Interesting Concept

[vbactivist]

http://azstarnet.com/news/local/arti...tml?mode=story

This is actually a friend of mine's daughter's school. I think it is a good concept, but I know there are lots of parents who would not be okay with it.

[journeymom]

My gut reaction to that first paragraph was intense irritation. You don't mess with my kid's lunch!!

But I put a lot thought into my kids' lunches and they're pretty darned healthy.

I think I'm all for this policy. I'm pretty disgusted with the food served at our primary grade schools. Cheap garbage. I was shocked and so disappointed when my first child started to school.

"There are all kinds of emotional and behavioral problems that can happen if you tell a child to never, ever eat a cookie. They may do just the opposite once they are at a rebellious stage,"

Well, this might be the fault of tricksy editing/writing. But I bet no one at that school ever told a child they can never, ever eat a cookie.

[aslyn]

I'd be interested to find out if the school participates in the free lunch program? This seems extreme in my book, lower income folks might not be able to afford all the "healthy" stuff that this school requires, and some kids might have allergies that aren't accounted for. Peanut allergies are very common so "emergency food" like peanut butter could be a bad idea in those cases..

[zebra15]

Originally Posted by aslyn

I'd be interested to find out if the school participates in the free lunch program? This seems extreme in my book, lower income folks might not be able to afford all the "healthy" stuff that this school requires, and some kids might have allergies that aren't accounted for. Peanut allergies are very common so "emergency food" like peanut butter could be a bad idea in those cases..

I dont think they have a free lunch program. The article says the school has no cafeteria and each student brings lunch. The PB struck me as ugh too. I also wonder how they know what type of PB is on my kids sandwich??

This just seems a bit over the top.

[GuildJenn]

I love how unflavoured Fritos are a "yes" food because they are whole grain. (????!) I'd be so annoyed if someone took a bean and tomato laden burrito on a white tortilla and substituted in a PB & honey sandwich.

So no, not really a fan of this approach.

[zebra15]

Now that I look at the picture there is a box of JUICY JUICE... hummm ... YUCK
No flavored yougart? my DS lives on yougart, low fat, low sugar, 80 calorie yougart.
NO white bread... sara lee makes a whole grain white bread, its not a favorite of mine but its an option that is available.
NO american cheese? What about the american cheese from the deli counter? There are more chese types than just the processed cheese slices.
I dont understand how Fritjos corn chips are ok but any crackers except wheat thins are not.
Don't even get me started on 'fish sticks'

There seems to be a huge push to PB, I hope this school and the students dont have any food allergies.

The more I read this the more warped it sounds. And honestly I dont want any teacher that close and personal with my kids lunch.

This school is a PUBLICLY FUNDED charter school.

(ds is homeschooled)

[LauraLoo]

I think the attempt is well meaning, and I guess as a parent you'd have to completely subscribe to the whole thing, but it wouldn't fly with me.

For example:
Her classmate, 5-year-old Luz Michel, brought whole-wheat noodles, plain chips, juice and sliced peaches.

This is a whole lot of carb, very little fat & protein even if it isn't packed with refined sugar. So if this is an example of an acceptable lunch and the burrito and quesadillas were thrown out because of a white flour shell, then I'd beg to differ on the overall health benefits of each meal. Some "whole wheat" products aren't any better than white flour, and combining peaches along with juice is a sugar kick for a lot of kids.

[vbactivist]

I feel like there is sucha range of what is considered healthy (just look at the nutrition boards here),that I would worry that the school and I would have a difference of opinion. What if we were vegan? I wouldn't want the honey. I think it a case of the school overstepping their boundaries. But I think some parents like that.

[Kristine233]

Its not more for me, so therefor I'd opt to not send my kids there. Thats why its a charter school.

[daytripper75]

Originally Posted by LauraLoo

I think the attempt is well meaning, and I guess as a parent you'd have to completely subscribe to the whole thing, but it wouldn't fly with me.

Yeah, especially since I have one child with food allergies and another who is a super picky eater. I'd be more impressed with a school who banned food dyes and high fructose corn syrup, everybody could live without those and it would easily make lunches healthier.

[sunnmama]

Originally Posted by GuildJenn

I'd be so annoyed if someone took a bean and tomato laden burrito on a white tortilla and substituted in a PB & honey sandwich.

