Parents - your kids are bringing garbage snacks to school

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ahhhh I remember that age. I used to pack a very healthy lunch for my kid (protein, rice, veg, no sugar). Then I got an email from the teacher telling me not to pack Brussels sprouts anymore because my son and some other boys were throwing them at each other's heads because they looked like little balls.

I generally think that unless you're paying for the food that someone else is eating, you have no business commenting on it.

There's a wide range of foods between cold brussels sprouts and oreos for snack. School lunch was the same in the 80s and 90s as it is now - nor did we have coolers or microwaves back then to use. But our parents sent us ants on a log, or apples cut up (yes they got a little brown - my mom put lemon on but that tasted weird too), orange slices, pretzel sticks, goldfish, maybe a homemade baked good on a good day. It is crazy when I join my kids at lunch. So many of the kids eat exclusively prepackaged junk - E.g. Capri Sun, Twix Yogurt, Cheetos, and Chips A Hoy -as the whole lunch. Then a few kids have twee bento boxes (hey, good for those moms). The immigrant kids have delicious looking real food for lunch. Then you still have the dwindling PBJ/cheese stick/apple/one cookie crowd.

I do see on here frequent complaints about no nuts. We have lived in multiple states and never had a nut ban in our kids' schools, but we do not live in the DMV. That would be definitely be tough.

Its not tough some of us live it everyday but regardless, nut bans are not evidence-based. But in light of real interventions like washing hands or each kid having a disposable wipe (wasteful) its what works because apparently washing hands is too much of a burden. And yet, we wonder why kids are always sick

Anyhoo, apples with cinnamon taste good. Popcorn for the >5 crowd. Mini or homemade Muffins. No bake balls. veggies like snap peas. thats it bars. meat sticks. applesauce pouches. Yougrt raisins. Mini lara bars or anything shelf stable bars that are appropriately sized for snack.

The biggest thing is portion size. This poster isnt talking about 2 oreos for snack, she says its a whole sleeve. Thats wild.

[Anonymous]

You DO know that your kid who bring a rice cake for snack throws it out and is being given Doritos and cookies by their friends, right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you are not watching out for this you should be.

On a daily basis I have kids bringing for snack (not dessert):

Packaged muffins, cookies, brownies, Doritos, cheetos. And the quantities they are bringing are astounding too.

This is terrible brain food. It makes them sleepy, unfocused and it’s terrible for their health too!

That is what a preschooler in my class packs for lunch every day. Nothing else, all junk and carbs. I wish I was exaggerating. His parents are teachers. Smh

[Anonymous]

Imagine, rather than being introspective about this, being defensive and doubling down. It’s like the Donald Trump way of life.

[Anonymous]

I know most would be horrified by my sons lunch and snack box. He has adhd and wont eat most things during the day. He eats an enormous amount of protein and veggies at breakfast and dinner and post dinner snack. At school he eats a granola bar, chips, and a milk. I dont stress over it. Its all packaged junk. The portions are small though, so im not sending a sleeve of oreos, but i am also sending no fruit, veg, or real food. Occasionally he will take half a bagel. His doctor is fine with it. MYOB.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do you propose that parents force their kids to eat healthier food while at school?

Parents can pack healthy snacks (I did for years) but if the kids don't eat them (which also happened for years), you are left with hungry kids. So parents pack food that they know their kids will eat, so the kids eat.

Don’t buy garbage and they can’t eat garbage. This is not rocket science.

There is a direct correlation between the students that are focused and engaged and the students bringing healthy snacks. Yes I am a teacher (OP.)

What do you consider healthy? What are you seeing kids bring in that is so much better?

I agree that the ones listed are not healthy, but processed crackers are not that healthy either, and that's what seemed to be encouraged in my kids' classes. Fresh foods were not encouraged because of the mess.

Veggies, fruits, plain yogurt or applesauce, good cheese, plain pretzels or popcorn, low sugar granola.

I have kids literally brining packages of Oreos and chips ahoy for their “snack.”

Are you their teacher?

I honestly rolled my eyes at teachers like you when my son was in ES. It's not your job to police what they eat, but if you feel THIS strongly about it, talk to their parents. We have nothing to do with those kids.

Yes, I am a teacher.

Yes, I am the food police.

