A few of weeks ago I decided to make a call to the supervisor of the school lunch program for Washington county. I wanted to know more about the food choices that were being provided at Gabriel's elementary school, Minter Bridge. Shelly and I rarely let Gabe eat a school lunch, but occasionally he really wants what they are serving, so we let him indulge for a day. Gabe likes the chicken nuggets they serve, even more so at school because we don't have them at home, or when we go out to eat. I wanted to know more about where the food came from, the carbon foot print of their food choices, how it was cooked & processed, what guidelines they followed, etc. My grandmother always told me that you'll catch more bees with honey than you will with vinegar, so I was especially transparent, objective and overall pleasant when I called the school district (you know, not like my normal self).
I after I made the call, I was transferred to her direct office. Surprisingly, she picked up the phone and pleasantly offered to answer all of my questions. I have to admit that I was a little surprised, because I was expecting an impatient pencil pusher to answer the phone, annoyed with another overprotective parent complaining about a broken system and taking no action to fix it. No, she was quite nice, patient and knowledgeable. She told me that the school system must meet at a minimum, the federal guidelines for school nutrition which dictate the amounts of fat, protein and carbohydrates which must be served to each student each day. Everything is baked fresh at the school the day they are served. They buy their fruit from local companies and purchase their meats and dairy from local farmers. They do have a strict budget they must abide by, but hey, so do we.
All in all, I was quite pleased with how she answered my questions and the execution of their meal plan. I don’t think she was a bureaucrat or a spin doctor either. Is the system perfect? No, but neither is my diet. Can there be improvements made? Certainly, and I am sure she would love to make them. Now the question is, what is it that we expect from our schools when it comes to feeding our children? Should they eat organic products grown by local farmers? Should they only eat grass fed beef raised in Washington County that's free from antibiotics because the farmers can't even give the cows essential medicine when they develop pneumonia? Should all the kids be on Paleo or an exercise nutrition diet, or should we just pack our kids lunches every week? What about low-income families who may not be able to afford to pack their kids’ lunches? Are they now subjected to settle for chicken nuggets and beef taco, all provided by the lowest bidder? As you can see, it’s not a simple or overnight quick fix.
Shelly and I have always packed lunch for our kids, usually 4-5 days out of the week. There are days when the kids really want burritos at school, and some days where we just wake up way too late and we send them out the door with a muscle milk, a little creatine, N-O Explode and Amino Vital (seriously, just kidding). We understand that sometimes life happens, and you can’t shelter yourself or your children from any environment forever, and if you do, or try, chances are you’re waiting for the mother ship with some kool-aid on hand.
Proper nutrition has always been very important for us. We believe that most health problems can be solved with a strong, healthy diet, rich in high quality vitamins, minerals and nutrients. We allow ourselves a little room for the good stuff, like cookies every 2 months or so. My challenge (not weakness) is ice cream. I usually have some kind of ice cream once a week. Interestingly, I’ve almost lost all desire for alcohol, so I figured I needed some kind of vice, and Baskin & Robins is just a block away.
So, don’t be too hard on the lunch lady. They’re really nice and they just want what’s best for our kids. I encourage continued discussion and brainstorming on this topic and please contact your local school or school district and ask them about how you can help make a difference in our children’s’ lives.
ps., whatever you do, don't call them "The Lunch Lady".
Sloppy joes, slop, sloppy joes!
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