School Lunch Program
Food Chain Radio Show #982
Michael Olson, Author & Urban Farming Agriculturalist
OUR BILLION DOLLAR TRASH CAN
Should government force school children to eat healthy food?
Guests: Kyle Olson, Education Action Group; Chef Jamie Smith, Food Smith
The Crisis: Parents in the United States are doing an insufficient job of feeding their children.
Michael Olson Food Chain Radio: OUR BILLION DOLLAR TRASH CAN Should government force school children to eat healthy food?
Consequent to this failure of parenting, some children are not getting enough to eat, and so are going hungry; other children are getting too much of the wrong things to eat, and so are becoming obese.
The Solution: The federal government takes over the parenting responsibility of feeding children via the nation’s school lunch programs. Thus all children will be fed enough good food, and no child will go hungry or become obese.
To control the nation’s school lunch programs, the federal government sends money to school districts with strings attached. Each string is a condition that says, in effect, “If you want this money, you must do as we command.” Lately, the federal government has been commanding school lunch programs serve only healthy foods, and has placed strict limitations on foods containing calories, fat, sugar, sodium, and simple carbohydrates.
Government limitations mean school lunch programs are no longer allowed to serve long-time favorites like grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato soup or spaaghetti with meatballs. Nor can the parents of school children raise funds by selling cakes and pies at school bake sales. Broccoli is in, pizza is out!
Good intentions notwithstanding, the reality is many school children are simply not buying off the government’s menu, and so school lunch programs are now throwing an estimated $1 billion worth of healthy food into the trash every year. This waste leads us to ask…
Should government force school children to eat healthy food?
Michael this is a very interesting senario. I am sure the ACLU would
step in and voice there opinons on violating childrens amendment
rights. I worked in a school district in Michigan for over 40 years in
many capacities. I saw the salad bar concept. The fresh fruits and
veggies that were presented everyday. One school even received a grant
to have fresh baskets of fruit delivered to every classroom.
Everything from kiwi, mangos and pineapples. The children in general
would turn there nose up at these offerings. The biggest hit on lunch
week was always Friday, pizza day. Then the school lunch director had
a brain storm, double pizza day on Friday. The kids went nuts and so
much for the apples and oranges. Finally it became apparent that we
should serve pizza 3 days a week. So much for the B lunch which was
usually the more healthy lunch line. A line would be out the cafe for
lunch line A, pizza and two or three kids in lunch line B, wholesome
food. It really became a dollars and profit lunch program in our
school district. The kids whinned and the parents payed for pizza. The
education needs to start at home first with the children. I won’t even
go into snack pack Fridays with little debbies and ho ho’s.
I enjoy the program and try to listen on Sunday evenings or the
first of the week. I am a farmer in the big town of Ceresco, Michigan
and have been raising market vegetables for years. I have seen it all
during my 40 + years of agriculture. Good luck on your programs and
who knows maybe the system will change someday.