And six more to go!
On today's menu:
Baked Chicken (offered)
Chef Salad w/ Crackers (offered)
Chicken Rings (not offered)
WG Dinner Roll (not offered)
Green Beans (offered with onions in it)
Chilled Pears
Macaroni and Cheese
Variety of Fresh Fruit (orange, banana, plum)
Today's meal almost resembled something I might have served at home (sans the mac & cheese -- more on this in a bit). I couldn't believe they actually had baked chicken. It looked great. And tasted pretty good. Much like a rotisserie chicken you can get at the grocery, it had a lot of seasoning on the outside of it but with no skin that I could detect.
The biggest problem with the chicken is it's history. It was served once before and it was not completely cooked. It's become a legend. "It wasn't cooked!" "The chicken was bloody!", "Bloody Chicken!! eeeeewwwww", "I wouldn't let the kids eat it because I was afraid they would get sick." I remember, even my daughter who brings her lunch had much to say about it when she came home that day.
The memory of "bloody chicken day" is still fresh in many minds.
Most of the trays that I saw today chose the chef salad and I believe it is because of the history the chicken has.
Today, my chicken was done. Maybe too done as it was very dry, (unlike a rotisserie chicken) but flavorful. A teacher who also picked the chicken, said hers was not done. Darn!
I feel so frustrated! This is one of the only "real" meals they've served and from the get go it was sabotaged. Not intentionally mind you, but what an unfortunate way to start off. I think if they keep serving it, kids (and adults) will learn to trust that the chicken will be good -- assuming it is cooked until done on subsequent servings.
The green beans had onions in them. It provided a seasoning for them, but I (and apparently many of the kids) like them better without the extra flavoring in them.
Mac & cheese looked and tasted like it was out of box. I'm not knocking all boxed mac & cheese, as I have been known to have it on my pantry shelf. However, we are getting back to that idea that fast food is healthy. And it's not. It's quick. It's easy. Healthy -- it's not. Real macaroni like they had yesterday with cheese mixed into it, would have at least looked more like it was made at home. And making trays of Mac & cheese would be easy. It's something OKCPS kitchens COULD make, I think. We are not there yet, but I think we could get there. They are now preparing the Chef salads in the kitchen . . . It's not a HUGE leap to think they might prepare other foods in the kitchen.
I remain optimistic and hopeful.
Posts
I think you should be optimistic,
ReplyDeletelunch can be a LOT worse,
like on the website
http://schoollunchfoundguilty.wordpress.com/
It doesn't matter if everything comes from a box or a bag or made from scratch, they kitchen will get the same amount of people and the same amount of hours.If you really want to change the menus why don't you go to Washington, since the menus have to follow Federal Guidelines?
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, I looked up the web site you recommended and that was really sad. The way it looked served on those metal trays reminded me of airplane food. I also saw on another lunch site that it was in paper trays with plastic covering it like a TV dinner. Lunch could always be worse than it is. The kitchens could be out sourced and the food brought in for the children would look like airplane food. I have talked to people from other districts that their cafeteria food was out sourced and they were not happy with it at all. Like you said lets be optimistic it could be alot WORSE.
ReplyDeleteThanks anonymous for that link. I've seen that sight before and I admire those girls for sticking up for better food. They really deserve it. Did you check out the link on the right? Fed up with school lunch. She's a teacher who is eating every day for the year in her lunch room. I personally don't think I'd make it.
ReplyDeleteQuila, thanks for your suggestion. I know full well that the Federal Gov. mandates certain guidelines. I believe, that much change can begin in our own backyard, before we must pack up and head to D.C.
Each district gets to decide how to meet those Federal Guidelines. Other districts are doing a much better job than OKCPS. Many are doing far worse than OKCPS (as you can see in the link that anon. shared).
I am optimistic that OKCPS is on the way to having the best in the country. We can do this.
Quila~
ReplyDeleteThe government sets minimum requirements, but does not prohibit the preparation and sale of REAL FOOD. The changes that are necessary will meet and exceed the current guidelines. And, if I heard right, we have an advocate in Washington already- Michelle Obama!