Yesterday I heard one of the most alarming thing about school lunches!
Several schools across the country are dropping the National School Lunch Program! How on earth does this happen?
For those not familiar with the program, it reimburses schools that serve healthy lunches to our children. It also allows children who qualify to get their lunch for free or at a discounted price. And schools are cutting this because they claim they are losing money since kids don’t want to eat healthy.
What a load of garbage that is.
As a parent and a chef of twenty years I have always felt it is my job to educate people, especially my son, on what is good and healthy to eat. Exposing children to different foods is paramount to their growth both physically and mentally.
A well balanced meal is the cornerstone to maintaining your children’s energy and mental faculties throughout the day!
Now, the guidelines are actually quite simple for this program.
Each meal must contain fruit, vegetables and whole grains, while adhering to specific calorie count for each age group. What food you serve is actually decided by the individual school food programs for that district. So, the reasoning of them not eating it is bunk!
Your school districts can choose from several varieties provided by the USDA and fresh produce by the DOD. Those schools not in program are not required to purchase from these entities. And, the cost for one meal to feed a child each day is 22.75 cents a meal!
Now, are our children not worth that much? Add in the fact that schools get reimbursed for free lunches, reduced lunches and paid lunches, and somehow I think this might be manageable in all schools!
With childhood obesity running rampant in this country I think our schools have an obligation to make sure our children understand the importance of eating a well balanced and nutritious meal! Not to say, that as parents we should not be educating our children of this as well. Our voices must be heard, parents.
Don’t let your schools cancel healthy lunches!!!