CORN NUTS were the f-ing vegetable for my students today. I'M FURIOUS!!

[Snoutport]

Yesterdays lunch:

two oreos sealed in a little bag
a bag of fritos
a bag of corn nuts
a sandwich made out of some very sketchy looking meat (last week the sandwiches were mouldy)
chocolate milk
raisins.

Nothing fresh, nothing that wasn't processed, everything from some gigantic food corporation and a whole trashcan of plastic bags that can't be recycled when they were done.

CORN NUTS SHOULD NOT COUNT AS A FU**ING VEGETABLE.

I went and bought bananas and carrots on my credit card because, ethically, I could not feed them that garbage.

People, how do we change this??!!

[virgogal]

1. They would be smarter bringing lunch from home.

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. Some kids don't have that option

:hug:

[Name removed]

39. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[AmBlue]

175. Check out www.jamieoliver.com... FOOD REVOLUTION

Jamie is doing admirable work in the UK and is working to jumpstart a serious movement in the U.S. Check it out! Love this guy...

Toolkit for making change happen: http://www.jamieoliver.com/foundation/jamies-food-revolution/toolkits

[Cid_B]

84. As long as its not peanuts....

:)

[Ignis]

104. Especially cake?

[Daphne08]

107. I've had students whose only meals were provided at

school. I know it's difficult to believe, but it's true.

[Snoutport]

130. Did you feed them?

I don't think people realize, when you are a teacher, you are morally and legally obliged to be their caretaker. That means feeding them if they are hungry, nursing them if they are hurt and that responsibility gets scarier and bigger as other social agencies like the lunch programs start failing them.

I think I need to write a proper editorial about this!

[Phentex]

131. My mother was a public school teacher and she couldn't feed us...

there's no way she could have fed her students because she didn't have the money!

I think parents are morally obligated to feed their children and yet they struggle with this, but you think teachers should do it?

[Snoutport]

203. i don't have kids so it might be easier for me...

I don't expect a teacher to feed their students. they shouldn't have to do that!! but, at the same time, there is an ethical question...we are manditory reporters for abuse or neglect of children. If I have a student who isn't getting dinner at home...if I see them hungry or poorly cared for I am obliged by law to make a report of neglect.

So...if I'm the adult in charge...and I know this kid isn't eating food all day, and yet I'm the child's guardian for those 7 hours...isn't that the same neglect of not feeding a kid at home? That's something many people just don't think about. That is why we do feed kids either in the lunch program, out of our own pocket, sharing our own lunch, however teachers scrape up the food needed to make sure that some hungry malnourished kid is at least getting something to eat.

To do anything less means that we, as a society, are neglecting our kids while they are in our care.

People say, "Cut the money to education!" but they aren't the ones watching some kid without a lunch sitting at their desk while the rest of the class eats.

[Phentex]

204. You are guilty of neglect as far as I am concerned...

because you refuse to bring this to the attention of the proper people.

[Snoutport]

209. ah, thanks man...you're a real sterling guy from the sounds of it

I'll remember your words when I'm in line buying more food to balance out the crap being served because of budget cuts.

I'm working on it.

I started by complaining to the cafeteria then the head teacher, then my supervisor with carbon copies to her supervisor, then I brought it up in a meeting of all the supervisors who have OK'd me to purchase additional foods if my students can't eat it based on medical condition.

Who else am I supposed to complain to? Go to the papers and get fired? And then the one teacher who was trying to make it better is out of there and nobody is helping.

And I do buy food tosupplement so I am not neglecting my students. I make sure they do eat better than what the state provides. I have oatmeal, peanut butter and jelly, cheese, cereal, fruit, crackers in my class AT ALL TIMES to make up the difference.

So don't you accuse me of neglect. If you are so concerned then go volunteer at a school and make sure the same thing isn't happening in your own back yard.

[CrispyQ]

140. This is where "ketchup is a vegetable" leads.

Soon, HFCS will be a vegetable because it has the word 'corn' in it. :eyes:

Write that letter!

I completely believe in the power of editorials! I always read the editorial section. I love it. It can be educational, entertaining & at times, make you shake your head that you live in the same community as some of the loons you read. But on two key issues, editorials were instrumental in my increased awareness & change of perspective.

