New Guidelines Would Make School Lunches Healthier

Odds are that the idea of vending machines in schools came from some big company like Coca-Cola or Pepsi. I was shocked the first time I saw a vending machine in our son's school. Mostly pop/soda, no juice and a single row of water.

Ms. Berg....let me give you a brief education....vending became an intricate part of school systems because of the huge commissions they returned to each school when parents voted against any tax increases and school budgets were cut...secondly, you can be negative about vending however; they provide nutrician when linked with the JOHN C. STALKER INSTITUTE of nutrician for vending and schools lunch programs...BUT LIKE MOST MANDATES AND STUDIES, they simply state facts but overlook obvious factors/ reasoning....that being the unaffordability of school lunches if their guidelines are followed. AS AN EXAMPLE...it is suggest more fresh fruits and vegatables....well, here is a reality...school lunch programs now work/affordable because most of the food is frozen and their is next to nothing for waste...WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH FRESH FRUITS AND OTHER THINGS, when they have to be tossed because they have spoiled ?? As soon as you throw things away, the cost/lost has to be built into what you sell...this will raise prices of lunches and kids will not be able to afford them.....Secondly, KIDS DON'T EAT FRUIT AND VEGATBLES AT HOME....what would make you think they will eat them at school ??BUT THERE IS ANOTHER FACTOR...most family have 2 parents working...when the kids come home from school, it's eat as they please with no parental guidance.

Our school PTA stepped up about 2 years ago and demanded a change. Today they do not have a nacho bar but a potatoe bar. They do not order Domino's pizza anymore but make them on whole grain crust. Whole mil out shim in (in bio bottles!) Granted my boy has never eatan the school lunch so he is packed great meals from home! If I miss a day I know he is not eating crap!

well mike, you could take the fresh veggies and fruits not sold to the hunger centers.. why would you throw them away? or maybe they could make them into frozen smoothies...

You are right. Neither of my children are even close to obese, my son is an athlete and my daughter who is 12 is just very thin and active. The government should not be telling me what my children can eat.That is up to the parents. My son has a hamburger 3 times a week at school, changing that to a salad does nothing for children like him except make him not eat which leads to headaches and poor concentration. I can see grades 1-5, but middle school and beyond, these kids should know what they can and cannot eat. Mine both do.
Even if they cannot play outside you can be active indoors, my chidren run all over with the dog and play inside when it's too cold out or there is "nothing" to do anymore outside. It's all what you make it.

This is not the best thing to happen for our kids in America in a long time. It borders on the plain stupid. EXERCISE is what kids need and plenty of it. Since the invention of video games and such they do nothing but sit. Sit in class, sit in front of the tv. Sit on the bus. The only time they walk is changing class. It really doesn't matter what you eat as long as you exercise enough. It is PE that should be required everday. Instead of spanish or german or french. What good is speaking a foreign language if you are so fat you can't walk across the room. Not all kids play basketball.

EXACTLY! My mother was a school cook for 25 years. You should hear her comments about what kids won't eat. And 25 years ago school lunches were pretty much homecooked meals. All the salt, pepper and butter you wanted. And we were healthy. Has nobody read the research that says that whole milk is good for men? Evidently the fat they remove in 2% and lowfat is needed by men to keep the prostate healthy. Ever wondered about the spike in this disease. My kid drinks whole organic milk it is expensive, but if I'm gonna spend a few extra dollars on something it will be this. It is rich and creamy and sweet not watered down and full of antibiotics and steroids. I personally quit drinking milk when they destroyed the taste by giving cows this drugs that made them produce more milk. That stuff messes with womens reproductive systems also. If they want to change that is actually good all foods should be organic in schools.

You're the only one here that makes any sense at all--and that includes the government types.

If we teach our kids at a young age about nutritional foods and healthy eating habits than the food won't be thrown away, because it will become the norm. We also need to push parents to have healthier eating habits at home, maybe we should be educating the parents.