How healthy is food in WofP DCPS elementary schools?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My impression is that anyone who refers to perfectly good (not great, but fine) food as "gross" and "nasty" is a picky eater, and you are passing that attitude on to your kids.

And those who brag about their kids begging them to send "broccoli for dessert" and "an assortment of veggies" is just a pretentious snob.

Have you actually seen the DCPS lunches?? I'm the poster who called it "gross cafeteria food".
I agree, the menus sound FANTASTIC. But the reality is quite different. I volunteered in the classroom at our WOTP school at least 20 times last year. It simply does not live up to the promise on the menu.
18 times out of 20 the fruit was an orange. Not what is advertised.
Really, I challenge you to drop in at lunch at school and see what is served.

Yes, I have. I really, really have been at school and have seen the lunches. They were perfectly acceptable. Clearly we have different standards for the quality of chicken hot dogs. And you know what? An orange is a fruit and it's healthy. My kid doesn't care if she gets the same fruit everyday. I do not cater to her every desire at home and I don't expect the school cafeteria to either.

We get it. You think the food is "nasty." Please just feed your child his/her 100% organic whole grain free range food and leave the rest of us alone.

Reason #78 I am glad my kid doesn't go to Janney.

Janney mom here--the problem with the oranges day in and day out isn't that they're not healthy--it's that 4-7 year olds (and beyond) can't peel oranges and if even if they can, they can't under the time constraints of school lunch. I noticed the oranges primarily because they were all thrown out.

That's what happens to your rich Ward 3 kids, I bet you a poor kid can peal the fuck out of an orange.

LOL. Zing!

[Anonymous]

Teacher here--ward 3. The amount of food (school lunches) that the children throw away is overwhelming. You may not want to pack a lunch but you are wasting your money if you buy the hot lunch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Teacher here--ward 3. The amount of food (school lunches) that the children throw away is overwhelming. You may not want to pack a lunch but you are wasting your money if you buy the hot lunch.

It costs like $10/week. Even if my kids eat a few bites of their entree and half their fruit, I'm pretty sure I'm not wasting money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teacher here--ward 3. The amount of food (school lunches) that the children throw away is overwhelming. You may not want to pack a lunch but you are wasting your money if you buy the hot lunch.

It costs like $10/week. Even if my kids eat a few bites of their entree and half their fruit, I'm pretty sure I'm not wasting money.

I'm definitely spending more than $10/week on the good I'm buying for camp lunch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teacher here--ward 3. The amount of food (school lunches) that the children throw away is overwhelming. You may not want to pack a lunch but you are wasting your money if you buy the hot lunch.

It costs like $10/week. Even if my kids eat a few bites of their entree and half their fruit, I'm pretty sure I'm not wasting money.

I'm definitely spending more than $10/week on the good I'm buying for camp lunch.

*food*

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Packing a lunch is such a total hassle. My DD was at a charter with organic hot lunch and I was so surprised to see kids with lunchbags. On a field trip I paid attention to what the other kids were bringing in those bags - nothing healthier than what the school provides, and in fact a lot more processed foods. Weird.

We might be at the same school. In any event if you saw one of my children with a "home lunch" (as they call it) it's because they prefer a home lunch. I make salads and other dishes that Revolution doesn't, they like having input in their lunch, and I sometimes write notes. They like opening their personal lunch and it makes them feel special. I really don't see what's weird about that.

I swear kids are spolied brats these days. Allergies aside, whatever happened to if you don't eat, you'll starve? Not literally, but if we cater to our little kids stubborn eating habits, we are going to continue to raise sissy kids.

I remember cafeteria lunches from when I was little, and homemade lunches were always vastly superior and vastly preferred. It didn't make us spoiled brats then, and it doesn't now. Your problem is that you feeling guilty over not wanting to pack a healthy lunch with variety every day, and instead of being honest with yourself, you rationalize it as good parenting. Unfortunately other people don't always validate your decisions, so you react with hostility. Feed your child what you like, but own your decisions.

Not the PP, but I don't feel an ounce of guilt for not packing my kid's lunch everyday. We look at the menu each week and she gets to pick 1 or 2 days for home lunch based on the options. She is learning to make choices and to compromise. It works for us.

Nor should you feel guilty, you haven't been offensive. That particular PP however, entered with "Packing lunch is such a total hassle." When she was presented with the reason one might choose to do so, attempted to shut down an opposing view with "I swear kids are spoiled brats these days" and "raise sissy kids."

She's just trying to bully people who disagree with her into shutting up. Why do that unless you feel guilty about your own choices? She got called on it and really just needs to grow up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My impression is that anyone who refers to perfectly good (not great, but fine) food as "gross" and "nasty" is a picky eater, and you are passing that attitude on to your kids.

And those who brag about their kids begging them to send "broccoli for dessert" and "an assortment of veggies" is just a pretentious snob.

