It is unhealthy. Fact. It is only there because many kids wouldn’t have food or would have an even worse lunch otherwise. If you can give your child better than you should

I just checked our menu for next week. Chicken paella, chicken sandwich, taco salad, smoothie, apples, pears, pineapple., lettuce, celery, tomatoes. Yes, how dare school cafeterias serve these things.

Anonymous wrote:This idea that “school lunch is bad” is literally drummed up by people with eating disorders. School lunch is FINE. It’s not perfect, but it gets the job done. If 5 lunches a week is going to destroy your child’s health, then you aren’t doing a great job at home now are you?

Drop the classist “school lunch is unhealthy” and actually learn about it.

It is unhealthy. Fact. It is only there because many kids wouldn’t have food or would have an even worse lunch otherwise. If you can give your child better than you should

My kids refused to buy lunch due to the long lines..no issue with the food.

Let her buy the lunch. Also, your kindergartener's description of 4 cheese sticks might mean hot breadsticks that are cheese? Kind of like pizzas without the sauce. I know my kid's elementary school serves something similar. She probably also got apple slices, milk, and some sort of veggie. Likely she just didn't think that was exciting enough to tell you about!

Anonymous wrote:This idea that “school lunch is bad” is literally drummed up by people with eating disorders. School lunch is FINE. It’s not perfect, but it gets the job done. If 5 lunches a week is going to destroy your child’s health, then you aren’t doing a great job at home now are you?

Drop the classist “school lunch is unhealthy” and actually learn about it.

+1

In a society with limited investment in kids, you’re damn right I’ll be partaking in school lunch. MA has made it free again this year. My MSer eats breakfast too.

Today's DCPS lunch options, for example, are cheese pizza, bean and cheese burrito, veggie burger, jerk chicken wrap, peaches, fruit salad, sweet potato wedges, and caesar salad. Those are FINE options, even if your kid gets pizza and sweet potato wedges. Let it go, OP.

Let her buy once a week. We are in mcps and my kid tried sneaking school lunch one day too because they had pizza. Mcps let the kids get to a -$10 balance before they’re cut off so this is how my kid did it. Once a week was the compromise we came to.

People are working off of total stereotypes of school lunch. Our district offers try-it days to encourage kids to sample fruits and vegetables that are new to them, tries different 8ntermational dishes, and offers tons of choices for different dietary restrictions. It’s so much better quality and variety than when I was a kid.

Anonymous wrote:This idea that “school lunch is bad” is literally drummed up by people with eating disorders. School lunch is FINE. It’s not perfect, but it gets the job done. If 5 lunches a week is going to destroy your child’s health, then you aren’t doing a great job at home now are you?

Drop the classist “school lunch is unhealthy” and actually learn about it.

But, but, but CARBS!

Anonymous wrote:Absolutely do not let her buy that unhealthy school lunch. We let our kid have school lunch for a year and it absolutely changed her overall health. You are the mom and get to dictate what your kid eats. Not a bunch of anonymous posters on a free message board.

5 meals a week of what is generally well balanced (but not the best quality) food is not going to alter your child’s health.

OP - let her buy lunch. You see what making it forbidden has done.

Anonymous wrote:If I had a kid who actually wanted school lunch, I would be thrilled. Enjoy it.

This. Also, at least at our school, you can select a vegetarian or kosher options which is often a bit healthier (if you are worried about the lunch being too meat-heavy). But the school lunch always includes multiples servings for fruit/veggies, a protein, and a whole grain. That's healthy. It's never going to be the kind of thing you'd serve at home because they are making food for hundreds of kids. But that's good! It means she'll learn to eat different kinds of foods.

My kid won't eat it though, so picky. She won't eat hot foods, combined foods, or anything with meat. Even the vegetarian option is too much for her -- she freaks out over melted cheese. So I pack her lunch but if she started asking for the school lunch I'd be thrilled. Eventually she'll have to pack her own lunch if she wants to take it (she's only 5 now, I do it for her), which might make school lunch look a bit more appetizing!

Absolutely do not let her buy that unhealthy school lunch. We let our kid have school lunch for a year and it absolutely changed her overall health. You are the mom and get to dictate what your kid eats. Not a bunch of anonymous posters on a free message board.

My kid was also keen to buy school lunch until he did it for a while, then he realized there was only a couple of things he actually even just sorta liked. I always had money on his account but he almost never used it. Maybe let her buy lunch for a bit and see how it goes? Most schools also post the menu ahead of time, so if there are things she likes and doesn't like then you can plan around that.

I would send the teacher a quick email both mentioning that you had packed and lunch and inquiring about covering the cost of the cheese sticks (though I am guessing they were a teachers extra stash). I would mention that you now know your daughter is anxious to try more school lunches and will put some $ on her account.

Let her buy 1 day a week and send in some extra fruit/veg if you want.

This idea that “school lunch is bad” is literally drummed up by people with eating disorders. School lunch is FINE. It’s not perfect, but it gets the job done. If 5 lunches a week is going to destroy your child’s health, then you aren’t doing a great job at home now are you?

Drop the classist “school lunch is unhealthy” and actually learn about it.