Shocked at what parents send kids for lunch!

[wide awake]

I cannot imagine questioning or judging another parent on what they sent for their child's lunch. If one of my son's classroom aides sicced a social worker or principal on me for what I sent for lunch I'd be throwing the biggest fit you've ever seen. Live and let live, lots of us have way more important issues to be concerned about...I worry about my child, end of story.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I cannot imagine questioning or judging another parent on what they sent for their child's lunch. If one of my son's classroom aides sicced a social worker or principal on me for what I sent for lunch I'd be throwing the biggest fit you've ever seen. Live and let live, lots of us have way more important issues to be concerned about...I worry about my child, end of story.

While your child is fine--if the diet causes physical or behavioral issues--I do think that a parent should at least be contacted if they are aware of the situation. Especially for younger children. The social worker should not be brought in unless the situation is not remedied to the satisfaction of the school (i.e. the parent could care less what their kid eats and their behavior at school isn't their problem).


As in the pop tart incident in my brother--my mother had no idea what I was packing him that day (I was old enough to be trusted with the task--but oops..didn't make the right choices that day). At my age at the time--my teacher wouldn't be looking in my lunch to see if I had pop tarts--I thought it would be okay for my brother as well. Mom wasn't happy about that.

 

[Steffi]

My DD is 11 and, for the most part, makes healthy food choices. I don't stress about it if her school lunch isn't an icon of my parental superiority. I make sure to have plenty of healthy foods around the house. DD gets plenty of physical activity. The odd soda, cookie, or candy isn't going to make or break her.

 

[FreshTressa]

Guess I'm wrong.

I guess a three musketeers bar and a root beer is an adequate lunch on field trip day.

 

[JennyMominRI]

Guess I'm wrong.

I guess a three musketeers bar and a root beer is an adequate lunch on field trip day.

Heh! My kids and I are going to have an Ice Cream Sundae for luch at Disney in two weeks. Pure junk, and I'm going to love every minute of it.. Of course we are going to have a nice healthy Dinner at Kona Cafe that night

 

[paigevz]

I don't really raise an eyebrow at field trip lunches. It is sort of a "relax the rules" kind of day anyway. Plus, the kids hardly eat more than two bites on field trip of healthy or unhealthy lunch. I do wonder when they send a whole family bag of chips though, when we've mentioned that anything left over will have to be thrown away.

I had a kid last year though, that daily brought graham crackers or sugared cereal in a baggie, gatorade and a dessert item for his lunch. That was it. We were talking all year about his concentration problems and his difficulty with learning, and all he ever brought for lunch was that. Never any fruit, vegetables or protein of any kind. Lots and lots of refined sugar carbs.

Sorry, but I did "judge" why on earth the mother would give him only "snack food" for lunch, and then expect him to be able to think well in class.

I mentioned it to him a few times..........just "you should bring some nice grapes or a sandwich" and then to her once or twice, but when it didn't change, figured they didn't want to hear it.

 

[robinb]

I aslways have to pack an ice pack with my daughters lunch..she does not like warm lemonade and if she has a yogurt stick I wouldn't want it sitting in the lunch box without an ice pack next to it for the 2 hours till they eat lunch...she goes to school at 920 and they have lunch at 1130....of course that means by 2 they are hungry so they have snack time then...

I freeze my DD's yogurt sticks so they are thawed but still cold when she eats them. I also used to freeze her juice box, but it would not thaw all the way in time for lunch 3 1/2 hours later.

 

[FreshTressa]

My mom eats like that all the time...she always says "lets just get ice-cream for dinner" I always roll my eyes at her. I think it is her 'a calorie is a calorie' training.

We fight all the time about doing that to my kids...she'll want to let them have movie popcorn for lunch. I'm sure they probably do it behind my back and laugh the whole time anyway.

 

[paigevz]

Went back and read some threads and must say I agree on the school's not doing well in the food dept.

ONe of our regular lunches is nachos. For lunch. That may be okay for a parent to choose if they know what they are feeding their kid that night will balance it, but for a school lunch program? Nachos as an entree?

