A preschooler in Raeford, North Carolina, was given a school cafeteria lunch when a state inspector deemed her sack lunch inadequate by USDA nutritional standards. The 4-year-old girl ate three chicken nuggets from the cafeteria meal.
Now, you may think that apple juice, potato chips, and a banana would count as at least two fruits or vegetables, but it appears to be a matter of interpretation. Jani Kozlowski of the state's Division of Child Development said there was nothing wrong with the bagged lunch, and the parent should not have been charged for the cafeteria meal. She hinted that the school may need more "technical assistance," meaning training. Link -via reddit
(Image credit: Flickr user Jeffrey Beall)
The girl’s turkey and cheese sandwich, banana, potato chips, and apple juice did not meet U.S. Department of Agriculture guidelines, according to the interpretation of the agent who was inspecting all lunch boxes in her More at Four classroom that day.
The Division of Child Development and Early Education at the Department of Health and Human Services requires all lunches served in pre-kindergarten programs — including in-home day care centers — to meet USDA guidelines. That means lunches must consist of one serving of meat, one serving of milk, one serving of grain, and two servings of fruit or vegetables, even if the lunches are brought from home.
When home-packed lunches do not include all of the required items, child care providers must supplement them with the missing ones.
The girl’s mother — who said she wishes to remain anonymous to protect her daughter from retaliation — said she received a note from the school stating that students who did not bring a “healthy lunch” would be offered the missing portions, which could result in a fee from the cafeteria, in her case $1.25.
Now, you may think that apple juice, potato chips, and a banana would count as at least two fruits or vegetables, but it appears to be a matter of interpretation. Jani Kozlowski of the state's Division of Child Development said there was nothing wrong with the bagged lunch, and the parent should not have been charged for the cafeteria meal. She hinted that the school may need more "technical assistance," meaning training. Link -via reddit
(Image credit: Flickr user Jeffrey Beall)
In college, I learned just how eurocentric (and even dangerous) forcing milk on children really is. Only a few populations in the world retain the ability to digest milk after weaning. Most of those populations are northern European with a few in Africa and Asia. In fact, a majority of the world's population is lactose intolerant.
I can't believe that the school threw away a perfectly good lunch and forced a kid to eat processed 'chicken' nuggets instead. The person who did that should be fired since they obviously have NO understanding of nutrition or the eating habits of children!
And another thing- required to have milk? Hey, ever stop to think that some children are lactose intolerant? You going to tell a fifth grader that they have to have it, even if they're going to have terrible plumbing problems later, because it's required?
If we continue to have these problems with our government forcing us to live, think, breed, and even EAT a certain way we're moving to Europe.
There was no state or federal inspector to inspect the lunches, but a researcher who evaluates how the school complies with the Pre-K program. The mother had requested that the school not provide the child with milk and vegetables, since she was under the mistaken idea that she would be charged for them (she's under the threshold to be charged and would not be charged).
Someone at the school noticed that the child did not have milk, and instructed her to get milk. Through a mixup, the child got a full extra lunch. There was no forcing of food, throwing away of a home-made lunch, or any other type of force feeding (unless one counts making sure a child has milk to drink).
The North Carolina Division of Child Development and Early Education has released a statement here: http://dig.abclocal.go.com/wtvd/docs/20120215231055.pdf
Local news story with the actual facts here:
http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news/local&id=8544298
My thoughts exactly. How are chicken nuggets better than turkey and cheese?
Aside from that, this governing of lunches is ridiculous, it's not going to correct poor eating habits at home or outside of school, which is what they're hoping for. And preschoolers just don't EAT much.
@Dave
Agreed, school lunch veggies are often terrible, and really, it IS a stretch to expect that sort of thing. >_>
My first thought on this story was, did the girl get any vegetables with the hot lunch? And if so, did the veggies end up in the trash bin with the other 90% of the vegetables that are served in the public school lunches? Miss C. hit it dead on; a 4 year old will only eat a small amount, and at that age they are as fussy as they'll ever be. A parent will typically pack a lunch with those things the kid will actually eat; handing her a tray with an institutional hot lunch on it and expecting her to eat it is a real stretch.
I fully agree with both of you, it's not about democrat versus republican and never has been. It is about rich versus poor. It is about the profit margin. It is about privatization of our noblest institutions.
I just can't stand the stupid scapegoating, invented facts and thoughtless statements attributing all our country's faults to "libs", "liberals" and our current president. I get a little sick defending (them) him but facts are facts and you have to invent your own to make a point...
How about they tell me why my nieces are eating PIZZA for breakfast at their school. Why is THAT better than what this girl was given by her parents.
Land of the free?
A lesser but still important number of people are vegetarians of some variety -- in many cases due to religious beliefs -- but they're required to have meat in every lunch anyway?
And who in their right mind thinks chicken nuggets are healthier than a turkey & cheese sandwich on whole wheat bread?
The other part of me is asking... well, what do you honestly expect when sending your kid to a government run school? In general, most parents are more than happy to push the responsibility of educating their children off onto the government without even a second thought. Many even look to the schools to raise their kids. Then they are "shocked" when the government actually does assume the role of mommy and daddy.
There is no such thing as an unbiased education and "public education" is a euphemism. If you want you kids to learn to look to government to solve all their problems, then send them to a government run school. This is just more proof of that.
The one year we didn't get subsidized lunches, I packed them every day. We did fine until the school banned peanut butter. After that, it was chips and salsa and pop tarts every day.