Back to school with a new lunch menu

New federal rules for school lunches will take effect this fall.  Luckily, for the children, no job is too small for our federal government.  And, the rules have teeth…if a school does not meet the standards, it will not be able to take your money to pay for the meals.

Here is what must happen, so parents, please prepare your children.

First, [schools] have to satisfy the federal demands for larger portions of fruits and vegetables as well as more whole-grain foods on lunch trays, all while working within tight budgets.

Second, they have to make sure kids won’t just throw the healthier food away.

The second objective could be a bit of a problem, but, as I do not have children, I’ll let parents decide.

From Hillsborough County, Florida (Tampa) your child will get “mac and cheese made with pureed butternut squash”, along with,

…a spicy black-bean vegetarian wrap and sweet-potato-encrusted fish topped with pineapple salsa.

In Knox County, Tennessee, your child will be able to munch on pizza with a tomato sauce that contains sweet potato puree.

From the above, I assume that, according to the federal government, “puree” anything is good for your child.

And, under the new rules, “students must select at least 1/2 cup of fruit or vegetable”.  Any guesses as to where most of those 1/2 cups will go?

I am all for serving healthy foods, but the federal government mandating school lunch requirements to schools seems, at least to me, a bit outside the Constitutional responsibilities of the federal government.  Somehow, I don’t think that was envisioned by our Founding Fathers, nor was the confiscation of your income needed to pay for it.

But, you tell me.  What do you think the chances will be that your child will come home from school raving about his or her lunch of sweet potato encrusted fish topped with pineapple salsa?

 

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SoundOffSister

The Sound Off Sister was an Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and special trial attorney for the Department of Justice, Criminal Division; a partner in the Florida law firm of Shutts & Bowen, and an adjunct professor at the University of Miami, School of Law. The Sound Off Sister offers frequent commentary concerning legislation making its way through Congress, including the health reform legislation passed in early 2010.

10 Comments

  1. ABO (Romney/Ryan 2012) on August 16, 2012 at 7:16 pm

    If it was me I’d take off and get me some BBQ and put up with the grief when I got back



  2. wildcat on August 16, 2012 at 9:04 pm

    So, the children MUST select portions of all this yummy puree.? Or what?? They can’t leave the lunch room table and go back to class? ? I foresee the need for parents to check the child’s backpack daily else they will have to search their houses for the source of that odd odor.



    • JBS on August 17, 2012 at 10:09 am

      That will happen when they go through the metal, explosives and banned substances search before they are allowed into the school. It will happen again when they go out for recess,? go to art or gym class, or get on the bus.



  3. Dimsdale on August 16, 2012 at 9:07 pm

    How long before the kids are fed by “mentors” that select and pre chew the food, feeding the kids like baby birds??? http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xas2fz_saturady-night-live-pre-chew-charli_fun



    • Lynn on August 17, 2012 at 3:40 pm

      Ewwww…..



  4. Linda Mae on August 16, 2012 at 11:43 pm

    Barb? — I spent 37 years working with 8th graders – had cafe duty for many of them!? What a joke!!! I found out that the fed guidelines were per week not per day so it was legal to serve nachos with cheese sauce, corn and applesauce if you balanced it with a higher protein meal the next day – like pizza.? Our lunchroom ladies were truly embarrassed by what they were forced to serve.



  5. ilovevice on August 17, 2012 at 6:38 am

    Barb,
    This troubles me, as it is a bit deceiving.
    I’ve read the links you included, also did some research.
    This vision of cafeteria workers lined up, chopping lettuce and STEAMED sweet potatoes enters my mind.
    Of course, that can’t be possible. Except for fresh fruit, ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? these foods are still pre-packaged, and full of preservatives, salt, pesticides, fungicides, growth hormones, and taste enhancers. (chemicals)
    The fact is, since the government is involved in providing school lunches, lobbyists are involved. . .?

    “The government gets a ton of pressure from a food and beverage industry frantic to keep kids hooked on a diet of sodas, snacks and hot dogs. The competition for a piece of this $10 billion market is particularly fierce right now because this year, the School Lunch Program is being reviewed and revised.”

    So the processed food giants are still involved.

    The First Lady’s school lunch…



  6. ilovevice on August 17, 2012 at 6:45 am

    Didn’t think I could do the 75 words… sorry.
    My previous link is also wrong.
    Here’s the correct link.?
    The First lady’s school lunch program . . . 4.5 BILLION dollar$ !!!!?



    • Dimsdale on August 17, 2012 at 8:28 am

      That’s almost more than she, I mean we, spend on her wardrobe!



  7. JBS on August 17, 2012 at 10:21 am

    Are these sweet potatoes the ones farmers can’t sell at market? It sounds like the government has found an outlet for USDA surplus food stuffs. But, pureed?
    ?
    Pureed means processed. Just like white french-fried, potatoes, I’d be willing to bet that the processing of the sweet potatoes adjusts for sweetness, starch and textural consistency. Which means add sugar or corn-syrup, add or leach out starch, and mash the whole mess. Oh, then cook it. Yummy! (It sounds like baby food.) How did Lucy put it? “Bleah!”
    ?
    This has Moochel’s fingerprints all over it.



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