Government Lunchbox Inspections?

by Rachel Campos-Duffy (Subscribe to Rachel Campos-Duffy's posts) Mar 17th 2009 4:00PM

Categories: Eating & Nutrition, In The News, Mealtime

"This is a primary school, not Guantanamo Bay!"

That is how one mom responded when she found out that her daughter's school lunch box was being inspected by government officials intent on enforcing healthy food standards in British schools.

Who's behind these lunchbox inspections? Local city council "sustainability commissions," who want foods they deem too high in sugar, salt and fat confiscated in schools. Who is doing the confiscating? Government-trained inspectors who angry parents are now calling "mealtime Gestapos." If they find a child to be in violation of the healthy food standards set by the commission, the parent will be contacted by the school, presumably to be given a lecture on how to pack a healthy lunch.

Let me start by saying that it's certainly true that many parents pack deplorable school lunches (to be fair, plenty of school hot lunches are equally bad). I also empathize with teachers who swear that processed and sugary foods interfere with learning in class. However, confiscating kid's snacks is not only intrusive, it sends the wrong message since, in moderation, even chocolate is good for you.

Clearly, obesity is a national problem, both in the US and the UK, and the government has a role in promoting and educating kids and parents about healthier eating habits. But no matter how well-intentioned, the government cannot and should not take the place of parental judgment. What I feed my kids is my business.

Last week, Alice Waters, the California chef who is credited with promoting the slow food movement in America, was interviewed on CBS's 60 Minutes. In response to Leslie Stahl's complaint that organic food is too expensive, Waters said, "We make decisions everyday about what we're going to eat and some people want to buy Nike shoes -- two pairs, and other people want to eat [$4.00 a pound] Bronx grapes, and nourish themselves. I pay a little extra, but this is what I want to do."

Frankly, I couldn't agree more. In my own home, eating healthy, home-cooked meals is a priority and we cut back on other things in order to eat almost exclusively organic, locally grown meats and produce.

The point is that I choose to feed my family this way and the satisfaction I derive from doing this would be substantially less if it was government mandated. These days, the scope and power of the U.S. government is growing at an alarming rate, and it may only be a matter of time until our kids are having their lunches examined, too. This mom of five warns: Stay out of our kid's school lunches!

Comments (8)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Sifrina 3-17-2009 @ 10:06PM

When I saw the "headline" I thought this was about a drug raid....of lunchboxes (containing drugs)!! That actually made a lot more sense than this. Wild!!

My son's preschool banned peanut/tree nuts. Those teachers inspected everything! Loads of parents fussed about this but it is a private school and you can take your kid out if you don't like it.

I completely agree with you on the organics (I buy all I can get my hands on), AND on the inadequate hot lunches. We get to buy lunch once a week on "junk food Friday" (almost everything in moderation is our motto too).

I don't think it's the Government's place to inspect lunchboxes (I also worry if this makes food/eating too big an issue which can lead to eating disorders), but IT IS DEFINITELY the Department of Social Services' place to follow up on reports of parents who regularly send little or completely unacceptable food with their children to school, or too little money for lunch on a consistent basis. I sure hope teachers report such observable parental neglect. You may think the Government has become too large and too powerful, but you wouldn’t think so if you were a child of kooky neglectful parents claiming fictitious “parental discretion/freedom” while they knowingly compromise their child’s health, growth and education by not feeding them properly. A child can't be truly free or properly educated if neglected, hungry and/or ill-nourished. Like it or not, the Government has an appropriate role to protect children from this, even from their own parents.

steff hartman 3-18-2009 @ 12:38PM

Hi Sifrina! As a teacher in a childcare facility with a BS in Nutrition Ed., I feel your pain! Kids come in with cookies and red jello for breakfast and then we're supposed to control them in a group situation! I feel that confiscating food is not the way to go but rather offer education to the children, or even the parents in the evening. March is "National Nutrition Month" so maybe you can start today! I have a letter drafted to send out to our parents, containing healthy food suggestions for breakfast. Unfortunately, schools rarely hire a food service director with a background such as mine anymore. Mostly, they contract with food service management companies to do the job of feeding kids for the cheapest price. As far as your peanut/nut inspection, that is because of allergies. Some children are highly allergic....my kids wouldn't make it if they couldn't have their PB and J!!! Once again, I feel your pain, but get out there and educate and don't let them confiscate!

Michelle 3-18-2009 @ 7:12PM

I already have my child's school telling me I don't send enough food in her lunch. She is on a restrictive diet due to a gluten allergy and doesn't eat much. Add that to the fact that she is picky, and I have a difficult time finding things TO send. However, why would I put a bunch of stuff in her lunch just to send it? To make the Nosy Nellies happy? She's not going hungry and I either have to make her food from scratch or spend a small fortune on it. I send what she will eat and she gets a healthy snack when she gets home.

Speaking of snack, the rest of her kindergarten class brings in enough food to qualify for a second lunch for their mid-morning snack, whereas my daughter brings in a banana or a gluten-free breakfast bar. What about TOO MUCH?

I have been her mother for 6 years. I know what and how much she will eat.

CLM 3-17-2009 @ 11:57PM

These days? Really? You don't remember the abrogation of our civil rights under the previous administration? The creation of the Department of Homeland Security? Or was that all ok with you? If your line in the sand is organic grapes, then it's already too late.

Sandyone 3-18-2009 @ 11:11AM

Good point. Our civil rights have been dwindling for a long time...even longer than Bush's term. Everybody's got their pet causes and projects and everyone wakes up to things at a different time.

I'd just like to see everyone WAKE THE HELL UP now.

Momof2 3-24-2009 @ 10:55AM

There is only one issue here worth our attention as citizens and parents: the quality of children's attention span in the classroom and how it is drastically undermined by the presence of artificially sweetened and/or refined-grain snacks. Much of what parents pack for their kids can barely be classified as food, and I shudder when I see the children in my classes arrive with blue drinks and oatmeal-creme cookies for breakfast or mid-morning snack.

I believe that if any of you spent one morning (or post-lunch) period in a classroom, there would be next to no disputing these rules. Sadly, too many parents *do* need lectures about what is appropriate nutrition to make the most of their developing children's brains. School nurses can be trained in how to make tactful and respectful parent contact (as in the example of the gluten-intolerant child) but the bottom line is that this is in the children's best interests. No one's child benefits when teachers are sidetracked by unnecessary behavior interventions brought about by skyrocketing, then plummeting, glucose levels. I put these concerns ahead of the embarrassment a parent might feel in the event of being called on their highly questionable food provision choices.

Finally, let me just say that this post seems to be at odds with one of Rachel's previous posts about parental neglect re free breakfasts, etc. It seems you want it both ways, Rachel: for parents to take more responsibility, but not to receive any consequences or education when they don't. Who loses? The students.

Jen 3-24-2009 @ 7:53PM

This blog entry is misleading. First, the Guantanamo comment is in reference to one primary school that is inspecting its own students' lunches. Read the link - no government involvement. The other link in your 2nd paragraph references a 2005 article about a city council (Brighton) initiative to use food inspectors in their schools. This is not about British schools in general. You then make the leap to our government sending inspectors into U.S. schools and you warn us to be vigilant about keeping them out? I think i will keep vigilant about misinformation as posted in this blog before I get worked up about your warnings.

Jasmine 5-01-2009 @ 8:13PM

Sooooo, you only want the government involved in causes that you agree with. This is the Republican agenda. We hate big Government! We hate the Government telling us what to do! Oh, unless it's about abortion and then it's ... Government, tell these women what to do!!!

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