This just in from the Food Police Chronicles ….
A state employee required a preschooler at West Hoke Elementary in Raeford, North Carolina on January 30, 2012 to eat chicken nuggets during lunch because her lunch brought from home was not nutritious enough.
The child’s lunch contained a turkey and cheese sandwich, a banana, potato chips, and apple juice.
The state agent decided that the girl’s lunch did not meet USDA guidelines and required that the child be given a “healthier” alternative. Â Furthermore, the state agent apparently inspected all the children’s lunches that day in the four year old classroom. Â No word if other children were asked to eat chicken nuggets as well.
USDA guidelines mandate that all children’s lunches contain one serving of meat, one serving of milk, one serving of grain, and two servings of fruit or vegetables even if the lunch comes from home. Â The Division of Child Development and Early Education at the Department of Health and Human Services requires child care providers to supplement children’s lunches with whatever compulsory items are missing.
The mother of the child who ate the three chicken nuggets, who prefers anonymity fearing retaliation, said she received a note from the school warning her that her child’s lunch was not nutritious enough and that noncompliance in the future could result in fees from the school cafeteria.
Since when are industrially processed chicken nuggets (aka “pink goo”) fried in genetically modified, rancid vegetable oils and nuked in a microwave healthier than a turkey and cheese sandwich and a banana brought from home?
School cafeterias don’t even qualify as real kitchens in most cases as cafeteria workers only have access to giant microwaves that quickly heat up the overly processed, factory fat laden, genetically modifed, agricultural dumping ground food they serve.
Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma, says that bureaucratic rules require that schools buy food only from the cheapest bidder.
The sad truth is that only the cheapest, most nutritionless, most highly processed garbage food makes the cut for the school lunch program.
Many parents are choosing to pack their children’s lunches until better food is served at school, but apparently these efforts are being thwarted by the Food Police who are determining that homepacked meals are not up to snuff.
This story is yet another outrageous overstep by an overly aggressive, nanny style government increasingly insistent on raising our children according to its own standards while ignoring our own.
Only a lawsuit is going to stop this sort of thing from progressing and getting worse in the future. Hopefully, this mother can gather her courage and file a legal complaint immediately to force these overzealous government workers back in their bureaucratic box.
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist
If the government stooges threw away something I gave my child and then charge me for it, there would be a problem! Somebody has to sue to get there attention.
I don’t even know where to start with this one. First of all, I have kids with food allergies so that’s like my Captain Obvious point about staying the heck outta my kids’ lunches. Second, my littlest and I are starting GAPS so frankly, no thanks to the “healthy whole grains” and all the other processed foods. And Amen to your thoughts about food quality of school lunches anyhow! Talk about infringing on personal freedoms!!! If a family wants to send Lunchables and Ho Hos with their kids – that is their choice – be it a poor one. What next.
Progressives want/NEED this type of goverment controll.
Righties can’t even spell ‘control’. Also, you are wrong. Let’s just start with properly regulating the financial sector, shall we? And remind me again who is trying to control women’s bodies?
This seems like a story out of some kind of post apocalyptic movie where moms are not allowed to feed their own children, and the children are given rations by the government. I know that, as others have said, my own experience with cafeteria lunch was off-putting, to say the least. It really is unbelievable to me that the government’s dietary agenda trumps the rights of a parent to feed their children based on their own beliefs and personal preferences. Thanks for sharing!
I can’t believe the school did that! As a parent, with a child who has food allergies, I would be highly pissed if they fed my daughter anything that was outside her lunchbox! I hope the.mother files a lawsuit! I know I would! What gives schools the right to feed our children that garbage? That’s why a lot of us parents pack our kids lunches!!!
oh heads would ROLL here. my son has major food allergies. He got school lunch once and I think I made the sub cry when I found out. he could have died!
the idea that some random stranger knows better than a parent what to give a child infuriates me!
Not just public schools…government funds on some of the private sector also!!!
The comments on this article are more infuriating than the article itself (not this thread, the thread on the article). I’m so tired of people thinking there is a giant conspiracy theory aimed at removing all of our rights, destroying our rights as parents and (in the case) taking over our children’s lives. Most likely this is a case of preschool policy. Most states only provide care to preschool children who are low-income or military. As a result of this “special” treatment parents often have to agree to certain things (such as “I will provide a lunch for my child that meets these standards, and if I don’t, I agree that the school has the right to.”
Also, the writer is very misinformed about how ALL cafeteria’s in America function. Certainly there are some school districts that offer poor/unhealthy/processed meals, but many do not. I can’t think of anything I’ve seen in my daughter’s lunch room that has been processed other than low-sugar cold cereals. She eats 2-4 fruits and vegetables every meal and always has a vegetarian option.
There are sweeping generalizations and ignorant statements all over both this article and the comments.
Homeschooling is great, we’re actually pulling my daughter out of public school to homeschool next year, but we all know that “THIS” isn’t the the reason why people homeschool. And, if this level of ignorance and over-reaction to probably a very reasonable policy aimed at making sure low-income children reason the proper amount of nutrition IS why you homeschool, I fear for your children’s educations and futures.
The nice thing is homeschoolers aren’t just “cloistered evangelicals” anymore. Homeschooling crosses religious and idealogical boarders. That helps if/when the gov’t tries to crack down on it.
We homeschool as well, best thing ever 🙂