School Lunch at APS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pack lunch. This is not hard to figure out.

Why should we have to? Why can’t the cafeteria serve decent food and give them a decent amount of time to eat?

Oh and what about the kids that get a free lunch? Should they be eating crappy food because it’s free?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The food sounds pretty bad but my son loves it. I just gave birth a few weeks ago and we're still in triage mode, so we've been letting DA buy his lunch every day. One less thing to have to do in the evenings. He loves it, but it's pretty much a rotation of pizza, hot dogs, nuggets and burgers. DS is not a picky eater and I'd love for the cafeteria to serve healthier options. But at least he is happy to eat the cafeteria food every day!

Newsflash: there are already healthier options available on a daily basis.

Yeah, my kids being home lunch but sometimes ask to buy school lunch on pizza day. At our school it's not even served every week. And when I look at the options, I have noticed some fairly healthy options that, to be honest, my kids won't eat (Caesar salad). Granted it's not kale salad with pomegranate dressing, but it's better than the sloppy joes and tator tots that I remember from my childhood. I can't remember seeing nuggets on the menu, but I don't check that frequently. If you want your kid eating quinoa or handmade sushi every day, pack them a lunch.

So anyone asking for better lunch options is asking for quinoa and sushi? How about simple tasty healthy food that kids will like?

[Anonymous]

Oh OP. The people in the School Health Advisory Board are a bunch of idiots. They aim low and we get is even lower. We need new blood. A great initiative is the More Recess for Virginians initiative which may hopefully lead to a longer school lunch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pack lunch. This is not hard to figure out.

Why should we have to? Why can’t the cafeteria serve decent food and give them a decent amount of time to eat?

Oh and what about the kids that get a free lunch? Should they be eating crappy food because it’s free?

See according to the rich white APS stay at home moms, you need to pack your lunch. Kids who can't afford lunch and get their main meal at APS should shut up and be grateful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pack lunch. This is not hard to figure out.

Why should we have to? Why can’t the cafeteria serve decent food and give them a decent amount of time to eat?

Because they are your damn kids! The schools job is to educate them and your job is to raise them and provide for them! Who made their lunch before they started school? And they get enough time to eat if they bring their lunch. When everyone is getting lunch it cuts into their eating time. Quit being lazy and bitching about a problem that doesn’t need to exist!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just did a K tour at our local school. It's 20min inside to eat, then 25min recess outside to play.

Because of crowding they eat lunch in shifts, and the Kers are super early (like 10:50?) with no chance of a snack until dismissal. I'm a bit worried about how DS will get through the afternoon.

I'm sure the kids get a snack.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pack lunch. This is not hard to figure out.

Why should we have to? Why can’t the cafeteria serve decent food and give them a decent amount of time to eat?

Because they are your damn kids! The schools job is to educate them and your job is to raise them and provide for them! Who made their lunch before they started school? And they get enough time to eat if they bring their lunch. When everyone is getting lunch it cuts into their eating time. Quit being lazy and bitching about a problem that doesn’t need to exist!

What if someone can’t afford to pay for their kids lunch?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pack lunch. This is not hard to figure out.

Why should we have to? Why can’t the cafeteria serve decent food and give them a decent amount of time to eat?

Because they are your damn kids! The schools job is to educate them and your job is to raise them and provide for them! Who made their lunch before they started school? And they get enough time to eat if they bring their lunch. When everyone is getting lunch it cuts into their eating time. Quit being lazy and bitching about a problem that doesn’t need to exist!

But it is their job. That’s why they provide it. If they provide it then it should be healthier.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pack lunch. This is not hard to figure out.

Why should we have to? Why can’t the cafeteria serve decent food and give them a decent amount of time to eat?

Because they are your damn kids! The schools job is to educate them and your job is to raise them and provide for them! Who made their lunch before they started school? And they get enough time to eat if they bring their lunch. When everyone is getting lunch it cuts into their eating time. Quit being lazy and bitching about a problem that doesn’t need to exist!

What if someone can’t afford to pay for their kids lunch?

Then they get what they get. I got the free school lunch growing up and it was nasty then and it’s even nastier today. I pack my kids lunch. A nice healthy lunch everyday

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pack lunch. This is not hard to figure out.

Why should we have to? Why can’t the cafeteria serve decent food and give them a decent amount of time to eat?

