Importance of school lunches & how politics effects our students

Depending upon when you attended school it's likely that what was served varied drastically and I know I actually have fond memories of some of the meals that were served as they weren't that bad and I was a hungry growing boy. The changes that were made during the Bush years, IMHO, were horrible as I think that is when we saw soda machines being placed in schools and possibly the removal of milk (or making it optional) as the standard drink. I think they may have added fruit juices, either during Bush or Obama, but I've heard that Obama mandated that some of the milks (choc & strawberry) had to be skim - yuck!

Well it seems that some of these regulations are being rolled back when it comes to flavored milk, as chocolate milk used to be the #1 selling drink when it was 1% but was almost abandoned when it was changed to skim -along with strawberry. This led to a HUGE decline in the consumption of milk in the country as many schools served it for breakfast and lunch. So if they go back to serving 1% I wonder if people will go back to these milks as I think it woudl be healthier than whatever else was being consumed and it would be a great help to the dairy farmers.

I know I would have been very upset with being served skim chocolate as I mistakenly bought that months ago and I almost had to spit it out. Since school I've gotten used to whole milk in general and even 2% seems watery. One of my favorite drinks to this day is the brand of chocolate milk served in my 13 years of school (K-12) and I still drive to a specific store to buy it even though my normal grocery store has about 8-10 different choices - so there is something to say about developing a taste while we are young.

In the past there was the term "government cheese" which was an actual thing where the government would buy excess milk production (in the form of cheese, often a form of cheddar) and it was served in the schools. We would get a long "slice that was about 3/4" x 3/4" x 4" of orange cheese with various meals and it wasn't the best, but it was alright with certain things. I think they actually gave this stuff out with food stamps back in the day and maybe to food banks. It looks similar to Velveeta but isn't synthetic/processed IIRC. I think they may have stopped this program during Obama, again hurting dairy farmers (which is why they have been the news so much the last 2-3 years) both serving in schools and giving to food banks. I think this was due to concern of high calories and salt content, and from what I read, it was replaced with processed cheese (made form veggie oils and SALT!), which again is ridiculous. I think this might be making a come back.

Finally there is the issue of the types of meat that is served. I still remember the burgers that were standard in schools and they always had a odd texture but I thought it was b/c of how it was cooked (steamed). About a decade ago many of us were introduced to "pink slime", which was what they called some of this meat byproduct from processing beef. This is stuff like the meat that was in between the saw blade teeth when it was cut or other trimmings, so it wasn't really "bad" meat, it just doesn't have a nice texture as it is MUCH more "ground" than ground beef, it is more of a mush - and then I realized that I think this is what was served in the schools, because the texture was very similar to something like this - as I always thought that it was mixed with soy or some filler, as the texture was just not normal.

I think the schools should have to list exactly what they are serving, not just "hamburgers" but what exactly the meat is and the same for the hot dogs (which were terrible at my school!). I also remember some of the sandwiches (ham, turkey, "roast beef"), being very different than anything I've ever seen anywhere else, which I find very interesting as I wonder if these products are made specifically for the schools, and if so, how do we find out exactly what they are made of. For ham, is it a meat by-product as well using a "meat glue" (a cellular binding enzyme - it's natural and used in surgery to bond flesh or to bind cuts like superglue) to create the size/shape of the "ham"? This was another thing that had a very strange texture which I've never come across again, thankfully.


Finally, I think it should be public record how much profit is made from providing the food for school lunches b/c if the quality and/or quantity drops but profits increase, we can see who is really getting the s$hit end of the stick. I don't think we need to make a huge profit off of feeding our kids at school, especially when much of the meals are paid for or subsidized by the tax payers, and those paying full price are paying a decent amount for what is often sub-par food. I know I could have cooked MUCH better food at home for the same price I was paying at school, or I could have had maybe 2x as much of the same quality food for the same price.

School lunches might not be the most exciting topic but many of us forget how important lunch (and maybe breakfast) was when we were at school. The hour before lunch with my stomach growling like I hadn't eaten in days. I'd be really upset if the choices were nasty, small or expensive because some company needs to increase their profits or some politician wants to look good to some segment of the population. These kids can't vote for the politicians or school board making the decisions and they are the ones who have to deal with it, so it would be best to not over-look things like this b/c unhappy/hungre/hangry student's aren't going to be doing well in classes.

