And this is why my kids choose from K onward. They get a manageable amount in their account. Look at the menu each day and choose to buy or pack themselves.

Anonymous wrote:What are parents doing for kid's lunch for first day of school? Is MCPS lunch menu available?

The August-September menus are linked on this page:

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/food-and-nutrition/menus/

Anonymous wrote:Can parents of Kindergarteners stop by school to deliver home made lunch around kid's lunch time instead of sending it with kid in the morning on bus?

LMAO

No.

Pizza first day should be a winner fingers crossed

What are parents doing for kid's lunch for first day of school? Is MCPS lunch menu available?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kids throw it away because it's disgusting.

There is so much food waste! It’s incredibly disheartening to see how much gets tossed everything from milk to fruits and vegetables. Main dishes are barely eaten.

I understand that the school system wants food to be nutritional but what good is nutritional food when it’s not been eaten? Bring back the days when food was tastier and actually eaten even if it means a slightly higher salt content or using quite bread instead of whole-grain and whole wheat.

Do you work in MCPS? I have almost never seen a nutritious food on the menu. It's all pizza, hamburgers, hot dogs, grilled cheese, super-sugary vanilla yogurt with granola, and muffins. Also bagels. Chocolate milk on offer at every meal, and giant cookies as well.

I let my kids order pizza twice a month if they ask, and otherwise pack lunch. Which still may not be winning nutrition awards (one kid really likes sunbutter sandwiches and cheese practically daily) but it's homemade and better than the dreck the county calls food.

School lunches are ultra-processed foods for the most part, a contributor to obesity. It's mostly junk food. If you want your child to eat healthy, pack a lunch.

Anonymous wrote:Can parents of Kindergarteners stop by school to deliver home made lunch around kid's lunch time instead of sending it with kid in the morning on bus?

Everyday?

Can parents of Kindergarteners stop by school to deliver home made lunch around kid's lunch time instead of sending it with kid in the morning on bus?

Anonymous wrote:Tell us how it really is! In elementary school. Should we plan to pack lunch from home instead? No allergies.

My 9-year-old says it's a 5 out of 10. They find the sloppy joe's especially bad!

Anonymous wrote:Reviving this thread…my son is starting K in the fall. Do kindergarteners wait in long lines as well? He‘s been eating lunch fine at his daycare/preschool just fine, so I didn’t think about potentially needing to pack lunch.

At our school, kindergarteners filled out a food order form in the morning and the food was delivered to the classroom. You'll be able to ask at kindergarten orientation in August how it works.

Our school also still does a lot of outdoor lunches, holdover from covid. It's terrific. But kids say it is better to bring from home in that case to avoid lines and get more outdoor time. I send lunch 90% of the time anyway because the food is terrible. I pack their lunches the night before, add an ice pack in the morning, and voila. It takes about 15 minutes total for 2 kids.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kids throw it away because it's disgusting.

There is so much food waste! It’s incredibly disheartening to see how much gets tossed everything from milk to fruits and vegetables. Main dishes are barely eaten.

I understand that the school system wants food to be nutritional but what good is nutritional food when it’s not been eaten? Bring back the days when food was tastier and actually eaten even if it means a slightly higher salt content or using quite bread instead of whole-grain and whole wheat.

Do you work in MCPS? I have almost never seen a nutritious food on the menu. It's all pizza, hamburgers, hot dogs, grilled cheese, super-sugary vanilla yogurt with granola, and muffins. Also bagels. Chocolate milk on offer at every meal, and giant cookies as well.

I let my kids order pizza twice a month if they ask, and otherwise pack lunch. Which still may not be winning nutrition awards (one kid really likes sunbutter sandwiches and cheese practically daily) but it's homemade and better than the dreck the county calls food.

Pack. But put $ into kid's lunch account so if kid wants to get ice cream ( it does happen), they can at lunch. You don't send $ with kid.

Anonymous wrote:Reviving this thread…my son is starting K in the fall. Do kindergarteners wait in long lines as well? He‘s been eating lunch fine at his daycare/preschool just fine, so I didn’t think about potentially needing to pack lunch.

If you have the bandwidth to read these posts, you will see the responses fall into: yes, pack. buy sometimes, pack other days. Kid buys everyday has little time to eat because they are busy chatting and end up throwing food away. throwing away food seems to occur even when child brings lunch from home. Soon after you start Ki, the pta or class parents ask for snack donations - no wonder because kids are not actually eating the food and get hungry in the afternoon.

Reviving this thread…my son is starting K in the fall. Do kindergarteners wait in long lines as well? He‘s been eating lunch fine at his daycare/preschool just fine, so I didn’t think about potentially needing to pack lunch.

Anonymous wrote:Do any schools eat lunch in their classrooms?

Nope. Never.