The future of our health

[dallasapple]

Yes, I went through that scenario too. When we first moved here, the older two boys went to the same elementary school for a year, and I would be writing checks and writing checks, and then I actually called the cafetaria to find out where this money was going, only to find out that they had been buying cookies .. ice-cream .. I was pretty mad.

The middle child is the only one getting school lunches right now, and I have direct debit through a company called My Lunch Money and I can log in and see that he had an entree and a drink, or a breakfast, or whatever. He gets in trouble if he messes with it and eats or drinks something he shouldn't have!

That happened to us..we would write a check for say $40 ..thinking that should last around a month..and like 10 days later he would come home and say the lady said Im almost out of money.....And this was when we sometimes packed his lunch just not all the time..

He was spending as much as $6 for lunch..buying things like 2 milks(chocolate of course)..and extra deserts...

We pulled the plug on that..

Dallas

 

[Conservativation]

Obamacare will take the trans fats out of trans fats, lower your cholesterol with no meds or effort, and increase lean muscle mass and decrease body fat, all while saving money.

These are the health benefits, they go hand in hand with lowering the oceans and healing the earth.

 

[JaneFW]

Given a knife! Labour clearly hates kids....what with putting such risk in place

Eh? It's not even a political thing. It just is. Children can be trusted to use a knife to cut their food up. Really.

 

[JaneFW]

The thing is that with England you are talking about a population that is approximately 1/3 the size of Texas alone. Much easier to make changes happen at a national level with a population that is that much smaller.

Yes of course parents need to be involved too. Breaking them out of the processed convenience food mentality is needed also. But as relates to making changes in the schools, which is where a lot of his effort seems to be focused, the problem is as much the federal regulations as it is willingness by the individual schools.

But it doesn't matter, Chaz, whether the population is 3 billion, 3 million, or 3 thousand. If the people who influence policy don't care, then the impetus will be lost.

 

[JaneFW]

Oh and haven't you heard, peanut butter is practically banned in some schools now a days because of hysteria over peanut allergies.

I don't blame them on that Chaz. Who wants to get sued? Also, who wants a pupil or a teacher to pass away or get into the drama of carrying around epi-pens? I do have a .. er, well, he's the son of my h's cousin, so I don't think that makes him a relation to me, other than by marriage, but the kid is 11, same as my youngest, and is allergic to nuts. It's a really different world for those parents. They have adapted, obviously, but you can never be too careful.

 

[FaithPrevails]

But it doesn't matter, Chaz, whether the population is 3 billion, 3 million, or 3 thousand. If the people who influence policy don't care, then the impetus will be lost.

*nods in agreement*

 

[chaz345]

But it doesn't matter, Chaz, whether the population is 3 billion, 3 million, or 3 thousand. If the people who influence policy don't care, then the impetus will be lost.

It does matter though. It's a lot easier to influence a smaller population. If, for example, in a country of 3 million, 300,000 people get vocal and activated about something, that's 10% of the population, an amount that any leader/policymaker would pay attention to. But in a country of 300,000,000 it's that same number of people is 1/10 of one percent, a number that leaders wouldn't care about. Going grassroots from the bottom up is easier in a smaller population.

Put another way, the smaller the country the greater influence each single individual has over policy. Most people in the US, when presented with the facts of how bad school lunches are, and with the fact that it's because of federal government rules and regulations, will say to themself, mostly rightly so "it's too big a problem for me to affect". That's why, if it's going to become a widespread thing here, it's going to need to be top down as well as bottom up. If the people making policy can be convinced that a few million ticked off parents is going to have more of a negative impact on their careers than the millions they get from the lobbiests, then maybe something will change. But appealing to them on the basis of what's best for the kids won't have any effect at all.

 

[dallasapple]

I don't blame them on that Chaz. Who wants to get sued? Also, who wants a pupil or a teacher to pass away or get into the drama of carrying around epi-pens? I do have a .. er, well, he's the son of my h's cousin, so I don't think that makes him a relation to me, other than by marriage, but the kid is 11, same as my youngest, and is allergic to nuts. It's a really different world for those parents. They have adapted, obviously, but you can never be too careful.

Well we send our son to school with peanut butter...seems like the schools shoud be able to serve it..I know as a matter of fact..thats what they offered kids when they would come to school and had forgotten their lunch(peanut butter and not jelly sandwiches..a piece of fruit and a milk)..or parents had neglected to refill their lunch tickets..

I guess they dont do that anymore..

Thats another thing..this thing with allergies..when I was little..I never HEARD of allergies..Im not saying people didnt have them..but I never knew any kids that had them..."allergy" that woudl cause death was possibly someone havign a bad reaction to a bee sting..

