, as in typing out "New York City." While, locally, Philadelphia is known as "the city" I would never presume to think that the rest of the nation considers it "the City." Capitalizing it without grammatical need to do so lends an air of importance that doesn't exist.

As for the school lunches, I think it is important to offer nutritious, filling meals. Actually my kids never found any of the meals, pre or post changes, to be particularly tasty. It is my understanding that the lunches do offer an adequate amount of calories (750) the school can't be held responsible if the child chooses not to eat it. I guess choices are also dependent on the budget of the district. My kids' schools offer several choices daily, but in a district that can't afford this I guess they have to figure they can't please everyone. I don't think they should serve the kids junk just because "that is what they will eat." In all honesty, my kids, although they eat a good variety of things, will choose the junky stuff if it's available.

I think most kids will choose the pizza or ice cream over salad and fruit. At this point it is just a learning curve. Students need tonget used to the newer menu. As more kids enter school and see this as the norm I think the food will be better accepted.

 

[punkin]

I usually pack DD's lunch. Last week one day I was just too busy and there was nothing in the house, so I gave her $10 to buy lunch. She came home starving (and with money left over). She had bought a bag of goldfish and 2 bags of gummy bears. She also had a bottle of Gatorade. That was her lunch. No one cared what she was buying or said anything when she loaded up on junk. I am sure there nutritious choices available, but choosing them does not seem to be enforced...or maybe it's only enforced for kids on free lunch.