USDA school lunch link

www.fns.usda.gov...

Trump relaxes or rolls back some school lunch policies

www.businessinsider.com...

I remember the school lunches during the Reagan administration. I can't say there was anything good about them. They had pizza sometimes it was more like cardboard with a cheese-like substance on it and that was one of the better meals. There was a soda machine down by the gym as well so that didn't start with Bush or Obama.

I have seen the lunches kids get now and they at least look a lot better than what I had.

The only thing I could tolerate that my schools would serve was the chili, and the always served it with these huge cinnamon rolls. Neither thing was ever served with anything else, and they always had one chili day a month.

The rest of the time, I was one hungry kid.

Back in the olden 60's, school lunch was unbelievably disgusting. We had to have assemblies to tell us high schoolers to quit "hurting the feelings" of the head of the cafeteria.

Apparently, some "country" boys broke into the school kitchen at night and photographed actual worms and bugs in the soaking beans meant for the next lunch day menu. Horrible. I am quite sure prisoners ate better. (maybe not)

Visiting high schools this past fall, I was shocked at the beautiful salad bar and variety of good looking foods although most students weren't eating-at all. They were all on their phones.

Apparently, SAT scores are down from the 60s. Somehow, we managed to perform acceptably and Congress could have cared less about what we ate.

a reply to: DigginFoTroof

I stopped drinking milk pretty young (elementary school).

Someone told me we're the only animal that goes out of their way to drink milk, and it's that of another animals.

I will still have a little here and there in the form of a milkshake.... But that was one of those weird things told to me that left an impact.

I was in school in the late 70s/80s. The school lunches I remember were essentially prison food... only thing I distinctly remember being good was the tater tots and the chocolate milk.

Of course, in my upper middle class suburb, my kids school has an organic garden where they grow fruits / veggies. Every year, they have a big dinner where a chef cooks the food grown in the garden. The regular menu is basically organic / high quality food. Everything from quinoa, kale, etc.

a reply to: CriticalStinker

We're the only animal that does a lot of things. People looked for ways to survive, and that was one of the ways they found. Someone in Greenland discovered you can eat toxic shark if you let it hang and rot for long enough, and lo and behold, hakaarl was born. How desperate to survive do you have to be to figure that one out?

originally posted by: Edumakated
I was in school in the late 70s/80s. The school lunches I remember were essentially prison food... only thing I distinctly remember being good was the tater tots and the chocolate milk.

Of course, in my upper middle class suburb, my kids school has an organic garden where they grow fruits / veggies. Every year, they have a big dinner where a chef cooks the food grown in the garden. The regular menu is basically organic / high quality food. Everything from quinoa, kale, etc.

Isn't it interesting how you can send your child to a private school, pay less per year in tuition than the public school will receive to fund your kid per year, and yet the private school will have quality food make fresh on-site with organic ingredients while the public school has overly processed, bottom dollar crap?

originally posted by: ketsuko

originally posted by: Edumakated
I was in school in the late 70s/80s. The school lunches I remember were essentially prison food... only thing I distinctly remember being good was the tater tots and the chocolate milk.

Of course, in my upper middle class suburb, my kids school has an organic garden where they grow fruits / veggies. Every year, they have a big dinner where a chef cooks the food grown in the garden. The regular menu is basically organic / high quality food. Everything from quinoa, kale, etc.

Isn't it interesting how you can send your child to a private school, pay less per year in tuition than the public school will receive to fund your kid per year, and yet the private school will have quality food make fresh on-site with organic ingredients while the public school has overly processed, bottom dollar crap?

Yeah, but my kid's school is actually public! Of course, the property taxes in this area are outrageous... my relatively modest house the tax bill is $13,500 this year.

The reality is that in wealthier areas, the public schools are in a way private.... the tuition is the high property tax bills. Lower incomes can't afford to live in the community for the most part...

originally posted by: ketsuko
a reply to: CriticalStinker

We're the only animal that does a lot of things. People looked for ways to survive, and that was one of the ways they found. Someone in Greenland discovered you can eat toxic shark if you let it hang and rot for long enough, and lo and behold, hakaarl was born. How desperate to survive do you have to be to figure that one out?