Peanuts were EVERY where and kids werent droppign dead in droves that I know of..HECK cracker jacks was one of our favorite kid treats...

Oh well..maybe they were all dying and no one knew why..

Dallas

 

[FaithPrevails]

Our school has a school garden that the kids helped plant and maintain. I don't know what all is growing in it, but it's thriving. Our state has a program and provides funding for such gardens as this.

They also have a relatively healthy menu.

 

[JaneFW]

I went and looked it up, and these were my middle son's choices for lunch today:

Meats/Breads – (Choice of 1)

​

​

SIGNATURE ZONE
Steak Fingers & Cream Gravy w/
Texas Toast
SALADS & MORE ZONE
Cheeseburger (Hamburger)/
Wheat Bun OR
*Personal Cheese Pizza/
Personal Pepperoni Pizza ++ OR
Chicken Fajita Tacos​

*Meatless Entrée

I don't know what the meatless entree is - perhaps mac and cheese - but surely nothing more healthy than any of this. Sure, he could eat a salad, but he's a cross country runner, and just a garden salad does not sustain this boy so he can have - fried red meat in breadcrumbs and whatever glop it is that goes into that gravy <shudder>, and big chunks of greasy bread (Tx toast is not a healthy option, lol) or a burger on WOW a wheat bun. Well, that wheat bun sure balances out the big chunk of fatty meat that comes in the bun. Or more bread and cheese, or one with greasy meat on top of it, or chicken in MORE bread.

The rest of the week is no better.

I would love for him to take control of his diet, and think about healthy choices for lunch, and shop with us and take his own lunch, but he's simply not motivated to do it, and you can't force these things. The youngest does take his own lunch and he's pretty well motivated. He sometimes take carrots and a little ranch, and fruit, and a homemade taco (he took quesidilla leftovers today) and he's plenty happy with that.

 

[FaithPrevails]

Our menu for today:

Turkey or Ham Deli Wrap
&#9830;Shepherd&#8217;s Pie w/Roll or
&#9679;Cheese Pizza
&#9679;Carrot Sticks w/Ranch Dressing
&#9830;White Confetti Cake
&#9679;Assorted Fruit
&#9679;Milk

I looked, just for kicks, to see what is offered at the secondary level and the same menu comes up.

 

[chaz345]

Our menu for today:

Turkey or Ham Deli Wrap
&#9830;Shepherd’s Pie w/Roll or
&#9679;Cheese Pizza
&#9679;Carrot Sticks w/Ranch Dressing
&#9830;White Confetti Cake
&#9679;Assorted Fruit
&#9679;Milk

I looked, just for kicks, to see what is offered at the secondary level and the same menu comes up.

All of those things can be healthy, or not so much. The big issue with school lunches is that everything in most of them is processed beyond recognition. The mashed potatoes on the shepherds pie, for example, are probably instant which means they've got about as much nutritional value as the spackling compound they resemble. The "cheese" on the pizza as well as the sauce and the crust is probably processed well beyond any recognition too. Both of those dishes can be made in a way that they are entirely healthy though.

 

[united4Peace]

Yikes. Maybe we should take on those kinds of prices for school lunches and motivate more parents to pack lunches.

School lunch where I am costs $1.70. My kiddos buy lunch once a week or less. I have a pre-paid account for them, but it has restrictions, so they can't buy desserts - like ice cream - unless I give them cash for those items. They weren't thrilled about that, but I told them they didn't need access to ice cream every day, regardless of buying or taking their lunches. Oh how they doth protest.

Kids are here...a deli wedge is $2.75, a Poutine is $4.00, a salad (green) is between $2-$3...bottled water...$1.75-$2.00...choc milk...$1 for a small and a large is $2.50.
I guess they are starting to have a bucket for those like my kids who dont finish their lunch...they put in what they dont want and kids who are hungry or with out a lunch or without money can take something free.
Or sometimes they give you a free soup can to heat up or fruit gummies if one does not have money or lunch from home.
A few times through the year they will have pancake breakfasts for the entire school (put on by parents).
At other times they have hotlunches once aweek...they would get a sloppy joe, a sub or pizza for $2.50, drink for a $1 or so ...would cost about $5 in the end per kid...

 

[united4Peace]

One moment of cultural shock that I don't think anyone but me really noticed - Jamie Oliver is told that American school kids aren't allowed to use knives. His jaw dropped, and I cracked up laughing. When I married my h, and a little while into our marriage, I couldn't understand why the eldest boy (then 7 or 8) didn't know how to use a knife to eat with, only to find out that school kids weren't given (eating) knives and his dad cut all his food up for him. Has this in any prevented knife crime in the US because it still blows my mind! (You are given both a fork AND a knife to eat with in first grade in British schools.)

