School Lunch

I was going to write this into my last post, but felt it needed it's very own space because this is a huge issue for me right now. Our big girl's favorite thing about 1st grade is eating lunch at school, and while I'm glad she's enjoying this fun new aspect of her day, I am disappointed in the quality of what is offered to the students on a daily basis. Why not just send her to school with a home lunch everyday? I can hear this question being lobbed at me, and while it is a perfectly valid and justified inquiry, I take offense to it. Why? Well, because why should I have to pack a lunch for my daughter each and every day just to ensure she's receiving a nutritious and balanced meal? Why can't the school district as a whole improve their menu? I understand budget has a lot to do with it. Let's face it, healthy food is pricey. This being said, though, isn't the extra cost worth it? I'd even be willing to pay extra in taxes or whatever to improve the school lunch program! What about all those families who count on free school lunch? They can't afford to pack a lunch, and their kids are being cheated every day! Burgers, nachos, pizza, chicken nuggets.... These are all some of the most unhealthy foods known to man, and yet or children are being served one or more of these entrees on a weekly basis! My daughter came home one day and when asked what she ate for lunch, she replied: "I had a cheeseburger with french fries and chocolate cake." I knew it was burger day, but she was specifically instructed to grab a salad, fruit, or veggies for a side, not the french fries. Of course, I talked to her about this, and she said they were out of carrots, and all they had left were bananas (she doesn't like bananas, and never has). Now, I realize she easily could have been lying to me, but this is not the first time Miss B has come home telling me her and/or her friends couldn't get the food they wanted because the cafeteria ran out. This leads me to my second issue with school lunch. How in the bloody heck is the cafeteria running out of food? The staff knows how many kids are enrolled, and it's not like this year is their first go around, so I'm very baffled. Running out of food is completely unacceptable, and I won't stand for it! Our children need proper, balanced nutrition in order to grow and develop properly, and we all know how important nutrition is for brain power! How can our kids be expected to learn and excel when their bellies are either full or junk or growling with hunger pains?

Okay, now that I've officially ranted, I will clear something up: Miss B has a cute lunch box we purchased before school started. She often takes a cold lunch to school with her, and always returns from school with a nearly if not completely empty lunch box. We let her pick a day or two per week to eat school lunch with everyone else because it's fun for her. I just wish the school made better choices....