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Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution
I think I've posted about this before so sorry if it's repetitive. Have you guys seen this? It just pisses me off to no end the way children are fed so much junk all the time.
No point to this post really...just a vent of the stupid education system which is happy to feed kids crap just because it's cheaper. 
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Re: Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution
I think the problem with this idea is that so many kids don't get a nice hot dinner at home, much less a cold one. For some kids, the only meals they get are the 2 they can eat at school. I don't see how the schools could stop providing lunch and these kids still get to eat.
TTC #1 since February 2011
BFP #1 1/14/12 EDD 9/24/12 m/c at 8w4d on 2/20/12
March 2012- Dx with PCOS, started metformin
July 2012- SA completely normal
Yes, this. It's really sad
My class at the (Title I) school I used to work at would get a "third meal" on Friday afternoons before going home because about half of them more than likely wouldn't see any food over the weekend. As unhealthy as it may be, any food trumps going hungry. There's no way the school lunch program could be taken away for this reason alone.
I can't even answer this because everything I type is absolutely flameworthy and part of a much larger debate. It goes back to why I hate the Angel Tree...
I agree with these but do you guys think it's acceptable to feed such low grade foods? I'm not being snarky, I'm wondering. DH thinks calls me a hippie because I get so worked up about our foods, additives, etc. I just wonder why I get so worked up about it while it doesn't seem to bother so many others. (Or, maybe they just don't know...)
Acceptable? No, not really. But then again, I don't think a whole lot of what is done in the American schooling system is acceptable. But it's the way our society is run and I don't see any end in sight.
All I'm saying is that if it's a matter of feeding our kids low grade foods or not feeding them at all, I'm going to go with feeding them low grade foods. No, it's not right. But a lot of these poor kids have no other options in life. One of my students had both parents in jail, was living with their 18 year old sibling who was a known gang member. This particular student had no supervision whatsoever and I know for a fact didn't get food except for the meals provided at school b/c the older sibling just didn't care. Acceptable for this student to stay in the custody of the sibling? Absolutely not. But the state wasn't in any hurry to change the situation.
Our nation is screwed up.
I want to know what you think. I'm not sure which way this could go, but I'm curious about why you hate the Angel Tree (I have no opinions either way on it.)
But why is it the education system is the one filling in the food? Why not meals on wheels or churches? I mean if kids aren't getting food, shouldn't CPS be involved? And on the quality of the food, I think there are a lot of cheap quality meals that could be made instead of frozen pizza and hamburgers, chocolate milk etc. If you don't have any food at home, maybe you eat beans and rice at school.
I don't know why people don't care. I know I care more than most people I know. I think maybe a lot of people have the attitude of "if it doesn't kill me something else will". Since you can't see the cause and effect in your face maybe it's hard for people to believe what they might read or hear about food.
I know someone with a very hyper 2 year old. The parents seem to be smart educated people. They let their 2 year old drink coke even right before bed. (not to mention other junk foods she eats all the time.) They are frustrated with the child's behavior and say that "she is just hyper". They never look at trying to fix the problem as far as I know. My first thoughts in seeing their situation were that they should change this kid's diet (at least limit the sugar and caffiene). But they don't seem to look at what they are eating as anything but what they should be eating and they continue to have a "wild child" that bounces off the walls and drives everyone crazy.
Ugh. You're kind of annoying me with your opinions about this. They're horribly naive and lack any sense that you care to research this issue on your own.
"Why is it the education system is the one filling in the food?" ---
First of all, the reason the education system is filling in the lack-of-food gap is because of the National School Lunch Act of 1946. The National School Lunch Act created the National School Lunch Program. The federal government, through this act, has a legal responsibility to provide food to qualified public school students.
"If children aren't getting food, shouldn't CPS be involved?" --- In a perfect, world all children would live in homes that provided shelter, clothing, abundant, healthful food, safety, love, and an XBOX (kidding about the xbox). But we don't live in a perfect world. Making sure that children are provided adequate food is not something that CPS can effectively monitor. There are simply not enough case workers. It is also difficult to stay on top of situations where there may not be enough evidence to claim that a child truly is doing without. CPS a minimum of evidence before taking action. CPS relies on programs like the NSLP to bridge the gap.
"Why not meals on wheels or churches?" ---
I think these organizations are doing the best they can to fill in the other holes for child nutrition that NSLP, government welfare programs, etc. leave behind. However, Meals on Wheels is specific in its scope and only provides meals to the elderly who are food insecure, not to children. I believe churches, synagogues, and other religious groups are providing what they can, but they are not organizations with unlimited resources. They rely on donations from their congregants and the public to keep their food pantries open. When the economy is in the toilet, the first thing people strike from their budgets is donations to charitable organizations.