Yes, I will judge you if you send your kid to school with sh*t to eat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ahhhh I remember that age. I used to pack a very healthy lunch for my kid (protein, rice, veg, no sugar). Then I got an email from the teacher telling me not to pack Brussels sprouts anymore because my son and some other boys were throwing them at each other's heads because they looked like little balls.

I generally think that unless you're paying for the food that someone else is eating, you have no business commenting on it.

There's a wide range of foods between cold brussels sprouts and oreos for snack. School lunch was the same in the 80s and 90s as it is now - nor did we have coolers or microwaves back then to use. But our parents sent us ants on a log, or apples cut up (yes they got a little brown - my mom put lemon on but that tasted weird too), orange slices, pretzel sticks, goldfish, maybe a homemade baked good on a good day. It is crazy when I join my kids at lunch. So many of the kids eat exclusively prepackaged junk - E.g. Capri Sun, Twix Yogurt, Cheetos, and Chips A Hoy -as the whole lunch. Then a few kids have twee bento boxes (hey, good for those moms). The immigrant kids have delicious looking real food for lunch. Then you still have the dwindling PBJ/cheese stick/apple/one cookie crowd.

I do see on here frequent complaints about no nuts. We have lived in multiple states and never had a nut ban in our kids' schools, but we do not live in the DMV. That would be definitely be tough.

Hey those are my kids. And they really look forward to that cookie (or tiny Tupperware of chips or popcorn, or piece of leftover Easter candy).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do you propose that parents force their kids to eat healthier food while at school?

Parents can pack healthy snacks (I did for years) but if the kids don't eat them (which also happened for years), you are left with hungry kids. So parents pack food that they know their kids will eat, so the kids eat.

Don’t buy garbage and they can’t eat garbage. This is not rocket science.

There is a direct correlation between the students that are focused and engaged and the students bringing healthy snacks. Yes I am a teacher (OP.)

I brought candy every day for snack and I was focused and engaged enough that I ended up in a better job than teaching, so maybe stay in your place.

I never needed snacks to stay alert in school (lunch is a must) and I believe that only some children biologically need snacks and lots of water at school.

America's snack culture is making most ofcultist. It starts with the relatively new infant processed food snack category. Hydration culture has become cultish.

I once had an argument at PTA with a 300 lb woman who was upset about the stopping of selling "healthier chips" as extra cost sides in the elementary lunch room.

[Anonymous]

^America's snack culture is making us fat.

[Anonymous]

No one believes those of you sending junk snacks and lunches are serving healthy and nutritious breakfasts and dinners. Please.

[Anonymous]

Just get rid of snack. I'm so over it and it's unnecessary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You DO know that your kid who bring a rice cake for snack throws it out and is being given Doritos and cookies by their friends, right?

My friend volunteers in her son’s cafeteria and says this happens regularly. She says so many healthy things get thrown out every single day untouched and unopened.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Get back to me when you can fix the following:

- Nut bans in schools
- Inability to refrigerate snacks (we aren't even allows to send snacks in an insulated bag -- lunch, yes, but snacks have to be separate and in a disposable container or a clear plastic reusable bag)
- What to do when I send a healthy snack in and my kid won't eat it because all the other kids have crackers or chips and so that's all she wants

I tried healthy snacks for a long time but they just came home uneaten and my kid complained. I gave up, now I send in bags of teddy grahams or animal crackers. It's not what I want but she actually eats them and it takes the edge off until lunch.

I don't control the school environment and have to work within what it offers. The environment isn't conducive to healthy snacks.

Why do nut bans need to be fixed? Your kid can eat nuts all weekend long, at breakfast, or as an after school snack at home. You're telling me the nut ban keeps you from packing healthy snacks? That's wild.

[Anonymous]

^^^^thats some weird private school anyway. Public schools don’t ban nuts or ice packs. We can’t ban anything! Including sleeves of Oreos for snack.

[Anonymous]

I have one kid who loves fruits so he gets some Honey Nut Cheerios and fruit. Protein is too gross to send as a snack, cheese stick gets warm and they won’t eat it. My other kid is carb-heavy and won’t eat most fruits so she gets Cheerios, Kix and ritz. It is what it is. I don’t think it’s that bad. Sometimes a homemade mini muffin with a few chocolate chips.