Listen, I'm not saying that they're right in there logic, or that it's unhealthy...

Just one of those childhood impact things.

My gramma was a lunch lady so I had to watch what I said....lol

My daughter is in high school and her biggest complaint is the skim milk. Yuck
But honestly I don't think it's all that big of a deal.
365 days times 3 meals is 1095 meals.
180 school days with lunch leave 915 meals at home.

Any bets on how many kids get more than 180 healthy-ish meals at home?

I know there is a big difference between large inner city schools and small rural schools and seeing some of the pics of school lunches during Michele Obamas very hurtful lunch program changes proved a lot of the difference. The school cafeteria I work at has wonderful lunches. There are approximately 250 students in a rural community.

There are commodities that are purchased with government money and those are things like frozen vegetables and frozen fruit like strawberries and peaches, hamburger - 100% all beef etc. The schools, many joining in on "procurement" bid on the items they want to serve each year for the following year. But all the food purchased is very good. US Foods and Cash wise are the main options in this area. All beef hotdogs, sausage links and Colby egg omelets, cold cereals of choice, whole hams, whole turkey breasts, mesquite chicken, teriyaki chicken, beef roasts, the food is great. Two choices of 100% fruit juice for every breakfast. This week the students also had fresh grapes, watermelon and bananas to choose from along with a variety of canned fruits with their lunch. It is the school's policy that two fruits are offered with each lunch. I can't believe how good the food is. Fresh veggies in the salad bar daily. The milk though is a carry over from Obama policy. People get used to low(er) fat milks. Only 1% and skim milk plus 1% chocolate are served. Skim is barely taken. Also whole wheat must be 50% in bread and pasta products. I make homemade cookies a couple times a month. We had homemade lasagna and salad bar for lunch today. All of our lunches include an alternative to the main entree and anyone can choose to have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich if they want although that only happens a couple times a year.

I cannot stress enough that inner cities and large metropolitan areas have compeletely different politics than the rural areas. There is better food in the schools, less crime and a more relaxed attitude in the culture. Just sayin.

a reply to: StoutBroux

Go into the more urban areas and you 50 different cultures and their diet requirements and 50 different food allergies. You have parents who get offended and too many who won't/don't/can't pay for the food so the program breaks down. You also have a much larger population so the officials managing the district are much less accountable directly to the people the district serves, much easier to mismanage the budget and get away with it.

The only kids that ate the school cafeteria food were losers.

a reply to:

originally posted by: CriticalStinker
a reply to: DigginFoTroof

I stopped drinking milk pretty young (elementary school).

Someone told me we're the only animal that goes out of their way to drink milk, and it's that of another animals.

I will still have a little here and there in the form of a milkshake.... But that was one of those weird things told to me that left an impact.

Never had a cat huh

I'm supposed to feel bad for diary farmers? Milk isn't some superfood. Most alternatives have more nutrition..

Why make a cow suffer when you can have a healthier alternative?

a reply to: Bluntone22

It all comes down to parents feeding their kids junk.. And now schools are catering to serve kids junk food because that's what they want

When they're only allowing you to have 1% and skim, oh yeah there are far healthier alternatives. By the time you take out all the milkfat, what you have left is mostly water and sugar. At that point, you might as well let kids drink sugar water in other forms.

But a full fat milk does have healthy fat in it which is good for you and helps keeps you full longer.

a reply to: ketsuko

Healthier alternatives to milk. More ethical too. Kids dont need milk. They need calcium, fats, proteins, and vegtables/fruits.

Then again, it's not like I'm going to change the minds of ignorant parents who think chocolate milk is good for their kids. Or don't have enough backbone to enforce healthy eating...

Then again, it's not like I'm going to change the minds of ignorant parents who think chocolate milk is good for their kids. Or don't have enough backbone to enforce healthy eating...

My ... that escalated quickly.

So because I see nothing wrong with either dairy or milkfat, I am suddenly an ignorant parent who feeds my child all manner of trash?