This year, they've started with the poptarts at breakfast. I just really don't think the school breakfast program should encourage poptarts. Shouldn't it kind of be an extension of all our efforts in teaching the kids how to be healthy? We teach them in the classroom to avoid those things except as occasional treats, and then it's offered 3x a week in the breakfast line? And again, not even sure the parents realize that they're sending their kid to school for a hot breakfast and they're being served poptarts (we only send lunch menus home, not breakfast).

Then, there's the whole "snack" issue. They offer cakes, cookies, Little Debbies, ice creams, chips in the line for an additional fee. Well, I would say that's fine if the kid picks it up and he has money for it. But, what they do is when they ring up the child's lunch, they say, "Oh, Lisa, you have money in your account. Would you like a snack?" and have the snacks right there at the end. Now, what 2nd grader is going to refuse the snack? And yet, they hadn't picked it up until prompted. I don't like that at all. One of my kids is always having trouble with not having money in her account. She'll run out, they'll send a note home, then stamp her arm, then give her a pimiento cheese sandwich instead of a lunch because she still doesn't have her money. (I have a problem with this too, they give them only a pimiento cheese sandwich and nothing else but a cup for water, and I have to teach that child this afternoon! Kids won't eat pimiento cheese! I usually buy their lunch on those days so I don't have to suffer. They used to give plain peanut butter with no jelly, but I guess that wasn't gross enough to make the kids bring their money. I think this method is just plain mean.) Anyway, then when she will finally bring her money, they start offering her those snacks again at 30-50 cents each. I have talked and talked to the head of the cafeteria about that, but she still continues it.

 

[FreshTressa]

It is kind of ironic how they are forced to teach good nutrition in the classroom, and the poor kids get other messages from everywhere else, like friends and commercials and their own school lunch program.

It is like here...you shouldn't eat this...but here it is, and you really don't have any other choices.

Let's just induce guilt and eating disorders on our kids, right in the public school system.

 

[Planogirl]

You know, Pop Tarts are probably no worse than sugary cereals if you compare them. So what would make a good hot breakfast for kids? Most kids probably won't touch the healthier cereals and I don't think that eating eggs every day is a good idea either.

 

[Free4Life11]

I've heard that eating breakfest, no matter if it's a Krispy Kreme or All Bran, is better than not eating breakfast.

 

[FreshTressa]

What did parents with picky kids do back in the old days....before 'tasty' food?

 

[HayGan]

To all you "good" parents....newsflash: Some kids SIMPLY WON"T EAT FRESH FRUITS AND VEGGIES!

DS has some sensory issues that keep him away from fresh fruit. I'm well aware there are plenty of convenient healthful things to pack. Doesn't mean my son will eat them. I can sneak them into hot meals at home in a way I can't at a cold lunch at school... (For example, DS loves lasagna, pizza, etc. and I get veggies on those.)

So get off your high horse everyone, and stop judging everyone by your own standards.

My DS#1 also has sensory issues and is VERY picky about what he eats. While he does eat some healthy foods at home, his daily snack for school/therapy is a apple cinnamon nutri-grain bar, small bag of potato chips and water. Some days we switch the chips for a smilie cookie from Eat N Park. This is the same kid that only drinks water or milk - absolutley nothing else. Somedays he just wants a piece of plain white bread (no butter, no jelly - nothing on it!) He also doesn't eat candy of any kind. He is very healthy and is actually slightly underweight (due to his constant aerobic excercise!)

I agree that kids eat alot of junk overall but I think that it is the parents decision as to what their child eats. Personally, I think it is bordering on abuse to feed any child lima beans or brussels sprouts (At least that is what I told my mom when I was a child )

 

[MrsPete]

I was shocked at what junk kids brought for lunch.

This probably isn't true for all the kids, but I let my kids eat total junk on field trip days -- lunchables, whatever they want -- it's kind of a party day for them. On regular days, they eat sandwiches on whole wheat, fruit, veggies, cheese, water or juice.

