What Do You Think? Schools Should Ban Brown Bag Lunch from Home?

If that were to happen, we might have to move. Seriously. Either that or I would be packing my kid's lunch as protest and all he would have for lunch is Oreos and Coke. (Yes, I am being facetious, but not by much).
I'm the parent and I should be the one making choices about what my kid eats. I don't need the nanny state.

I didnt read any other posts so I might repeat..... I think it's dumb. Seriously, schools and government are getting too involved in people's lives. Trying to control what people can and can't eat.

It's an interesting issue. It seems that the parents are (on average) sending in food that is actually less healthy than what is served in the cafeteria. And while I do find that hard to believe, I look at what my preschool son's classmates bring to school and am truly horrified - almost all prepackaged processed 'meals' with 'fruit snacks' instead of fruit, soda or juice drinks (hello, they are 5), chips, doritos and actual candy. He appears to be the only child who has a serving of fruit, a vegetable, a whole grain item and a dairy/nut or other protein. So I can only guess what they eat once they are school age.

I would much prefer that the schools ban certain items the way some schools have banned peanuts. The fact that many kids throw away their lunches is not a convincing argument for me. Soooo, no one has bothered to teach them to eat fruits, vegetables and milk or water - therefore, let's have them eat hot dogs, chips and soda - doesn't quite work for me.

I like my kids to have more veggies in their diets, and fresh ingredients, and I prefer organic. So, HECK NO!

Also, I'm plain SICK of the government, communtity, society, schools thinking it is THEIR job to make decisions for what is right for the kids. It's MY decision.

...and I KNOW you lazy, blame everyone but yourselves parents for your kids bad behavior/bad diet and whatever else you wanna blame OTHER people for... it's B.S. Step up, they are your kids. your responsibility, NOT the schools, not government programs, etc. THEY don't need to change and modify and charge higher taxes because you can't do it on your own, YOU need to get off your lazy, bad parenting butt and do it yourself!

This hit a nerve! HAHAHA! Any kind of thing that lessens a parent's choice I'm not in favor of. I know that not all parents feel this way- they like others to do all the thinking and decision-making for them :)

I am not generally in favor of this - for all the reasons stated below. I think it is about educating parents on making healthy choices for their children - not taking away their ability to make parental decisions.

But this is ONE school - not the entire district.

Also, I wanted to provide some factual information for you.

*Chicago public schools always has 1 fresh fruit. Usually it is an apple or an orange.

*milk, chocolate milk and water is offered as a drink

*A Salad option is always offered

*in addition to the salad, children have the option of either 2 or 3 options of 'main course' choices

*CPS provides a menu that tracks calaries and nutritional information by day and by selection choice.

*Yep - most of the meals are not gourmet - or even as good as what I could cook for my family. But I can cook well and with fresh ingredients.

This school in particular........
*In this particular school, 99% of the students qualify for free or reduced lunch. It is an extremely poor area of the city (north lawndale) which is prone to violence.

*36% of the students do not speak english at grade level and receive supplmental 'english as a 2nd language' support.

This principal through her perserverence in getting grants/partnerships from outside CPS has brought extra curricular activities to this school that are not provided by CPS - arts, music and PE to name a few.

This is a year round "Track E" school and the principal instituted a dress code.

This school EXCEEDS not only CPS but state of IL standards in:

Math 79.4% (CPS 76%)
Science 75.7% (CPS 67%)
Attendance 97% (CPS 95%)
participation in extracurricular activities 78% (67%)

In addition, parent satisfaction was 91% vs 89% for CPS as a whole

These results are DESPITE poverty, violence and language barriers and being a neighborhood ONLY (no magnet or selective enrollment students to bring 'up' the #s).

Additionally.....
Little Village Academy is designated as an Illinois Horizon School to Watch receiving national recognition for its exemplary practices. The Academy is currently on Track E year round school calendar and partners with Livio Medical Center to provide programs in sports, music and creative writing with Barrel of Monkeys to enchance academic achievement for all students.

