school cafeteria advice

[ohMom]

anyone here have great advice for depplyinluv in making good choices at her school cafeteria?? She is low-carb so I felt a bit unlearned in trying to offer her advice!

depplyinluv said:

we ahve pizza, hamburgers, cheeseburgers, chicken burgers, salads, sandwich bar, wraps, and w/e the hot lunch is....i would honestly pack my own lunch but at my moms house we literally ahve no food(dont ask me why cuz i dont know) and at my dads no one likes fruit and low-carb things.... ...but usually my stepmom is good about getting me food, so maybe i can bring lunch when im w/ my dad. thank you so much for your help! ....i really want to be in good shape by the time disney rolls around!

c'mon WISHers! can you help me help my friend??

 

[twotoohappy]

I work at a public school and I know the problems with their food. I gained 30 pounds last year eating school lunches. This year I'm ordering salads. The cafeteria ladies are wonderful about helping people out. Anyone can order a salad (with turkey, ham, tuna, chicken salad, etc) on top of it. Have your friend talk with the cafeteria ladies and have a salad with her favorite topping on it. Make sure to ask for fat free dressing because some of the small packets have 28 grams of fat in them!!!! If not, bring in your own dressing and ask them to keep it in the fridge for you. My dd school (elementary) also has healthy choices. You can have the regular meal or salads, wraps, etc.
It's hard not to choose the high fat foods and a piece of pizza here and there won't hurt, but every day is a new day to choose to eat healthier.

 

[mum4jenn]

I have worked in school food service for the past 5 years and most of the managers would be more than happy to accomodate a child diet concerns(as long as they have enough staff to be able to take the extra time) If she likes salads that would be a good choice. Also she could choose the burgers grilled chicken and sandwiches but just leave the bun off and don't get the ketchup. I myself take my own lunch each day because there are just too many carbs in the lunches!! On my busy days at the computer (since I am now a cashier) I will take a peanut butter sandwich (on lo carb bread) and either some SF jello or the cheesecake made with splenda or SF DaVinci syrup. Otherwise I take leftovers from the night before. I also take packages of tuna that I leave at my desk in case I forget my lunch. Since I am doing Atkins I also keep in the cooler a bag that has my own bottle of regular mayo,mustard,splenda,Swiss Miss DIET hot cocoa. The schools around here have reduced calories mayo which is loaded with carbs.

She should also have a good talk with both parents and other adults she is with about her concerns and ask for their help with having the proper foods available for her.