Posted on 02/27/2014 8:21:56 PM PST by Nachum
The federal governments changes to school lunch menus have been disastrous, causing problems for cafeterias trying to comply with the rules and leaving the menu so expensive or unpalatable that more than 1 million students have stopped buying lunch, according to a government audit released Thursday.
One school district told federal investigators that it had to add unhealthy pudding and potato chips to its menu to meet the governments minimum calorie requirements. Other school districts removed peanut butter and jelly sandwiches from their elementary school menus.
Five of the eight school districts surveyed by the Government Accountability Office, the official watchdog for Congress, said they believed students were going hungry because of smaller entree portions demanded by the rules.
Cafeterias regularly reported finding fruits and vegetables, which they are required to serve, ending up in trash cans. Although no studies have been completed, the government has found an increase in what it calls plate waste in some districts.
Despite the hiccups, school food authorities said they generally support the nutritional changes and think the menus are moving in the right direction.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
Coming from a small school where children eat in their classrooms after picking up their tray, I can attest to the fact that on the way to that classroom those children pass a garbage can and before they even get to sit down, the carrots, celery, cherry tomatoes, cucumber slices, apples, raisins, are all thrown away.
It’s a shame, and what bugs me the most is I pay property taxes in that town. That’s my money those kids are chucking.
After these changes rolled through, our son started picking up a hoagie on the way to school in the morning so that he'd have something for lunch that wouldn't leave him hungry. He was on the swim team and couldn't get enough calories to get through the school day, let alone his morning and afternoon practices. Ridiculous.
Kids are growing fast during these years... they need to be offered a wide range of foods to eat. And yeah, that includes stuff that’s “not” healthy... Well by adult standards...
I would be interested in knowing exactly what are the odumbo children are eating for their lunches, and Moooooooooochelle herself.
My guess it is not the same menu as these other kids are forced to choke down.
Where in the Constitution is the authority for FedGov to dictate the lunch menu to local schools?
Maybe we’ll actually get back to..........kids bringing their own damn lunches and getting schools out of the food business.
My kids are reporting their lunches are to the point of utterly awful so they either take their lunches or refuse to eat it. When they get home they ravage the cabinets and fridge.
Up until last year I paid for their lunches we are over the income requirement but a year of so ago the school district said all lunches will be free regardless of income.
Now my kids report they are offered a skim milk like drink or orange juice or water with everything and the food offerings are just pasty bland slop. They report the schools have even screwed up pop tarts with some bland paste filler. My oldest son in high school said I could make a killing selling real packs of pop tarts for a $1 each as long as he didn’t get caught and labeled the pop tart pimp.
I read one local newspaper interview about the horrible food choices being forced on the schools and one of the cafeteria workers stated it broke her heart having to serve such horrible tasteless food and seeing kids either go hungry or try to eat the horrible stuff.
What is sad is many kids when they get home do not have a cabinet or fridge full of food to raid and they either eat Moochelles bland slop or go hungry, some choice.
Nanny State PING!
Thanks for the ping!
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