I know, right?!

How absurd that they forbid peanut butter sweetened with sugar, but put honey on the sandwiches.

They forbid sweetened yogurt. Well, we buy greek yogurt sweetened with honey. Is that ok?

These rules seem fairly arbitrary and annoying to me. But then, it is a charter school and no one is forced to go!

[Linda on the move]

jeeze, a bit of a control problem?

I wonder how many of those kids will end up with weird food issues or eating disorders.

[Emmeline II]

Originally Posted by zebra15

This school is a PUBLICLY FUNDED charter school.
(ds is homeschooled)

And voluntary; these children could attend their neighborhood school.

I applied to two charter schools for ds; they have requirements that the regular public school does not, but we CHOOSE to apply to those schools. Charter schools are allowed a wider latitude in exchange for certain results and you have to deliberately choose to have your child attend one.

That said, I don't agree with their definition of healthy.

[RoundAbout]

I guess they can do what they want, but I would be annoyed. Even though we eat that way 90% of the time its a bit patronizing.

The burrito example that someone posted is great. Healthy eating encompasses a whole range of eating options - we spent 3.5 years in Japan where white rice is the norm, but is in small portions paired with veggies and fish. Is it as ideal as brown rice? No, but seems waaaay better than the allowed fish sticks and chips and juce mentioned in the article. And yeah, are they actually checking people's peanut butter snadwiches to make sure its no-sugar added instead of Skippy. Also, not everyone agrees and what is healthy. I don't like to give my son raisins because they stick to the teeth really bad and can cause dental problems. I also guess my homemade whole-wheat pumpkin muffins would be out because they have sugar, even though its only 1/4 cup for a whole huge batch.

I think ideally there should be some food guidelines and a no-trading rule, but actually policing lunchboxes and throwing away food seems a sure way to make kids neurotic about food.

[aslyn]

I would certainly not send my kids there, the moment I saw their meal expectations I would walk right out the door.

[SoCaliMommy]

Wow

How is room temperature/cold food all school year long healthy ?
It doesn't seem very healthy.

[bugginsmom]

I would never send my child there. I actually laugh at what they consider healthy. I would be livid if someone threw away any part of my child's lunch (though I have to admit that he isn't allowed processed/garbage food, so it wouldn't happen under their guidelines anyway). Not to mention, there is the issue of teaching children to waste food (by throwing it away) in a world where there are people starving simply becuase it doesn't fit some questionable guildelines set forth by the school.

[Linda on the move]

The school is in South Tucson, which is mostly Latino. It really seem racist to take away a bean burrito and give the child PB and J.

Peanut butter, even without sugar, is mostly fat. I used to be very heavy and now maintain a healthy weight. Peanut butter isn't a food that works for me. Beans, on the other hand, are high in fiber and protein and have no fat and work great for me.

[One_Girl]

I would not send my kid somewhere where they allow juicy juice but not a bean burrito. I also don't like the idea of kids eating things with artificial sweeteners like aspartame instead of sugar (though I am not sure that they allow even fake sweeteners). I would worry about the variety of foods being offered to kids who are getting sack lunches everyday, especially when they are so limited in food choices. Variety is an something you need for a healthy diet because different foods contain different nutrients that your body needs. I also think that if there are different expectations at home than there are at school regarding nutrition it may lead to students regarding health food as disgusting and unattainable. Many parents choose charter schools for the education it will provide their students, not the meal plan, and those students may be getting a very negative impression of what healthy eating is because of a policy that doesn't even allow for edible yogurt.

[SunshineJ]

Wow, yeah, not the school for our family. Although Ms. Aiken states she'd like to see all schools enact this. Why no flavored yogurt? Not all flavored yogurt has added sugar, and many are flavored with fruit - that's the way we make ours at home. Doesn't make sense. And while I can personally get behind not using processed sugar in things, what about say oatmeal cookies that are sweetened with honey or naturally processed maple sugar? Heck I got pissed when our kids last school tried to tell me I couldn't send a few Hershey's Kisses in the kids lunch! While I completely understand that what kids eat at school can have a huge impact on their learning and well being, I also believe in the parents rights to determine the food their children eat. Definitely not a place I'd choose to send my children. LOL I could totally see my "authority issues" resulting in a lot of conflict!