School Lunch Follow-Up

It’s how you say things that matters

Last year I had a blog post about the quality of the school lunches at my kids’ school.  I angered some friends who defended the frozen and re-heated stuff the kids were getting, the multiple forms of pizza served a couple of times per week, and the feneral “healthiness” of the food.  I disagreed and hoped for the better. 

I have to say I was a bit happier with this year’s offerings as the school is being required to up the nutritional value and “quality” of the choices.  I’ve heard some grumblings about the menu, but mainly from parents as they read things like “Whole Grain Chicken Bites”, “Oven Roasted Potatoes”, “Whole Grain Bun”, “Whole Grain Rotini”, “Whole Grain French Bread Pizza” and other items.  These sound good to me but I understand that whole grain items can come in a whole range of “good-eats to bad eats” reactions and it is all how it is executed.  My kids get sandwiches from home a lot, the bread their sandwiches are made with are generally a whole grain or whole wheat bread.  They don’t really “know” this – it is just “bread”.  

So herein lies my commentary on the new lunch menu.  There has been a lot of chatter and talk about the kids rejecting the menu because of certain buzzwords. Kids won't eat it if it is "too healthy sounding" they say.  Kids don't like that kind of food etc.  If they are worried that kids would read the menu and freak out about the words “whole grain” and “baked fries” and such why on earth are they putting those words on the menu?  Put a line on either the top or bottom of the page indicating what the ingredients are and then just call the meal “French Bread Pizza” or “Rotini and meatballs” and such. 

Today was the first day of school and when my kids asked what was for lunch I left off all of the “whole grain” this and that and told them chicken, roasted potatoes and diced peaches.  All three wanted the school lunch, all three enjoyed their school lunch – even the picky eater said she ate everything.  I wonder how many kids heard the buzzwords and decided to avoid what was finally a good school lunch option.

It’s how you say things that matters

How is the menu at your kids school this year?  Better, worse, the same?  Favorite menu items?  Share in the comments section.