Well, it's been posted. The February lunch menu looks a lot like January's menu.
One week from today I begin. I see I'll have two days off. I'll also be treated to Made in Oklahoma Day. I wonder what item served is made in Oklahoma?
Monday, January 25, 2010
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Lunch menu
The February lunch menu is not available yet. Here is a link to January's menu. I'm seeing a lot of chef salads on there. However, I know for a fact, that option is never available at our elementary school. I also see a lot of chicken nuggets, steak fingers and pizza on the menu. These are things that ARE served.
Oh Lord, help me. :-)
Oh Lord, help me. :-)
Why am I doing this?
In the beginning of my children's public school career, I thought school lunch was much the same as when I was in school. You know, (reasonably) good food prepared by really nice grandmotherly women in the cafeteria. Variety, but some repeats that became favorites. Plenty of time to eat and visit. And lots of recess time. Well, maybe some days it didn't feel like it was long enough recess, but most of the time it really was.
What a rude awakening. I came to find that all the food at my kids elementary school was "heat & eat". The only thing prepared was mixing the peanut butter with jelly and putting it on white bread to "make" PB & J sandwiches. Really, everything else was either frozen and heated up, canned and heated up or pre-packaged (think fruit cups or yogurt).
In the fall of 2008-2009 several parents at our elementary school formed a group to address these and other issues. We've been successful with a few changes. Some are district wide, others only at our school.
* We no longer have ala-carte items (filled with junk food).
* All breads are now whole grain.
* Our school no longer has flavored milks available.
* Our school is only one of four in the district that receives fruit or vegetable snacks during the day.
These changes are few, but significant.
It's still not enough.
While talking to other parents, I get the same response that I had: "I thought they served real food.", "Really? I didn't know that!", "They have chicken nuggets EVERY week?"
All along, I have believed that if everyone just saw what the kids were eating, they would do more about it. Better yet, if they ate in the cafeteria regularly they'd be just as outraged as I have been.
After reading "Mrs. Q.'s" blog (Fed up with School Lunch), I thought I could try eating lunch at the elementary school for a month. I figured with all the repeats at our school a year would be much to redundant and I'm not sure if my health could take it.
If all goes well, I might then try it at the middle/high school where my older daughter attends.
Starting February 1st I will eat lunch in the school cafeteria. I will photograph what is served to me and tell you about it. I'm a bit nervous and wondering if I can make it a whole month.
Join me in my adventure.
What a rude awakening. I came to find that all the food at my kids elementary school was "heat & eat". The only thing prepared was mixing the peanut butter with jelly and putting it on white bread to "make" PB & J sandwiches. Really, everything else was either frozen and heated up, canned and heated up or pre-packaged (think fruit cups or yogurt).
In the fall of 2008-2009 several parents at our elementary school formed a group to address these and other issues. We've been successful with a few changes. Some are district wide, others only at our school.
* We no longer have ala-carte items (filled with junk food).
* All breads are now whole grain.
* Our school no longer has flavored milks available.
* Our school is only one of four in the district that receives fruit or vegetable snacks during the day.
These changes are few, but significant.
It's still not enough.
While talking to other parents, I get the same response that I had: "I thought they served real food.", "Really? I didn't know that!", "They have chicken nuggets EVERY week?"
All along, I have believed that if everyone just saw what the kids were eating, they would do more about it. Better yet, if they ate in the cafeteria regularly they'd be just as outraged as I have been.
After reading "Mrs. Q.'s" blog (Fed up with School Lunch), I thought I could try eating lunch at the elementary school for a month. I figured with all the repeats at our school a year would be much to redundant and I'm not sure if my health could take it.
If all goes well, I might then try it at the middle/high school where my older daughter attends.
Starting February 1st I will eat lunch in the school cafeteria. I will photograph what is served to me and tell you about it. I'm a bit nervous and wondering if I can make it a whole month.
Join me in my adventure.
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