Write that letter! Some papers have a special section on weekends for longer letters. And some offer a 'he said/she said' type format - you write something & someone with an opposing view writes something. Both get published together. Check it out! You never know whose life you're going to change with a LTTE. And yeah, you'll probably never find out, but they do make a difference.

:thumbsup:

[jwirr]

188. That is what I would suggest. Not all the children in your school

went home and told their parents what they had to eat. Do it now or keep track of a weeks meals and include the menu in the editorial. Then you may get help from the parents who are paying for hot lunch meals. This is disgraceful.

And I used to think hot lunches were bad because they fed us spinach.

[Frisbee]

161. In the world we now live in...

it's not only not hard to believe, sadly, it's not even a little bit surprising. And that in and of itself is a tragedy.

[Brickbat]

2. Was this a lunch from home, or a hot lunch?

[Snoutport]

12. School Lunch program--all but one of my kids are on free lunch

This is what the school district provided for the school to eat. We have a kid that has to eat blended foods...do you have any idea how hard it is to blend corn nuts??!

[nadinbrzezinski]

23. Yeah.. you are right but they don't care

[xmas74]

97. I can just imagine.

I remember blending lettuce and tomato salads with sour cream. It wasn't the best but it's better than corn nuts!

[Frisbee]

163. It sounds like letting McD's provide the lunches...

would be an improvement. That is appalling.

[Blue Owl]

4. Just one tiny step away from serving corn-based packing peanuts

That reminds me -- have you thanked a wealthy Republican CEO today?

[Snoutport]

73. isn't that what a frito is?

[Lorien]

5. Sounds like a prescription for type two diabetes. nt

[Justitia]

13. and a broken tooth! -eom

[Snoutport]

21. I HAVE TWO DIABETIC STUDENTS!!!!!

I'm supposed to be teaching them nutrition!!! Last week on Monday we made charts of BAD FOODS. The next day EVERY SINGLE ITEM IN THEIR LUNCH except the sandwich was on the BAD FOODS list. chips, fruit in syrup, oreos...sigh. I'm suprised that No Child Left Behind doesn't have a hidden clause to fire teachers if their student's gain weight.

[renate]

132. that says it all

Wow... that a picture of their lunch would be a picture you could have just used in class to show them what NOT to eat... amazing.

You're absolutely wonderful to care so much about your kids in every way. What a great teacher you are. Your students will remember you with love for the rest of their lives. :loveya:

[slackmaster]

152. Thank you for your attention to their needs, however difficult the system is making it.

:hi:

[Snoutport]

210. Thank you very much! One guy up above accused me of abuse...

So I appreciate the kind words. :0)

[aquart]

6. Where are you?

How good is your TV media? Who does the human interest stories? If you post these lunches on YouTube, how viral can they go?

Then you alert your most local elected officials and move up the chain from there.

How can this be done so that you still have a job at the end of it?

YOU NEED A PARENT TO POST THE VIDEOS.

[roseBudd]

8. Why yes, the parent of a child who usded their cell phone to film the corn nut wink winks

[aquart]

11. Precisely.

[Snoutport]

28. They would know it was me...I already complained and got in trouble

I complained to the woman in charge of the cafeteria...told her "I have two diabetic kids that can't eat any of the food you are serving." She said, "Then make them bring their own." I said, "I can't, they are on free lunches and legally, since they have health issues, we have to provide them and one of the foster moms knows the system, she'd sue us so fast!"

She closed the door in my face.

Later that afternoon the head teacher came in my room and told me I was no longer allowed to enter the cafeteria or talk to the lunch lady.

I should just let them get sued...but instead I go buy the food out of my own pocket...because I'm a decent person. Sucks to be the only one sometimes!

[diane in sf]

108. talk to the parent and let the school be sued, something is really smelly with the food situation

at your school.

[Brigid]

196. And people wonder why . . .

good teachers are so hard to find and retain these days. :eyes:

[mimitabby]

164. i asked the same question

WHERE ARE YOU? do you have local media?

[Pharaoh]

7. Well the meal plan is terrible

But I really like a bag of corn nuts now and then!

[tridim]

10. Pretty much the best junk food snack ever.

I do a bag or two a year.

[BobbyBoring]

9. Ever since Raygun declared that ketchup was a vegetable

it's been all down hill.