But by all means let's get bent out of shape and focus on what our kids can/cannot bring to school for lunch. This is a SCHOOL POLICY. not a civil rights issue. Really?????? It's not discriminatory. CPS has a policy that you are free to apply to any neighborhood school if you don't like yours. If they have space available they will accept you.

By all means take your kid out of this high functioning success story of a school so you can exercise your RIGHT to send them lunchables and juice.

I say that principal should institute WHATEVER policies will help her teach those kids, who are at extremely high risk for being recruited into a gang or dropping out of school.

We gripe that teachers aren't doing enough to help our kids and then when they do we don't like that either and we tell 'em to butt out and scream civil rights.
Well, exercise your 'rights' and move your kid to a different (and probably less successful school) if you don't like it. THAT IS FREEDOM. "Freedom" is not crying foul if you don't like it and demanding that your kid get to bring whatever they want for lunch. Soooooo not important in the scope of these kids lives.

What's too bad is that the Chicago Tribune slanted the article the way they did -which causes people to NOT read the entire story and not look at all the factors involved and then rush to judgement.

Just my $0.02

No way.
I had to look up the article.
" At his public school, Little Village Academy on Chicago's West Side, students are not allowed to pack lunches from home. Unless they have a medical excuse, they must eat the food served in the cafeteria.
Principal Elsa Carmona said her intention is to protect students from their own unhealthful food choices.
"Nutrition wise, it is better for the children to eat at the school," Carmona said. "It's about the nutrition and the excellent quality food that they are able to serve (in the lunchroom). It's milk versus a Coke. But with allergies and any medical issue, of course, we would make an exception."

Apparently this policy has been in place for 6 years.
She comes across as the ultimate food Nazi.
How exactly does a public school principal have a right to tell me what my kid can or can't eat?
Don't get me wrong, my son eats a school bought lunch. I'm not very good at making bag lunches. But to be FORBIDDEN to pack a lunch as I see fit just makes me see red. I can't see how this could be legal.

Absolutely not. What if I want my children to eat Kosher or Halal? Is the school cafeteria going to abide by my strict dietary laws? Probably not.

I understand that the whole idea behind this is to make sure the children have a nutritionally balanced meal which is great but I certainly don't like the idea of having the option of me providing a meal for my child taken away.

Depends on what they are serving at school. Our school lunches are atrocious so I have to send whole grains, fruits, veggies, etc or my kids would eat processed garbage. If they serve a healthy lunch, and I mean healthy by my standards, then sure. But I don't foresee that happening anytime soon.

- EDIT: Those with allergies are allowed to bring their own lunch, but good point on the religious aspect. I understand in theory what they are trying to do - stop moms from sending in garbage and soda. But, overall, it is a bad idea.

What my children eat is up to me. What your children eat is up to you. My kids don't eat organic, but they also have never had a soda in their lives and they are 11 and 13. We manage to find a healthy balance, even though they are picky eaters.

My kids do eat at school and occasionally bring a lunch from home. I just don't understand how this can be legal and what give this principal the right to not only demand this, but enforce it as well.

This is getting ridiculous. At what point do we say "enough already?"

Edited: Wow, just read Brenna's post. I have to admit, I'm kind of embarrassed for getting on my soapbox without looking into the facts of the matter. Yes, she is right, generally speaking, this is a bad idea. But for this particular school, it makes all the sense in the world.

Maybe my next soapbox should be directed at the media instead of people trying to take a complex situation and make it work.

Thank you, Brenna, for setting us straight. I appreciate the time and effort you put into your post.

i am sick and tired of the government overstepping their boundaries.....it's another case of the government knows best and all kids have to have the same things, no one can have something worse or better than the other.........they don't have any business telling parents what to feed their children, whether they believe it's too unhealthy or not

thank goodness i live in the burbs and if it comes out here i will home school, although there is a big power grab on that too

I have heard about it and no I would not support it. Most parents who take the time to pack a lunch generally do so to ensure their child eats a good nutritional meal.

Until the Obama-First Lady initiative goes thru which requires school lunches to be a higher standard with better and more nutritional options - I would absolutely fight this brown bag ban!!

