Celebrate School Lunch (Michael Pollan Video) (Page 2)

Here are a few ways to get involved:

Eat with your kids. National Take Your Parents to Lunch Day is this Wednesday, October 12. Visit your school’s cafeteria to better understand your child’s mealtime experience. See if you can volunteer in your school’s kitchen to support food service staff and get a behind-the-scenes view of the food prep.
Have conversations. Talks with students, cafeteria workers, and administrators. Find out what challenges your school faces, from kitchen equipment and staff training to sufficient lunch periods for students. The Lunch Box provides resources and tools to engage stakeholders at your school.
Activate students. If you’re an educator, work with students to create a questionnaire to evaluate the school lunch program and open a dialogue with administrators. See the School Lunch Survey in the Nourish Middle School Curriculum Guide for activities and ideas.
Advocate for healthy options. If you’re a parent or teacher, campaign to remove vending machines, processed snacks, fast food, and flavored milk, and make healthy options, like salad bars, available. See Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution for tool kits and ideas.
Take action. Last December President Obama signed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, reauthorizing and raising the bar on the Child Nutrition Act. But the fight for healthy school food doesn’t end there. Write your elected officials to protect and expand healthy school lunch programs.

For examples of positive change from Nourish, Marion Kalb discusses Farm to School programs and Chef Ann Cooper describes Healthy School Food.

2 of 2
back to page 1

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Joe R.

8:51AM PST on Nov 10, 2011

Thanks.

November 10
send a green star

Tim C.

11:32AM PDT on Oct 31, 2011

thanks

October 31
send a green star

Bill E.

7:40PM PDT on Oct 13, 2011

We have children who's only hot meal that they get for the day is what they eat in school. Children need a good school lunch program.

October 13
send a green star

Penny A.

5:17PM PDT on Oct 13, 2011

Duane B.

3:40PM PDT on Oct 13, 2011

It's what the child actually eats that is really the issue, as opposed to what is offered or brought from home. I worked in schools for 30+ years and saw many students bring nutritious lunches from home only to be traded away or trashed in favor of "junk food". I've also seen schools offer nutritious cafeteria meals ... and the students instead stood in much longer lines for deep-fried "junk food".

Kate R.

2:47PM PDT on Oct 13, 2011

The school lunch business is a scam. They have no interest in the health of children.

Megan S.

11:57AM PDT on Oct 13, 2011

Being in high school, I see first hand the crap they feed my fellow students. It's disgusting. Basically, it's things you would buy from a fast food restaurant, only old. Sandwiches are an option, with fried factory farm chicken, bleached white flour wrap, old, waxed, imported lettuce, and all served on a beautiful polystyrene plate.
They have soup. In polystyrene. They sell coffee in polystyrene. They have jello, pudding, and salads- pre-made with ranch or caeser dressing in plastic.

I never eat at school. I bring a snack- usually fruit. If not local, then organic

Paula M.

9:25AM PDT on Oct 13, 2011

Indeed school lunch is vital because many children do not have adequate breakfasts. They can't learn without proper nutrition.

Carole L.

9:05AM PDT on Oct 13, 2011

I make most of my kids lunches because they just don't like the school lunches.

Lynn C.

8:56AM PDT on Oct 13, 2011

If you love your kids, feed them GOOD food. You'll give them a chance of better health later in life and educate their taste buds so they'll continue to eat well they're whole life long.