Have you actually seen the DCPS lunches?? I'm the poster who called it "gross cafeteria food".
I agree, the menus sound FANTASTIC. But the reality is quite different. I volunteered in the classroom at our WOTP school at least 20 times last year. It simply does not live up to the promise on the menu.
18 times out of 20 the fruit was an orange. Not what is advertised.
Really, I challenge you to drop in at lunch at school and see what is served.

Yes, I have. I really, really have been at school and have seen the lunches. They were perfectly acceptable. Clearly we have different standards for the quality of chicken hot dogs. And you know what? An orange is a fruit and it's healthy. My kid doesn't care if she gets the same fruit everyday. I do not cater to her every desire at home and I don't expect the school cafeteria to either.

We get it. You think the food is "nasty." Please just feed your child his/her 100% organic whole grain free range food and leave the rest of us alone.

Reason #78 I am glad my kid doesn't go to Janney.

Janney mom here--the problem with the oranges day in and day out isn't that they're not healthy--it's that 4-7 year olds (and beyond) can't peel oranges and if even if they can, they can't under the time constraints of school lunch. I noticed the oranges primarily because they were all thrown out.

I will give you 4 year old, but if your 5-7 yr old can't peel his own orange (sn asides), that's a problem.

I'm 40, and given a choice, oranges come in last for me. I don't like peeling them. I can, but it's just more difficult than other fruits. I'll give my DC tangerines or clementines instead. Why deliberately make it hard? The fact that all of those oranges end up in the trash says that A) no-one's thinking seriously about children's lunch and B) those who are observant enough to notice the problem, can't or won't do anything about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My impression is that anyone who refers to perfectly good (not great, but fine) food as "gross" and "nasty" is a picky eater, and you are passing that attitude on to your kids.

And those who brag about their kids begging them to send "broccoli for dessert" and "an assortment of veggies" is just a pretentious snob.

Have you actually seen the DCPS lunches?? I'm the poster who called it "gross cafeteria food".
I agree, the menus sound FANTASTIC. But the reality is quite different. I volunteered in the classroom at our WOTP school at least 20 times last year. It simply does not live up to the promise on the menu.
18 times out of 20 the fruit was an orange. Not what is advertised.
Really, I challenge you to drop in at lunch at school and see what is served.

Yes, I have. I really, really have been at school and have seen the lunches. They were perfectly acceptable. Clearly we have different standards for the quality of chicken hot dogs. And you know what? An orange is a fruit and it's healthy. My kid doesn't care if she gets the same fruit everyday. I do not cater to her every desire at home and I don't expect the school cafeteria to either.

We get it. You think the food is "nasty." Please just feed your child his/her 100% organic whole grain free range food and leave the rest of us alone.

Reason #78 I am glad my kid doesn't go to Janney.

Janney mom here--the problem with the oranges day in and day out isn't that they're not healthy--it's that 4-7 year olds (and beyond) can't peel oranges and if even if they can, they can't under the time constraints of school lunch. I noticed the oranges primarily because they were all thrown out.

That's what happens to your rich Ward 3 kids, I bet you a poor kid can peal the fuck out of an orange.

LOL. Zing!

Yet wrong. It's the poor kids who aren't even used to eating fresh fruit. They'll peel open slim jims and pop tarts instead, and that is the reality. The higher SES kids are all used to having their oranges cut into "smiles" for them at their soccer games.

[Anonymous]

Mmmmmm, slim jims

[Anonymous]

Grammar police, give it a freaking break.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Packing a lunch is such a total hassle. My DD was at a charter with organic hot lunch and I was so surprised to see kids with lunchbags. On a field trip I paid attention to what the other kids were bringing in those bags - nothing healthier than what the school provides, and in fact a lot more processed foods. Weird.

We might be at the same school. In any event if you saw one of my children with a "home lunch" (as they call it) it's because they prefer a home lunch. I make salads and other dishes that Revolution doesn't, they like having input in their lunch, and I sometimes write notes. They like opening their personal lunch and it makes them feel special. I really don't see what's weird about that.

I swear kids are spolied brats these days. Allergies aside, whatever happened to if you don't eat, you'll starve? Not literally, but if we cater to our little kids stubborn eating habits, we are going to continue to raise sissy kids.

I remember cafeteria lunches from when I was little, and homemade lunches were always vastly superior and vastly preferred. It didn't make us spoiled brats then, and it doesn't now. Your problem is that you feeling guilty over not wanting to pack a healthy lunch with variety every day, and instead of being honest with yourself, you rationalize it as good parenting. Unfortunately other people don't always validate your decisions, so you react with hostility. Feed your child what you like, but own your decisions.

Not the PP, but I don't feel an ounce of guilt for not packing my kid's lunch everyday. We look at the menu each week and she gets to pick 1 or 2 days for home lunch based on the options. She is learning to make choices and to compromise. It works for us.

Nor should you feel guilty, you haven't been offensive. That particular PP however, entered with "Packing lunch is such a total hassle." When she was presented with the reason one might choose to do so, attempted to shut down an opposing view with "I swear kids are spoiled brats these days" and "raise sissy kids."