No, I would not support it unless there were some definite changes in what the school served and the way they served it. I think our school does a pretty good job, however, I think kids deserve options. Those should be healthy options but the part of the article that said one choice or they can go hungry for the day really bothered me. Also, I would be concerned about the cost impact to families who do not qualify for free or reduced lunch, but would still find the cost to be a strain to their budgets. I think the sentiment behind it, teaching and instilling healthy eating habits is great, I think we as a country are a long way from doing that in a positive and productive manor in the average school.

I'm just wondering what they are doing with the kids with allergies. When cooking food together there is such a danger of contamination. I would not like it at all. Not only would I have to spend MORE money by buying lunches everyday, but I would have to worry about them using butter in my childs food. Uhgggg... If they do that in California, I'm going to fight it.

UPDATE...

Ok... Just got the correct link to it. It said that children with allergies were excluded. But still..... I agree with the other moms with the standards of the school food. I feed my children lots of fresh vegetables and fruit. are the schools going to invest in healthy produce? Don't think so, it will have to be cost effective, so that means cheap food with lots of salt and preservatives. I've seen food at schools and apart from a salad bar, the food does not look healthy to me. Pizza and mac'n'cheese is not healthy. No different than what some parents pack in brown bags.

Have you HAD the school lunches?? It is GROSS. ;(

There is no way our kids should be forced to eat that stuff.

NO that sounds awful- unless you know the nutrition is going to be to your standards but even then I don't think it's a good idea. With all the different religious beliefs and allergies and just family eating choices, I can't see how they could possibly get away with something like this.

Here is the link: http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookout/20110411/us_yblo...

I think it is terrible! I do understand that some parents do not pack nutritious meals for their children. I have seen soda, chips, cookies and candy come out of lunch bags. However, to force a parent to not have the RIGHT to send their child to school with what they feel is an appropriate lunch is just wrong!

ABSOLUTELY NO WAY the school tells me what to feed my kid!!! Ever!

Considering some of the slop they serve in these schools, I would be ourtraged! When I was in school we had the following, a la carte: Fried chicken sandwiches, pizza, fries, cheese burgers, TACO BELL BURRITOS! While I understand the point of making sure that the children eat more nutritional choices, that doesnt mean we should put more hardship on parents to have to spend extra money on school lunches. Just because you make too much money to go on a free or reduced lunch program, doesnt mean you can afford an extra 12.50 a week for one child; what if there are two or three? I would start a petition threatening to pull my child out of the school. If your child isnt there, the school doesnt get paid.

Absolutely not.

1 - Chicago Public Schools (CPS) are absolutely awful despite the fact that they have tried to legislate every form of parenting possible.
2 - Taxpayers are footing the bills for these (mostly) free - yes, I said free - breakfasts and lunches that are provided by the school.
3 - A vast majority of parents who are sending their students to schools that have the mandatory, no-pack, free lunches aren't packing their lunch in the first place and typically would not know how to pack a nutritious lunch either.

The money is being flushed down the toilet and the food is being thrown in the garbage. Sounds like an absolute waste to me!

I think if the school is refusing to allow outside food the parents should rally together to FORCE the school to provide nourishing, healthy, balanced lunches made with real whole foods for the children at a cost the parents can afford.

I think the school is going to run into a lot of legal issues with this and parents with children who have special dietary needs are going to push this right into court, which is where it needs to be.

I don't think it's right of the school to force families to pay for lunches while removing the ability for their children to bring a lunch from home.

Absolutely NOT! My son takes his lunch every day. I pack a healthy lunch that I know he will eat. If he was forced to eat the food at school most of it would go in the trash! They think we are so stupid that we can't even pack good food for our kids! That's what happens when libs are in charge. We shouldn't be able to have salt at restaurants, no toys in happy meals, no soft drinks in government buildings, etc etc etc. We are all just idiots who can't make healthy choices for ourselves or our families and they need to do it for us. Grrrr!

