When I worked in DCPS the lunch was horrifying, plastic wrapped, reheated in wrapper...just bad, plastic food. Cant imagine the chemical profile in these children's blood. Private schools in DC have the most amazing food.... they pay of course, and these are smaller operations. There has to be some middle ground, after all public schools pay out massive contracts too

I swore I wouldn’t pack lunch. Within a few weeks of PK3, I got an email from my kid’s teacher saying he wouldn’t eat the school lunch. So now I pack it. And it costs me way less than $3.75 a day to pack a healthy lunch (usually courtesy of Trader Joe’s) that he’ll eat.

-Working parent of kid at a charter that uses Revolution Foods.

Anonymous wrote:Can we just get more real food and fewer carbs?

Whole milk
More eggs, fewer pancakes with high fructose corn syrup with maple flavor.
More fruit
More whole milk cheese
Yogurt without massive sugar added
Drop the all-carbs crackers, replace w/ cheese or fruit.

It’s pretty easy - I was buying a cheap bag of apples each week for my kids class last fall, and that’s a healthy snack that the kids liked.

Pack your kids lunch. I do because I have to due to celiac disease.

Anonymous wrote:CMI contracts with Stokes Kitchen which my kids loved! Healthy, local meals that are delivered to the school daily. DCPS needs to do better.

Isn't Stokes almost double the cost of a DCPS meal? I can't keep them all straight but most of the elementary charters we toured were $3.50-$5 per lunch. DCPS $2.80-$3.30 keeping costs down limits the options on "farm to table". I would be happy with a couple more health choices for kids that want them. Heck, I would be happy if the school menu was accurate.. it is a 50/50 shot at our school if the printed menu is what will actually be served!

CMI contracts with Stokes Kitchen which my kids loved! Healthy, local meals that are delivered to the school daily. DCPS needs to do better.

That is all fine and good, but many of the school “kitchens” are merely reheat units. Hard to cook fresh heathy food without a proper kitchen.

DCPS and particularly DGS spend a lot of money with little to show for it. And no one holds them accountable.

I'd love to see the stats on % of food tossed. My kids refuse to eat that garbage with minor exceptions.

Given the DC Healthy Schools Act, how do they get away with that?

- charter parent

Me too. The lunches are so unhealthy.

Anonymous wrote:I’m the PP. to add: I’m not advocating for organic or farm fresh. Just real food and fewer carbs.

+1. I’d be hsppy with less disgusting and less processed.

I’m the PP. to add: I’m not advocating for organic or farm fresh. Just real food and fewer carbs.

Can we just get more real food and fewer carbs?

Whole milk
More eggs, fewer pancakes with high fructose corn syrup with maple flavor.
More fruit
More whole milk cheese
Yogurt without massive sugar added
Drop the all-carbs crackers, replace w/ cheese or fruit.

It’s pretty easy - I was buying a cheap bag of apples each week for my kids class last fall, and that’s a healthy snack that the kids liked.

Farm fresh and local? Good luck with that.

Anonymous wrote:DCPS Food and Nutrition Services

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Huh? to this part.

Do your kids HATE school lunch? Do you believe DCPS can do far better than it’s current food contractor? Do you want farm fresh, organic, local produce for DC kids? If your answer is yes, please make your voice heard on Wednesday evening! Enjoy a delicious dinner at the next School Food Advisory Board Meeting on Wednesday, February 27th from 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM at Ron Brown High School. We look forward to hearing your thoughts and hopes for school food! RSVP at: https://www.dcgreens.org/school-food-advisory-board#anchor-link-sfab

DCPS Food and Nutrition Services

This e-mail has been sent to you by DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PUBLIC SCHOOLS. To maximize their communication with you, you may be receiving this e-mail in addition to a phone call with the same message. If you no longer wish to receive email notifications from DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PUBLIC SCHOOLS, please click here to unsubscribe.

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