School lunches - YUK!!! - Parenting Issues Message Board

2mmk · 12-06-2002, 01:02 PM

I am sooo angry - need to vent and ask if anyone else has similar sitiations with their school and What can I do?? Where do I go?? Having a relative that works in the school I probably know tooo much, but: I was told that one day, our school started to serve Raw chicken nuggets, one day they served chicken fajitas at a very low temp (40 degrees-means nothing to me except is alot of the food bad/contaminated/have bacteria???) and then one day their lunch was: Chicken nuggets or French toast sticks and sausage - square patty of potatoes and GUMMY WORMS!!!! That was it!!! One of the teachers had went in complaining to the superintendant and left crying!!!! He said gummy worms were ok for a fruit subsitute??? and she was no doctor, when she disagreed on the sugar content being ok. Obviously I don't need to take my problem there. But If choose not to have my kids eat gummy worms, gummy bears. etc.... candy that should be my choice. Our menu's they pass out only say the choice of entree and at the bottom is states: Veg. fruit. bread and milk served, so I don't know exactly what else is being served. I do know many!!! other parents have requested a full menu but it is not happening. I don't want to yell/complain to the school I'll be another one who hasn't gotten anywhere! and with two children in the school system I don't want them being punished. We are from a very small community!! Am I (over-heated) on this???? Should I mellow out?? Where do I go if I want to take this higher that school personnel??? Who regulates the school lunches?? How can they be served this crap!!! That was just one example, their menu's are Gross!!! and yes my kids could carry, but that isn't very nutritional either. Alot of their friends buy, they want to although they say it doesn't tast very good, and If they carried I can control the sugar content. Any suggestions or input I really would appreciate. Thanks for listening!!

Chelle1977 · 12-06-2002, 01:18 PM

Are your kids enrolled in a public, state-funded school? If so, the school lunches are supposed to be designed to be nutritionally balanced ... I know here in MO the thought is that many kids do NOT get well-balanced meals at home and school lunch is their only chance at getting many nutrients.

I'm not sure who else you could complain to though I would think you could go to a state official. It might help if you organized the "many other parents" and presented a signed petition.

Chelle1977 · 12-06-2002, 01:20 PM

Also, if you serve nutritiously balanced meals at home, does it really hurt for them to have one thing that is a little higher in sugar?

DSW67 · 12-06-2002, 02:28 PM

In Nebraska, the state regulates the public school lunch program. What state are you from? I think they have to follow USDA guidelines. I would start by talking to the superintendant. Maybe getting enough parents together that are against the current lunch menu, have them all go and talk to the superintendant, they will listen if enough speak out.

2mmk · 12-08-2002, 05:36 PM

My children are enrolled in Public schools in the state of Michigan. No it is not bad to have one thing a little high in sugar at school, I am not one that doesn't allow my children to have sweets. They are allowed (usually after they have eaten lunch or dinner) I guess my point being - IT should be my choice and I should see that is what they are going to be served before they are served it!! The particular situations I listed are only a few - there are many others happenings. Thank you for the ideas I think myself and a few other parents are going to keep track of 1 or 2months of lunches and write them on the menus we are sent home and write a letter to a state offical. We had thought about going to School board, but that was already done a year back and nothing was done about it or at least nothing has changed!! We do a have a "free or reduced" lunch program in our school , it just blows my mind that if the "state" or some other place in the government is giving the school money for the children that qualify for free/reduced lunch they are allowed to get away with it. I know the school itself isn't giving these children the free lunches.?! Thanks again for the responses.