They are allowed to take plastic knives here

 

[blythe_ann]

Just a funny story on the knife thing... when I was in high school I was the drum major for band. I bought the band a Subway sandwich (one of those super long ones) so that everyone had a good lunch before our parade. Subway didn't cut the bread at all. I had a huge, 6 foot long thing. So I went to the cafeteria and they gave me this HUGE, super sharp knife.
I walked down the hall towards the band room passing the counselor, the DARE police officer and the secretary without even a second glance, as I literally held up this knife in front of me. The next week a kid got kicked out for bringing a pocket knife. The next year they didn't allow knives at lunch either.
I was a "good" kid so the counselor and secretary didn't think I needed stopping, but to this day I just think it's funny that the police officer, who had never met me before said "hi" to a high school girl walking down the hall with a knife the size of her head and didn't do a thing about it.
Sorry, tangent.

 

[dallasapple]

Right Jane..our kids are far too sheltered to be forced to have to cut ther own food up with a knife..thats just too much...besides that..they are too focussed on how to smuggle in their guns and drugs anyway..

Dallas

 

[dallasapple]

All of those things can be healthy, or not so much. The big issue with school lunches is that everything in most of them is processed beyond recognition. The mashed potatoes on the shepherds pie, for example, are probably instant which means they've got about as much nutritional value as the spackling compound they resemble. The "cheese" on the pizza as well as the sauce and the crust is probably processed well beyond any recognition too. Both of those dishes can be made in a way that they are entirely healthy though.

Not to mention I gurantee..the turkey and ham are filled with nitrates..fillers..and probably growth hormones..the "wrap" is in Im sure made with white flour which has again NO nutritional value to speak of and has IMHO toxic properties..

Im sure the beef in the shepards pie?Same thing..Im sure its the fattest you can get(filled with saturated fat) ..with again hormones and all sorts of chemicals from the injections they get trying to fatten them up as fast as they can..

Knowign what I know or have learned..the only thing I would wish for my child to eat on the menu is the carrott sticks(rinsed well) and maybe the fruit cup if the syrup coudl be rinsed off..But that then wouldnt be NEARLY enouhg calories ...and little protien..so they are STUCK having to eat the crap..to suck out what nutrients they can out of it..and to get enough calories..Its SAD!

Oh and the milk?Even IF somene watns to argue the animal prtien is harmless..I gurantee that milk is not grass fed cows that are from free roaming farms..and that that it contains hormones antibiotics..and my understandign those poor cows have constant infections in their utters..and there are traces of puss and blood in the milk too..

Dallas

 

[FaithPrevails]

All of those things can be healthy, or not so much. The big issue with school lunches is that everything in most of them is processed beyond recognition. The mashed potatoes on the shepherds pie, for example, are probably instant which means they've got about as much nutritional value as the spackling compound they resemble. The "cheese" on the pizza as well as the sauce and the crust is probably processed well beyond any recognition too. Both of those dishes can be made in a way that they are entirely healthy though.

I wasn't touting it as healthy or unhealthy. I was just sharing it. Personally, I think that most of the hot meals offered are nasty - both in presentation and in taste. The cold offerings are a slightly better alternative, but they probably sound healthier than they actually are.

Which is exactly why I pack their lunches. I send sandwiches on whole wheat bread, whole grain crackers, and fruit. They actually prefer my lunches over the school lunches, which is just fine by me.

 

[FaithPrevails]

Just a funny story on the knife thing... when I was in high school I was the drum major for band. I bought the band a Subway sandwich (one of those super long ones) so that everyone had a good lunch before our parade. Subway didn't cut the bread at all. I had a huge, 6 foot long thing. So I went to the cafeteria and they gave me this HUGE, super sharp knife.
I walked down the hall towards the band room passing the counselor, the DARE police officer and the secretary without even a second glance, as I literally held up this knife in front of me. The next week a kid got kicked out for bringing a pocket knife. The next year they didn't allow knives at lunch either.
I was a "good" kid so the counselor and secretary didn't think I needed stopping, but to this day I just think it's funny that the police officer, who had never met me before said "hi" to a high school girl walking down the hall with a knife the size of her head and didn't do a thing about it.
Sorry, tangent.

I'm picturing your avatar with a big huge butcher's knife now.

 

[WalksWithChrist]

About the nut allergy thing. I agree with Dallas in that I don't remember a single kid having allergies to things like peanut butter when I was growing up. This must be a thing that is escalating otherwise my generation would have talked about this to some extent.

My gut tells me there is some external cause to the spike in allergies and we need to figure out what it is.