School Meals

This story makes me sad.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/06/nyregion/healthier-school-lunches-face-student-rejection.html?_r=2&ref=health&

Students would rather not eat at all than eat healthy things.  It says a lot about how kids are raised in our country.  They only have taste preferences for... junk.  And are demanding that junk be served again in schools.

Here's the problem.  As long as schools give in to that, kids will continue thinking pizza and chicken nuggets are okay.  (Which, okay they're okay SOMETIMES... but not when school meals make up half of all food kids eat.)  If we can capture kids when they're young, and teach them to have taste preferences for fruits and vegetables, then there won't be a boycott.  There also won't be the obesity epidemic that is upon us.

School meals are complicated.  It's hard for schools to do them safely (food safety), cheaply, healthy, yummy, all with the equipment and staff they have available.  I worked in a school kitchen for a semester and saw the obstacles and red tape they have to run through.  I wasn't always thrilled with what they were serving, but they feel pressure to eliminate waste and to get kids to eat.

We have a LONG way to go.  I'm probably going to start WWIII in Pointe Coupee.