Added: Some throw facts at you as if that makes it okay for a principal to take parents rights away. It not okay and if 99% of the kids get free/reduced lunch they are getting school lunches anyway. Plus, the question clearly stated would it be okay if it happened in MY area. I don't care how HEALTHY the lunches are it is a matter of principle. I chose to have children and it MY responsibility to raise them.

My oldest is only in kindergarten. It's half day but a few times she's had a full day and was given the option of buying lunch or bringing. When I saw the menu of what the school was offering those days it was always, always JUNK!! E.G. French toast sticks, hash browns, canned fruit, syrup, and milk or juice. ALL PROCESSED WHITE CARBS AND SUGAR!! I will never ever send my kid to school without a bag lunch! If they made the ban in my area that would clench my decision to home school my children.

My question is this...Is this a poor/inner city school district where most would qualify for free food anyway? (Not that I am pro this decision but I think we really should look at the conditions of that school district, not for the school districts we live in) I would also like to say that the school districts in my area do serve fresh fruits and veggies everyday. There are very few (like twice a month) desserts. And most main courses are made from scratch - and they are starting to include more whole grains into the meals. They are following the new guidelines that have not been implemented yet.

Sorry, but my kid would starve. The ONLY food prepared by the school that she will eat, is pizza. That's it.

I haven't read the story or followed your link, but I did hear a whiff of this a few months ago on talk radio. It is just one more area where the schools (i.e., the government) are trying to take over our lives and our kids. I am by no means a conspiracist or an off the deep end right winger... but please. I can think for myself. I also don't need the government to "take care of me". It's called being an adult. And as such, I take care of my kids. I don't need some government beauraucracy telling me what I need/don't need or can/can't do for my kid. If I want to send Cheetos in with her as part of her lunch. I will. But I send healthy stuff too. I (as in ME) get to decide when and if I want her to enjoy the treat of junk in her lunch on occasion. I DARE them to tell me I can't, and that I must fork over more tax $ so that THEY get to decide what "they" will feed her. She's MY child. Not "society's" child. We do not live in a communist or socialist society here in the U.S. Not yet at least. Though there are those who want us to...

Now that my rant is done, I'll step down off the box....

I hadn't heard about this... That is way out of line. No school should be able to ban lunches from home. Too me, that is over stepping boundary lines.

As a parent I would be outraged!!!! My daughter brought a homemade muffin made with whole wheat flour, carrots, raisins and very little sugar to school once and her teacher told her it was not healthy. It had more nutrition then the pretzels the little boy was eating next to her. This is why I would want to pack my childs lunch. Plus my younger daughter had food allergies and what if someone did not know there was milk in something. I should be in charge of my childrens health. I am the parent.

No - I would NOT support that. Yuck. School food is not what I would choose for my kid to eat every day.

I've never heard of this! No, I would not support this at all. I volunteer at the school my children attend and I am grossed out by the foods they serve to these children. Seriously mama's, you should see for yourself what your school is serving your children. One day, a little boy raised in hand. He was crying. I went to him to see what was wrong. He said, "I can't eat my lunch." I said, "Why?" He jabbed his fork into the chicken patty and it was hard as could be. I took it to the lunch lady and complained on behalf of this child and he was given a "new" lunch but I have to say, it wasn't much better. When I say most of the kids don't eat the "healthy" stuff on their trays, I have to say it's probably a bigger percentage than most. I prepare lunch for my children at home, things that are healthy and good for them. And yes, there are ways to be creative and give children something fancier than a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I would never support any school that bans children from bringing their own lunch and these school lunches are not cheap either.

No way...lunch from home is way healthier and cheaper. Just how far will the government go to dictate how we live?

No way! School lunches are gross and unhealthy and parents should not be forced to have their children eat it!
Plus, it seems like it would open the door to lots of lawsuits against the school. What are they thinking?

Absolutely not! It's ridiculous! My daughter would also starve.

This would be a disaster for my kids. They have complicated food allergies. Even if they could get a medical exemption, they would then fell even more different than it is be the one kid who can't eat food like everyone else's, and now, also the only one who brings lunch from home.