She's just trying to bully people who disagree with her into shutting up. Why do that unless you feel guilty about your own choices? She got called on it and really just needs to grow up.

Sorry, you're wrong. I'm the PP who said packing lunch was a hassle. Then I haven't said a word. Until now. So there.

[Anonymous]

I loved school lunch as a kid-- I liked a hot lunch and still much prefer heated leftovers to a cold sandwich. So I didn't have any great qualms about having my kids eat DCPS school lunch. When the first started preschool-3, I liked the idea that that they ate family style in the classroom. I also loved it when she started eating broccolli thanks to DCPS. Now I have two in DCPS and they both eat school lunch. I have yet to stop by at lunch and I should. But both appear to be well-fed, so I think they're fine.

They do envy their friends who take lunch and love bringing lunch to camp in the summer. I figure that's enough -- they don't have to have it all year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Packing a lunch is such a total hassle. My DD was at a charter with organic hot lunch and I was so surprised to see kids with lunchbags. On a field trip I paid attention to what the other kids were bringing in those bags - nothing healthier than what the school provides, and in fact a lot more processed foods. Weird.

We might be at the same school. In any event if you saw one of my children with a "home lunch" (as they call it) it's because they prefer a home lunch. I make salads and other dishes that Revolution doesn't, they like having input in their lunch, and I sometimes write notes. They like opening their personal lunch and it makes them feel special. I really don't see what's weird about that.

I swear kids are spolied brats these days. Allergies aside, whatever happened to if you don't eat, you'll starve? Not literally, but if we cater to our little kids stubborn eating habits, we are going to continue to raise sissy kids.

I remember cafeteria lunches from when I was little, and homemade lunches were always vastly superior and vastly preferred. It didn't make us spoiled brats then, and it doesn't now. Your problem is that you feeling guilty over not wanting to pack a healthy lunch with variety every day, and instead of being honest with yourself, you rationalize it as good parenting. Unfortunately other people don't always validate your decisions, so you react with hostility. Feed your child what you like, but own your decisions.

Not the PP, but I don't feel an ounce of guilt for not packing my kid's lunch everyday. We look at the menu each week and she gets to pick 1 or 2 days for home lunch based on the options. She is learning to make choices and to compromise. It works for us.

Nor should you feel guilty, you haven't been offensive. That particular PP however, entered with "Packing lunch is such a total hassle." When she was presented with the reason one might choose to do so, attempted to shut down an opposing view with "I swear kids are spoiled brats these days" and "raise sissy kids."

She's just trying to bully people who disagree with her into shutting up. Why do that unless you feel guilty about your own choices? She got called on it and really just needs to grow up.

Sorry, you're wrong. I'm the PP who said packing lunch was a hassle. Then I haven't said a word. Until now. So there.

I'm the other PP that called kids brats. Still stand by it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Packing a lunch is such a total hassle. My DD was at a charter with organic hot lunch and I was so surprised to see kids with lunchbags. On a field trip I paid attention to what the other kids were bringing in those bags - nothing healthier than what the school provides, and in fact a lot more processed foods. Weird.

We might be at the same school. In any event if you saw one of my children with a "home lunch" (as they call it) it's because they prefer a home lunch. I make salads and other dishes that Revolution doesn't, they like having input in their lunch, and I sometimes write notes. They like opening their personal lunch and it makes them feel special. I really don't see what's weird about that.

I swear kids are spolied brats these days. Allergies aside, whatever happened to if you don't eat, you'll starve? Not literally, but if we cater to our little kids stubborn eating habits, we are going to continue to raise sissy kids.

I remember cafeteria lunches from when I was little, and homemade lunches were always vastly superior and vastly preferred. It didn't make us spoiled brats then, and it doesn't now. Your problem is that you feeling guilty over not wanting to pack a healthy lunch with variety every day, and instead of being honest with yourself, you rationalize it as good parenting. Unfortunately other people don't always validate your decisions, so you react with hostility. Feed your child what you like, but own your decisions.

Not the PP, but I don't feel an ounce of guilt for not packing my kid's lunch everyday. We look at the menu each week and she gets to pick 1 or 2 days for home lunch based on the options. She is learning to make choices and to compromise. It works for us.

Nor should you feel guilty, you haven't been offensive. That particular PP however, entered with "Packing lunch is such a total hassle." When she was presented with the reason one might choose to do so, attempted to shut down an opposing view with "I swear kids are spoiled brats these days" and "raise sissy kids."

She's just trying to bully people who disagree with her into shutting up. Why do that unless you feel guilty about your own choices? She got called on it and really just needs to grow up.

Sorry, you're wrong. I'm the PP who said packing lunch was a hassle. Then I haven't said a word. Until now. So there.

I'm the other PP that called kids brats. Still stand by it.

You said that eating home lunch makes kids into brats? Seriously?

[Anonymous]

Every child needs to suck it up and eat the square cheese pizza once in a while. Builds character.