In short, people who can't afford to have children shouldn't have them. There are exceptions. Sh!t Happens. But mostly my rant is about birth control, pregnancy prevention, education and taking responsibility for your own life, reproduction and your own children. Why are we all left to make sure kids don't go to sleep hungry or have a real present for Christmas? Where's family anymore? What do these things teach kids at the end of the day? Charity makes most people uncomfortable a little bit but overtime when it becomes the norm? Then what?
Because the education system is run by the government, all children are required to be in school, and that's the easiest way for the government to step in and provide assistance for these children.
CPS doesn't get involved unless there's a certain amount of evidence that has been documented. And in the case I was talking about, we couldn't gather enough evidence. The child had a case worker, but there wasn't enough physical evidence for the courts to make him a ward of the state.
Sure, there are a lot of cheap quality meals that could be made instead of frozen pizza and hamburgers. I think that's what Jayme Oliver is trying to do with this whole food revolution thing. But change takes a lot of time and people are hesitant to change. Look at how many people are obese in our society. How did they get to be that way? Probably by eating pizzas and hamburgers. That is the way our American society runs - cheap, fast, easy, taste good food. Why would you expect the schooling system to be any different? It's run by the same people.
As to your vent, Taytee...wow. Yeah, flameworthy. Those kids don't have a CHOICE on what family they're born. I definitely don't think it's fair to punish them through childhood because their parents couldn't afford to make babies. We're left to make sure kids don't go to sleep hungry because we're all on the same team. If YOU got in a bind and suddenly couldn't afford to have your children anymore, wouldn't YOU want SOMEONE to help you feed them? I know I certainly would.
I agree with OP about how aggravating our school lunch system is.
However, when given more "healthy" foods, the kids generally won't eat them. For example, I know our school cafe uses whole wheat for their pizza dough...the kids hate it because it tastes different to them. But the cafe continues to use it because it is better for the kids and (as sucky as they are) they are still required to adhere to certain standards.
There are new rules being put into place to *try* to help the kids eat the more "healthy" food here at TX cafes. For instance, a student who is allowed to go off campus to eat can only bring back food for himself--not for anyone else. They can't share fast food they brought back. Parents can only bring food for their child--not for a ton of kids. You are supposed to sell candy and other junk like chips during the school day because it's not nutritious. I know they don't seem like much, but small steps...
I do think they cafes could be doing some more to provide more tasty healthy lunches. I am worried about my school next year when the kids won't be allowed to leave (currently juniors and seniors can leave) due to the new location of our school. I hope they can get something a little more tastey.
I can't imagine what the cafe workers go through to make lunches for 800 kids...
If the kids won't eat the healthy food then maybe they just aren't really hungry? If your only choice for meals was healthy then surely you would eat it. The kids that aren't eating the healthy food probably have other options. Starving people are not picky.
Looks to me like the education system is failing in many ways including providing healthy meals. Pesonally I wish they would just not provide meals, or just provide a very simple meal for lunch for kids that have no other options.
As pp said about charitable organizations having less money, I imagine the government will be doing with less too so some of these types of programs may have to change.
If I was hungry and desperate for food I would turn to family, friends, neighbors, churches. I would not expect the government to feed me.
In the words of the Simpsons "Won't somebody please think of the children?!" I'm not saying let them suffer. But just because the issue involves the most vulnerable of our population doesn't mean you can't point out the flaws in "the system".
There's getting in a bind (people get cancer, houses burn down etc etc) but then there's making stupid choices in your own life and leaving others to take up the slack. I don't think every kid on free lunch or the Angel Tree has a sob story. We have to hold parents accountable for the children they produce and we don't. Each generation learns from one the one before it. We just try to make up for it as best we can. Society can only fill so many voids. One gets the impression in school that society provides when nobody else can. Hard lesson to learn when you graduate and nobody is left to put food in your mouth etc. We won't hardly let kids get failing grades either... see any similarities?
I'm sorry. I hope not everyone's posts made you sad.
No, not everyone's.
I'm right there with you, Lib.
I'm sorry to have started conflict. I was just wondering opinions and I got some. I agree that the education system is effed. I don't know what the answer is, but if all the schools put something into place like what hsartteach explained maybe it would be a beginning. I don't know.
I get what you're saying, Taytee. We're in a Catch-22 here. Nobody wants children to suffer but by bailing them out constantly, the cycle just continues. I don't know what the solution is.