Because they are your damn kids! The schools job is to educate them and your job is to raise them and provide for them! Who made their lunch before they started school? And they get enough time to eat if they bring their lunch. When everyone is getting lunch it cuts into their eating time. Quit being lazy and bitching about a problem that doesn’t need to exist!

What if someone can’t afford to pay for their kids lunch?

Then they get what they get. I got the free school lunch growing up and it was nasty then and it’s even nastier today. I pack my kids lunch. A nice healthy lunch everyday

Poor kids eat a nasty lunch. Rich kids get a packed lunch packed by mommy or a nanny.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh OP. The people in the School Health Advisory Board are a bunch of idiots. They aim low and we get is even lower. We need new blood. A great initiative is the More Recess for Virginians initiative which may hopefully lead to a longer school lunch.

Given the complexity of nutrition generally and the the additional complexity of teaching a healthy relationship with food, exercise, technology, etc,, it's not surprising that the parents on the SHAB are low in expertise and high in vehemence. It's not a combination that's likely to result in improvements to school lunch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kids told me today’s lunch was WAFFLES with syrup infused! And a couple of chicken bites on the side.

While I agree that is crap, and a lot of the entrees are questionable, they do actually offer a healthier choice every day. Just looked at the menu and the alternative to the crappy "waffles" was a salad. With sweet potato fries and broccoli as side dishes. So, if your child wants to buy, you could sit down with them, review the menu and tell them what you want them to get (whether or not they do as you ask, that's an other issue).

One of mine typically buys, which has been helpful because he's pretty picky and I've found he'll try things in the school lunch that he's refused at home. If the entrees aren't appealing he'll get hummus and pita. My other likes to bring it so she has more time to talk with her friends.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids told me today’s lunch was WAFFLES with syrup infused! And a couple of chicken bites on the side.

While I agree that is crap, and a lot of the entrees are questionable, they do actually offer a healthier choice every day. Just looked at the menu and the alternative to the crappy "waffles" was a salad. With sweet potato fries and broccoli as side dishes. So, if your child wants to buy, you could sit down with them, review the menu and tell them what you want them to get (whether or not they do as you ask, that's an other issue).

One of mine typically buys, which has been helpful because he's pretty picky and I've found he'll try things in the school lunch that he's refused at home. If the entrees aren't appealing he'll get hummus and pita. My other likes to bring it so she has more time to talk with her friends.

In addition to the daily salads there are also hummus/veggies, hard-boiled eggs & cheese, turkey sandwiches, etc. My kids rarely get the main entrees on the days they buy lunch.

APS school lunches right now are 10000x better than they were 20-30 years ago. Not a warm meal made from scratch, but not terrible at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Poor kids eat a nasty lunch. Rich kids get a packed lunch packed by mommy or a nanny.

What a nasty comment. Why does this have to become a poor kids vs. rich kids issue?

There are plenty of options for everyone. If a child doesn't bring a lunch from home (for whatever reason) and they don't like the offered main course, there are a large variety of alternatives (whether they are paying for it or on a free/reduced lunch program).

The alternatives offered in APS elementary schools each day include the following

Peanut Butter and Jelly Box Lunch,
Boiled Egg and Cheese plate,
Hummus with Pita Box Lunch,
Sun Butter with crackers and cheese,
Yogurt with bagel and string cheese box lunch,
Turkey sandwich,
Tuna salad sandwich,
egg salad sandwich
chicken salad sandwich

These may not be gourmet choices but I think there are plenty of choices for everyone to choose from.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids told me today’s lunch was WAFFLES with syrup infused! And a couple of chicken bites on the side.

While I agree that is crap, and a lot of the entrees are questionable, they do actually offer a healthier choice every day. Just looked at the menu and the alternative to the crappy "waffles" was a salad. With sweet potato fries and broccoli as side dishes. So, if your child wants to buy, you could sit down with them, review the menu and tell them what you want them to get (whether or not they do as you ask, that's an other issue).

One of mine typically buys, which has been helpful because he's pretty picky and I've found he'll try things in the school lunch that he's refused at home. If the entrees aren't appealing he'll get hummus and pita. My other likes to bring it so she has more time to talk with her friends.

In addition to the daily salads there are also hummus/veggies, hard-boiled eggs & cheese, turkey sandwiches, etc. My kids rarely get the main entrees on the days they buy lunch.

APS school lunches right now are 10000x better than they were 20-30 years ago. Not a warm meal made from scratch, but not terrible at all.

This! Also, everyone who CAN pack a lunch should. And the kids who NEED school lunch have shorter lines and more time to eat.