School Lunches

I read an article yesterday about an anonymous teacher who started a project to document the quality/viability of school lunches.  The teacher is eating a school lunch every day of the academic year.

You can find the blog here: http://fedupwithschoollunch.blogspot.com/

It makes for a very intriguing read - revisiting the deep-seated memories of elementary school lunches long past.  Everyone remembers not liking school lunches.  It was generally agreed, if you were in elementary school, bad-tasting school lunches were the rule and not the exception.  It’s how I, and a lot of kids-now-grown-up, remember it. 

Problem is somewhere down the road, things seem to have crossed over from being “bad-tasting” to just plain bad.  It’s no longer a schoolyard/cafeteria joke.  I started attending school in California from ‘92 and on.  I do not remember it being this bad.  Sure there were bad days, but you could always turn to the raisins or the heap of salad sans dressing and your milk.  But, if you follow this blog a few posts in…the intrigue and mild amusement become shock and bewilderment.  What are we feeding our children?

Issues that center in or around our children have always been hot-button issues in America.  This one, in particular, is certainly no exception.  But how does this tie to Ajaxo?  The answer lies in the reason we took up the San Francisco Food Bank’s $4 challenge.

What am I trying to say here? 

It is blatantly obvious that things have to change ASAP.  Each passing day is another day our children are eating (or not eating) these so-called ‘lunches’.  Bear in mind, I’m not throwing every school under the bus, but those that clearly beg re-examination/regulation.  For many families that qualify for the reduced/free school lunch, this meal is a child’s biggest if not only one.  For many others its another reason - reasons that don’t need scrutiny.

While change is needed right now, we all know it isn’t going to come overnight.  Change isn’t going to come in a week, two weeks, not even a year from now.  But there is something we can do about it right now.  We can start by taking our children off school lunches until they become tenable. Make it the night before.  Make it the day of.  I’m not talking about sandwiches and lunch meats, I’m talking about a full-portioned meal.  Buy a container.  Buy a lunch pale.  Give em a thermos - (water over soft drinks, please).  It’s generally agreed, cooking at home is healthier than eating out.  We can choose which ingredients go into our meals.  We can choose the size of the portions.

But what about the cost?

If you’re concerned about the cost, don’t be.  Case in point: Our previous post on a mom struggling to buy a week’s worth of groceries from South Bend. If anything, our $4 Challenge series clearly illustrates and demonstrates the reality (and ease) of buying groceries to create a full meal for a family of 4.  Just look at any of the published shopping lists our users have put out.  If you’re worried about the time it takes to find these groceries, that’s what Ajaxo.com’s for - a search engine for groceries.  One of the reasons we started this project was just that: to make information available to people so they can make the best-educated decision about their purchases, saving them time and money.  There’s deals on practically everything you need to make a well-balanced, delicious meal.  And your kids will love you for it, too.

Make a meal and portion it out.  No matter how you do it, you’re going to save more $ making your own lunches than simply giving your kid $2/3 bucks and sending them off to school.  You’re going to have more nutritional value than what is currently afforded at your kid’s school. Not enough time?  Make some. Are you willing to let your kid eat this on a daily basis because you can’t find 30 minutes to make something for them?  If you’re concerned about the cost, don’t be. There are a bajillion quick recipes online - not to mention those you can find on our recipe search.  What’s more important: time or the health of your children?