It's ridiculous because it's so subjective... Everyone has a different sense of what they might call healthy.. E.g. I don't consider a fruit cup (that is to say, fruit in syrup) healthy..... however, some will say it's fruit. or those who think giving their kid(s) chocolate milk is ok since they are at least getting "milk" which in my opinion, I am not convinced 100% that dairy is the best for us... Not to mention, I highly doubt that any salad dressing being served is freshly made, in other words. it's probably some kind of processed dressing and has some source of sugar in it.... That said, NO I don't agree with the types of lunches a school might serve a child... it's such a big joke and I have to believe there is a union involved in this somewhere............ the food companies that the schools use are probably somehow in the trenches with the union companies.. also, dairy companies have had a stronghold on schools for eons.............. this isn't about good nutrition this is about POLITICS AND MONEY......... don't be fooled..

Updated

It's ridiculous because it's so subjective... Everyone has a different sense of what they might call healthy.. E.g. I don't consider a fruit cup (that is to say, fruit in syrup) healthy..... however, some will say it's fruit. or those who think giving their kid(s) chocolate milk is ok since they are at least getting "milk" which in my opinion, I am not convinced 100% that dairy is the best for us... Not to mention, I highly doubt that any salad dressing being served is freshly made, in other words. it's probably some kind of processed dressing and has some source of sugar in it.... That said, NO I don't agree with the types of lunches a school might serve a child... it's such a big joke and I have to believe there is a union involved in this somewhere............ the food companies that the schools use are probably somehow in the trenches with the union companies.. also, dairy companies have had a stronghold on schools for eons.............. this isn't about good nutrition this is about POLITICS AND MONEY......... don't be fooled..

Oh HELL NO! When schools ie the government starts telling parents what and how and when they can and cannot feed their children, my child gets yanked out of school!

There's already too much government involvement in how we live our lives and raise our kids, parents rights are being stripped away more and more everyday. We've created a whole generation of "parents" that think it's the schools responsibility to not only educate, but completely raise their children, what a crock!

oh my gosh the schools are taking it to the next level who the hell are they to decided what your children eat. I would be livid and would have alot to say about that. Its because they want them to spend money on the crappy lunches served there...

Yikes. No way would this be okay with me. Do the teachers have to buy THEIR lunch in the school cafeteria too? Perhaps if the adults that make these laws would actually STEP INTO A SCHOOL CAFETERIA and eat the food and see what goes on in a school cafeteria, they would change their minds about a lot of these laws and rules that they want to set.

I could go on and on about all the food I've seen thrown in the trash by the students who were 'required' to get one fruit and one milk and one veg on their lunch trays, and of the children who had to throw their apple away b/c they were full, but they weren't allowed to take their apple home to eat later as a snack (I saw some hide their apple in their shirt)...... but I'll go ahead and stop here or else my blood pressure will just go up like crazy. This topic gets my blood boiling!

I have a son who has peanut allergies. I would want the school to take reasonable precautions to avoid this.

That being said, I would not want my school district to ban brown-bag lunches. That would make me very angry.

(Caveat--I didn't read the referenced article before replying).

seriously, it sounds like a lawsuit waiting to happen - with food allergies and families who have dietary restrictions or religious reasons for their food choices, I'm surprised that any school would even try to make a no-bag-lunch policy.
(BTW I *WORK* for my school's lunch program and it's a pretty darn good one too with a lot of fresh fruits and veggies, but I still wouldn't vote for a policy that would make it the only place kids could get lunch b/c it's more cost-effective for me to prep my kids' lunches at home - they buy lunch once a week)

My son would have to be homeschooled because he abhors school lunch! And, I can't blame him!

My stepkids bring lunch for many reasons - sometimes gross, overpriced food and lines so long they can't eat without wolfing it down and getting indigestion. I plan to pack my DD's lunch so she gets what I want her to eat and gets things she likes, like fresh fruit, and doesn't get apple anything (which she is allergic to - she also has limits to the number of oranges she can have vs what she might want to eat). Besides which, we feel that most school lunches are a waste of money and even if we spend more packing, it's stuff that won't be wasted, not overdone green beans that are going in the trash. HAVING an option (like fruit or salad) is different than kids actually eating it. Encourage them to eat it instead of making it a rule.