 

[JennyMominRI]

Personally, I think it is bordering on abuse to feed any child lima beans or brussels sprouts (At least that is what I told my mom when I was a child )

3 out of 4 kids here love Brussel Sprouts.. 3 of them love Spinach.
I'm not a food Nazi..I'm a good cook. I cook lots of good interesting meals. I cook with lots of fresh fruits and vegies..That said,we eat junk food here too.. It's all in the balance I think

 

[Christine]

You know, Pop Tarts are probably no worse than sugary cereals if you compare them. So what would make a good hot breakfast for kids? Most kids probably won't touch the healthier cereals and I don't think that eating eggs every day is a good idea either.

Actually, eggs aren't bad a few times a week. It's the bacon and sausage that go with them that is bad, bad, bad... Eggs are an excellent source of protein and antioxidants, plus omega-3s.

We are FAR from being health nuts at my home, but I do try to make sure that my kids eat okay for breakfast and dinner *most* days of the weeks. Sure, we have our bad days but we aren't consistent with bad days.

What do I think constitutes a healthy breakfast? Here's what I usually fix.

Cereal (1 day a week). Usually when I'm rushed. The only one they get (that they like) for breakfast is Life cereal. Not "healthy" but not "unhealthy" either.

Scrambled egg with toast. DD sometimes asks for a bit of cheese on top or salsa.

Pancakes that I make myself (not frozen). I can control the amount of sugar and fat in them. Also give a limited amount of syrup. Honestly, though, they aren't "up there" in the health department but better than some meals.

Once in awhile I will make creamed chipped beef over whole grain toast. I use skim milk to make the sauce. Again, not healthy but I don't think it's horrible.

For some reason, I feel a lot better about those meals than I do "frozen french toast sticks", Pop Tarts, and Fruit Loops. I guess I have a problem with *candy* for a meal.

 

[robinb]

What did parents with picky kids do back in the old days....before 'tasty' food?

Of course children ate what they were given. I just read Little House in the Big Woods to my vegetarian 6 year old. The "meat" chapter grossed me out so much that I skipped whole sections in it. Laura went into loving detail describing the trapping, killing, butchering and eating of a deer, a bear and a pig. She and her sister fought over the pig tail. Back then you ate everything but the squeal or you went hungry.

I say "thank goodness" for lunchables.

 

[FreshTressa]

Actually, eggs aren't bad a few times a week. It's the bacon and sausage that go with them that is bad, bad, bad... Eggs are an excellent source of protein and antioxidants, plus omega-3s.

We are FAR from being health nuts at my home, but I do try to make sure that my kids eat okay for breakfast and dinner *most* days of the weeks. Sure, we have our bad days but we aren't consistent with bad days.

What do I think constitutes a healthy breakfast? Here's what I usually fix.

Cereal (1 day a week). Usually when I'm rushed. The only one they get (that they like) for breakfast is Life cereal. Not "healthy" but not "unhealthy" either.

Scrambled egg with toast. DD sometimes asks for a bit of cheese on top or salsa.

Pancakes that I make myself (not frozen). I can control the amount of sugar and fat in them. Also give a limited amount of syrup. Honestly, though, they aren't "up there" in the health department but better than some meals.

Once in awhile I will make creamed chipped beef over whole grain toast. I use skim milk to make the sauce. Again, not healthy but I don't think it's horrible.

For some reason, I feel a lot better about those meals than I do "frozen french toast sticks", Pop Tarts, and Fruit Loops. I guess I have a problem with *candy* for a meal.

This sounds more like how we eat (most days). Not health food exactly..but not processed or full of sugar either.

 

[FreshTressa]

Of course children ate what they were given. I just read Little House in the Big Woods to my vegetarian 6 year old. The "meat" chapter grossed me out so much that I skipped whole sections in it. Laura went into loving detail describing the trapping, killing, butchering and eating of a deer, a bear and a pig. She and her sister fought over the pig tail. Back then you ate everything but the squeal or you went hungry.

I say "thank goodness" for lunchables.

hehe, I went through the same thing. I wanted to skip over the graphic parts, like the playing with the pig's bladder, but thought, well...I guess it is a TRUE lesson in pioneer days!!