Did you know that public school cafeterias don’t even have real kitchens anymore?
School 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 national school lunch program is nothing more than a dumping ground for agricultural commodities that subsidy supported industrialized farms dispose of on the government.
The sad truth is that only the cheapest, most nutritionless, most highly processed garbage food makes the cut for the school lunch program.
Until changes are made – and there are those valiantly trying to stop this scandal, you MUST pack your child’s lunch yourself. Even if all you can afford in your homepacked lunch is a humble nut butter sandwich with a banana or an apple, it is light years ahead of what your child would be served at school.
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist.com
Hi Sarah,
I just wanted to leave a note of encouragement for you. We have a local farmer on the North Olympic Peninsula in Washington state that has been fighting for 30 years to grow organic crops and to educate the public about the dangers of GMO. He now farms over 400 acres in the area. Just two days after you had this article there was an article in the local paper about how the farmers are working to get more local produce into the schools and how to extend it to more schools. At least one school does already receive some amount of food from the local farmers. So many things to do with the real food movement are discouraging. I wanted to be able to report that in some areas there is progress towards that end. I hope it brings a bit of encouragement to some people.
I really appreciate the encouragement here. My daughter is in kinder and I feel guilty sending her with a sandwich, organic deli meats, etc, and a fruit. It’s what we can afford. I just couldn’t bring myself to giver her the school lunch. It’s truly scary. She wants the lunch not because of the food but because the school separates kids that bring lunch from her friends that buy their lunch. They have to eat alone. They also provide breakfast for all kids and I have to make her late everyday in order to skip out on the “breakfast” they have for the kids.
Why are they separating the kids who bring their lunch? That sounds really odd!
Ous schools here have stoves, ovens, pots, pans, Cooks and even fridges. Who would of guessed we were not in the swing of things.
I attended three high schools and the first high school made all of their food except when they got pizza from a local business once a week or once every two weeks…
The last two did not make their food at all. I started to bring my own lunch to school half way through the year because I was sick of my veggies swimming in grease and eating chicken nuggets and mashed potatoes. Ironically, the second school I attended was told that they had to get rid of the ice tea they sold during lunch because their was too much sugar in it. They didn’t get rid of the Gatorade or anything else… The third school I attended was in NC and NC implemented a law that says vending machines can’t be available before or during lunch hours because students will want to eat from it instead… not like the cafeteria food is any better!! I especially remember seeing students forming a line for french fries every day! ugh
This discusses me. People wonder why children are having such behavior problems in school. How can they not realize that the food is a big part of the problem.