Who made the comment about asking family/friends for help before the gov't? Too lazy to go back and make a separate quote
You have to consider to situation of these people. These aren't people going through a temporary rough spot. These are people who have been draining from their families for years. Their families get sick of helping and eventually stop. Sometimes, the people are too embarrassed to even admit to friends or family that they need help. They'd rather be an anonymous number through gov't assistance. Then nobody has to know and judge them for spending their few dollars on booze and drugs instead of paying the gas bill.
Tangent....do you know how easy it is to get food stamps nowadays? My cousin was getting $700 a month to feed her family of 4 but she refused to even try to get a job because being a SAHM was more important. My best friend was getting $400 a month for her and her daughter because her ex would rather go on vacations than pay child support. They even give out debit cards and the money gets deposited every month so people don't have to be embarrassed at the grocery store with food stamps.
These aren't sob stories, people to pity and hold out money for. These are people who've learned how to milk the system and get what they can for free.
Here's a story.....my friend was a single mom and on medicaid. She gets with DH's best friend who was making a good salary, probably $70k a year. They wanted another baby but why pay for it? They waited to get married until AFTER she had another baby via c-section so Medicaid would pay for it.
You really want to feel sad for these people?
I am, too. I agree with much of what has been said on this post. I just get too riled up when I get into it (the welfare abusers) so I'm choosing not to. But, I have some personal acquaintances who have no problem spelling out exactly how they abuse it. So, you guys aren't the only cynical ones...I'd just rather be happy today than get angry.
people are obese for a variety of reasons but it's really sad when it's cheaper to go to McD's to feed a family of 4 than to go to the grocery store and buy fresh produce and cook a meal.
and I agree - this whole thread is just depressing...nothing against you, jess, but it sucks anyway you look at it.
That's not even true. We can't afford to eat at McDonald's regularly, its expensive. Its much cheaper to buy a package of split chicken breasts for $4, some asparagus for $3 and some rice. But we'd easily spend $25 at McDonald's to feed our family of 4.
But people are too lazy to figure this out. Its too much work to plan out a menu and go grocery shopping, and compare prices. Too much effort to convince the kid to eat real food instead of the Happy Meal. People are lazy.
Glad I'm not the only one! Thanks
But I'm not even angry about it, not anymore. Its just how things are, I can't change the world. I can only live my life according to my values and not worry about everyone else.
you could easily pick 1 or 2 things per person off of their $1 menu and it could be cheaper than the grocery store. or taco bell might be a better example.
but I agree with people not wanting to make the effort as well.
I don't watch Jamie Oliver's show right now, but I did watch the first season and the thing that struck me was how much resistance he got from ADULTS about feeding the kids healthier food in schools. Sure, you would expect that children who are used to thinking that a french fry is a vegetable to resist and complain about healthier foods. But it seemed to take an act of congress to get one elementary school to take out sugary strawberry milk for a week or something. The adults in this town (in WV, I think) seemed to really fear any changes made for the better.
I don't remember that any of the families profiled that season could be considered poor in any way. A lot of them were either over-indulgent about everything or just plain out of it regarding how much junk they were feeding their kids.
I worked at the middle school that Libby's elementary fed into and, while I agree that school lunches are disgusting, I don't think that stopping offering them is the answer. I had one kid where we couldn't even get her parents to reliably give her her antipsychotic drugs. I don't remember what she was on, but we're not talking ADD meds. We had to have the school nurse administer them because left to her own devices the child would save them up for a few days and take them all at once. They were also having trouble with her little brother who had previously been institutionalized for a mental disorder. We couldn't even get the mom to come to his ARD meeting.
And yes, CPS was called multiple times on this family for a variety of issues. Nothing was ever done.
While it may sound like a small thing to slap together a PB&J, the truth is that some parents can't be bothered even if they can afford it. I think that there are a lot of problems with the welfare system, but the school lunch program is one where at least the children are directly benefitting. Like I said, I think the food is disgusting, but at least it's food.
I am going to restrain myself from saying anything else...
Yes. I know I said I was done, but apparently I'm not. What happened to "it takes a village?" Why are we [the collective we] so selfish anymore that we can't have a little compassion for CHILDREN who have no power to make their lives better? You know, those CHILDREN that will be in charge of our well being when we're old and in nursing homes. The children that are the future of our country.
I know the OP wasn't trying to turn this into a debate and I really try hard not to judge people for what they believe. But I just can't wrap my mind around condemning children because of their parents choices. It's pretty disgusting to me, actually.