Is Michelle Obama Really to Blame for Bad School Lunches?
May 8, 2014 | Posted by Stacy under Improving school food, Making change, School food, School lunch |
There’s a not-so-silent war being waged against Michelle Obama in response to new nutrition standards for school lunch programs. On social media, kids have been broadcasting pictures of small, unappetizing looking meals with comments like: “All we get for lunch today. Thanks, Michelle Obama.”
But is First Lady Obama really to blame for these dreadful school lunches? Yes, she’s behind the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, which changed the nutrition profile of school meals, requiring more whole grains, fruits and vegetables, along with limits on portions and sodium. But ultimately, menu items and food quality are determined by individual school districts, not Mrs. Obama.
Under the new guidelines, some districts, such as Boulder, Colorado, and Provo, Utah, appear to be knocking it out of the park with fresh, delicious and creative meals. (For more great examples, check out School Meals That Rock’s Pinterest page.)
Others, however, are serving low-quality, heat-and-serve lunches that are neither inspired or tasty and likely filled with preservatives and other additives.
That isn’t to say that they don’t have their reasons. Many school districts are seriously hurting for money. Many don’t have an inspired chef at the helm or a well-trained food service staff. Many are lacking key pieces of kitchen equipment that would help them prepare fresh, wholesome school meals, according to a recent report from the Kids’ Safe and Healthful Food Project. Many feel that they have no choice but to use canned fruits and veggies or pre-cooked USDA commodities.
Is all that Michelle Obama’s fault? Of course not. In fact, she has been an incredible champion for school food reform. Obviously, there are still a lot of kinks to work out when it comes to school lunches–and none of it is going to change if we sit around playing the blame game.
So, kids–instead of just complaining, how about rolling up your sleeves and trying to figure out a way to improve the food in your school district? Schedule a meeting with your food service director, ask to join your district wellness committee, or make it your senior project. Find out your district’s obstacles to better school food–and see what you and your friends can do to help. Ask your parents and teachers to join you. Find out if you can apply for grants or raise money to help your school deliver more fresh, well-prepared cuisine.
Turn it into a grassroots effort–not a political fight. And you just may find that your wish for satisfying and delicious food is granted.
What do you think about the cafeteria meals in your school district? Have they gotten better or worse since the new USDA nutrition standards came into play? I’d love to hear! Please scroll down and leave a comment.
Great post. Correct me if I’m wrong, but this new war waged sounds like the media war waged on Obama (#ThanksObama). It’s interesting because many kids probably are just engaging in this media for fun, to be a part of the newest trend. What’s unfortunate is that this trend actually has substantial impacts and primes other kids to believe that health isn’t something that should be taken so seriously. Whether or not this war is intentional, the social and health consequences impact these younger generations.
Hi Lisa — I think you’re onto something with your comparison to the #ThanksObama media war. It IS too bad, especially since the kids who are complaining obviously don’t understand the real issues–and, as you say, that it could lead other kids to believe that healthy eating doesn’t need to be taken so seriously. Thanks so much for weighing in!!
I just wish more school districts would use the forerunner’s of providing meals with real ingredients as a roadmap to improve their own programs. Why spent money on sports programs or academic challenges if you can’t fuel your students with premium ingredients, which are not any more expensive when used wisely?
I do, too!!! I think it is a matter of cost (and education). USDA commodities are really inexpensive, the price can be hard to beat. But I totally agree that good food/nutrition needs to be prioritized!
The workers tell me that over 50% of the food at their school goes in the garbage containers. The kids absolutely refuse to eat what is put in front of them. They would rather have an apple and some cookies than whole grains and fresh vegetables. I think that is partly the fault of the parents, as they have been used to a quick meal, an not fed all kinds of food, like it was many years ago. I know it is hard with both parents having to work, but perhaps the parents could take turns, and see which one of the two have new ideas for food to feed the family…inexpensively!
I applaud Mrs. Obama for working so hard to help our kids.
Some schools need to continue to work on the quality of the meals but certainly we shouldn’t be lowering our health standards. We should continue to make them better.
One reason some kids are not eating all their lunches is that they are actually given junk food before lunch. I have been witness to this at school parties. Parents give the children cupcakes, cookies, and candy right before lunch (I bring fruit and I am not even sure I should do that). Now they are supposed to do more than play with their broccoli? Certainly there are not parties every day at school or birthday cupcakes but candy is actually handed out quite often at my daughter’s school as a reward by her teacher and this may be enough to make the kids not eat their fruits and veggies. And by often I mean, as much as every other day! (I keep a record). Likewise, some kids might be willing to skip the fruits and veggies at school because they know they can get chips and cookies at home later for a snack. As parents and teachers we have to not be undermining the effort to get our kids to eat better. We should stop giving them junk foods so they will be hungry enough for the good foods. And yes by all means, we should be spending the money as a society to make sure the lunches are both healthy and enjoyable to eat. I realize for many families this would be a struggle financially and so it is all the more important our government helps out to make sure kids are eating well at school.
It should be our top priority, the health of our children right? Good food means healthy bodies and minds. And good for our society as a whole.
Excellent points, M.C. Junk food in the classroom is definitely a deterrent to kids eating school lunch. I couldn’t agree more, the health of our children should be our top priority. My oldest child is just finishing second grade, and I’ll still shocked by the state of food in our school. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!
It always starts in the home. I have been teaching my son about healthy eating since he was 4 (now 8). He knows his food groups, he knows what is a balanced diet, and he knows he has to limit desserts, snacks, and sugary drinks. If the food was good, he would probably clear his plate. My daughter, however, is a lot pickier and would probably not eat a lot of the food, whether it tasted good or not. She is still young (3), but she is also being introduced to the idea of healthy eating. People always have time to prepare lunches, whether they do it the night before or get up 10 minutes earlier in the morning. Even with junk at a school meal, kids would not get overweight with the time they should have with recess and some activity. They get overweight by the habits they form at home. I still believe the schools should provide healthy, tasty meals, but it won’t solve the problem of obesity unless learning about nutrition is also happening.