I think if the ban is because some kids brought junk, then find another way to deal with it, but don't ban home lunches. Are they going to provide for every child who needs special meals? What if the family keeps kosher? Doesn't eat meat? The kid has an allergy? If I were a parent there, I'd be screaming about it. I WAH so I'd probably show up every day to sign my kid out for lunch but I know most people can't do that.

It makes me wonder whose pocket is being filled (does he get kickbacks from the cafeteria food company?) with something like this. It's not even about a peanut allergy or anything.

While I get that there are a lot of factors, I think the kids and families would be better served to be educated about the value of the school lunch offered and/or the free food option vs a total ban and then have to make everyone who doesn't want to participate file for an exception. I think it still gets back to why is he making a choice for the families vs encouraging them to make the choice for themselves? I'm a parent, not an idiot, and the school is not raising my kids.

This isn't an issue in my household, as we home educate here, but on the whole I have to say it's a horrible idea. Parents who so choose to pack a lunch for their child should be able to. Until they can guarantee that school lunches are made from organic fruits, vegetables, meats, grains, etc, and that there are no unhealthy ingredients (high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, chemicals, etc), then there is no contest. Having the ability to pack a healthful lunch for your most prized charges is important!!

I would take my child out of that school so fast. I don't know what kind of food they serve but I am betting that none of it is organic etc. I like to know what I am feeding my daughter.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookout/20110411/us_yblo...

here is the link

EDIT I skim read the article (will read more after work) but I think 2.25 per day for lunch is high...that is $45.00 per month. They say its tough loving unless you have an allergy. I will say there are times where my kid will probably not eat the best, but I doubt they will be giving my kid fresh fruit..its too expensive, they would give her canned fruit that is full of sugar. I dont know..Im kind of torn. I guess I would like to have the OPTION to brown bag it.

Good Heavens, I HOPE there's something I don't know about that story! Can you post a link?

Wow... That is a bunch of crock if you ask me. I don't agree with that one bit. What if the child of a family has allergies that need to be focused on, or if the child has special needs in general concerning diet? Plus how can they guarantee that the children will get the proper nutrition they need. Like mentioned, alot of schools don't provide very healthy menus. No if the school needs money they should come up with a better way to make it than milk families for it by banning home lunches.

Well, I know i will e homeschooling if we ever move there! If they micro manage lunch, what is the classroom like?

its all about Big Brother, Sister.
Our school went to a policy that every child must have a cafeteria account ( that ties into their district account with academic etc info). Even if your child pays with cash the cashier must log their purchases through their cafe account so the school can track them. This purchase history will stay on your childs permemant record and follow them forever.

I would not mind if they had rules for lunches brought from home, say no soda drinks, even no sugary treats...and I would LOVE if they re-did school menus and offered healthy choices ( not a fan of our school lunches here) but I send healthy from home lunches to school with my daughter and she is a picky eater and I would fight tooth and nail if they said I was not allowed to send a lunch for her and was required to purchase school lunches.

Absolutely not! I resent the way our schools already treat parents like the automatic bad guy in every situation. I understand that there are some parents who don't take care of their kids, but the majority of parents I know bend over backwards to care for their families, including providing them healthy food options. Also, most kids I know (including my own) who bring lunches bring a much healthier selection than what my kids end up buying on the rare occasions they buy school lunch.

I would not support it, no way. There are a lot of people who cannot afford to buy lunch every day and have to pack whatever they have in their house. I remember being a little kid going to school and we had to pack because we were too poor to buy lunch, we had 6 kids in my family. What if they had banned it then and we werent allowed to bring lunch? Would we have to go hungry all day because we couldnt afford school lunch?

I dont think it's fair and hope that it doesnt go through.

no, unless the food provided at school was 100% healthy and %free. Ban production of junky food, ban use of hormones, ban use of pesticides, do not punish the hard working american barely making ends meet. in this economy who can afford 2+ dollars per child per lunch? one with 3 school-aged kids will pay almost 8 bucks a day!!!!!!

I don't think my daughter could eat- she is milk, egg, peanut and fish allergic -- if she wasn't permitted to brown bag her lunch. I don't believe she will ever be able to safely "buy" the school lunch. Obviously a policy like that doesn't solve the underlying problem...but might make it safer for those with JUST peanut and tree nut allergies by making sure the cafeterias and catering places do not use any foods that are tainted with those food items. UPDATE: I just googled and there is an exception for those with medical excuses apparently....

By the way - my school had GREAT lunch options (I grew up in Pennsylvania) and I bought lunch almost every day of the week growing up :) Guess it depends on the school....

If the school provided a well balanced healthy meal then I would be fine with it. Unfortunately way to many school districts provide unhealthy processed foods that are not healthy for kids because its cheaper for their already small budgets. If that was the case I would dispute it. I want my kids to have healthy food with real nutritional value. Have you seen Jamie Olivers Food Revoulution in Huntington (I think). SCARY! Once the kids ate healthy unprocessed food they liked it. Processed food is a major issue in our country, and while it's quick and easy, the side effects are long lasting.

One more thing, I think people that provide lunches for their kids need to keep other kids allergies in mind and teach their kids about allergic reactions. My kids are only in day care right now but at Halloween, Valentines, and Easter the provider has to remind parents "no peanuts" when bringing in treats. Luckily my son only has a mild allergy to peanuts but there are kids that can't be anywhere near peanuts or they have severe reactions. Bagged lunches need to be monitored somehow for things like this too.

This wouldn't affect my eldest daughter since she buys lunch every day on the discounted program and she enjoys school lunches. My middle daughter has a very restricted diet for medical reasons and while our school lunches are pretty decent, the majority of the time she wouldn't be able to eat them because of either her medical issues or her sensory issues ie. her self-restricting diet. We would probably qualify for a medical dispensation in her case. My youngest daughter will probably get lunch daily as well but she enjoys lunch from home and eats very healthfully. A rule like this would be redundant in our house.

I can see a need for it, though, since in many towns and cities school breakfast and lunch is the only food some children get. A friend works in our capital city as a special ed teacher and all of her students eat at school. None of them eat supper at home because they're below the poverty level or because their parents aren't even home to prepare food for them to eat. They don't even have snacks at home. During vacations the schools open the cafeteria for breakfast and lunch for the kids and their families to make sure they have enough to eat. So in certain circumstances I can get behind the program but not make it across the board required for everyone.

According to the article it sounds like the school is required to meet nutritional guidelines, so they probably won't be serving a lot of highly processed food. Several schools across the country have banned unhealthy snack food with healthier options like fruit and cheese. Research has shown that hungry kids will eat...they just might get used to the fruit/vegetables that are being served with lunch if that's their only option. I would be all for it if the food was truly healthy, I think the school's intentions are very good in trying to encourage better eating habits and prevent childhood obesity.

No, I don't think they should. However, I think school lunch bashing is ridiculous too. No, everything they serve isn't delicious. But the federal and state goverments regulate everything that goes into a school lunch. They regulate the nutritional content of each meal. Typically, a director has to plan their school's menus each week to meet a certain level of nutrition (ie- less the 30% of calories from fat, etc). What a child is required to put on their plate is dictated by the goverment as well, along with portion sizes. I know a great deal of people who work in the child nutrition industry, including my mother, who has been in sales and product development for food manufacturers for almost 20 years. If you could see how much work these companies put into developing nutritrious products that meet all the regulations and that the school district can still afford to serve you might understand the dilemma. Perhaps, if more parents were willing to pay as much for school lunch as they are for a Happy Meal or a bowl of macaroni at Applebee's, kids could eat gourmet at school! My personal feeling is that healthy, nutritious eating starts at home with PARENTS. If you don't feel that an institution is meeting your child's nutritional needs, it is your responsiblity to rectify the situation. Ok, I'll get off my soapbox now.