[kaiden]

58. True that.

[WinkyDink]

62. Rescinded.

[Snoutport]

69. shut up and eat your corn nuts and ketchup. OMG...they also send us

fruit strips. little pieces of fruit leather (also in plastic packaging) come as the fruit for breakfast sometimes!!!

[aquart]

99. Someone is taking kickbacks. How crooked is your DA?

[Matariki]

14. Can you elaborate?

Was that lunch for your whole school? Your class? What grade and where do you teach?

How many kids did you buy bananas and carrots for?

[Snoutport]

32. whole school, special ed program, 60 or so students.

Oregon, high school +, I only bought for my own class...I just couldn't afford to do it for all of them. :0(

[Matariki]

35. I was just arguing with my sister today about how much money teachers make

and told her that all the teachers I know end up buying supplies out of their own pockets for their students - because of all the education under-funding.

I'm sorry you had to do that and I really wish our culture cared more about education. At the same time, I grateful there are people like you teaching.

[Snoutport]

98. You can tell your sister I make 41 K, my student loan payments are just under

$500 a month, for my job I have to have a master's degree and I have to take 3 credits of post graduate coarses ($700-900 + books) every year to keep my license. I have six years of experience and was a finalist for teacher of the year last year.

The legislature votes in the next coming weeks whether my district takes a 25% cut. There are only four teachers newer than me so I will be in the first round of layoffs.

You can tell her this teacher works really hard for his 41K a year despite having to work a second job to make ends meet.

[bvar22]

146. In a civilized country,

an ED Degree + Continued Education would be FREE with the commitment to serve in the Public Schools for 5 years after graduation.
Same for Medicine.
Free Degree with 5 years of Public Service.


But don't worry.
The Privatized Charter Schools will save us all.

[abelenkpe]

When people talk about inflated teachers salaries they are

including the cost of their benefits package. ie salary plus medical, dental costs and pension contributions. Personally I think this speaks more to the insanely high cost of health care than anything else. But it is also disingenuous. The take home pay is really all they should be looking at.

My SIL is a teacher. She brings home 42,000 a year and spend gobs and gobs of her own money on books, art supplies, soap and paper towels every year. Literally, she has to buy soap for the soap dispenser in her class room as the school does not provide anywhere near enough. She teaches in a very poor east LA neighborhood, cannot afford to buy a home on her salary and is also paying off her student loans. So those who say teachers are living an extravagant life off the backs of taxpayers are completely full of it. Ask them to point to one teacher living high on the hog that they personally know. Bet they won't know one. ;)

[Yupster]

198. It's the pension that is hard to value

Let's say you work 35 years and retire at age 58 with a pension of $ 40,000 a year.

Let's say you live for 30 more years. That's $ 1.2 million of retirement income. How do you value that for each year of work?

If you divide the $ 1.2 million by the 35 years you taught you get a retirement benefit of about $ 35,000 for each year you worked.

Is that the proper weay to value the pension benefit? I have no idea, but it must be valued very highly as a benefit.

[sad sally]

160. Call Senator Wyden's office and ask him how these lunches

could be considered to meet the federal USDA Food and Nutrition Standards for School Meals. Maybe tell him you've been told to stay away from sticking your nose in the lunchroom's business, but your business is teaching these kids, which is hard to do when they get food like this - food that's supposed to have national nutrition standards.

Thank you for your service to America's future - the children of today.

[Snoutport]

194. It is easier to just pay for it than to risk getting in trouble for complaining.

The sick thing is I work a second job to make ends meet...and I end up spending it feeding other people's kids!

[Phentex]

199. Then you are guilty of letting these kids be harmed...

you wanted to know what you could do when you posted and you have been given plenty of ideas. But you don't want to get in trouble? There is much YOU could do without getting into trouble!

You have not shown us an actual menu where these items are being served. You avoid answering questions in this thread.

*I* want to do something about this. If I had proof of what is really being served, no one would have to know where *I* got the information. AND if the crap you say is being served IS REALLY being served, I know *I* won't get into trouble for exposing it.

What are you afraid of?

[MindPilot]

15. Joe Arpaio would be ashamed to serve that to Maricopa County inmates

They expect kids to eat that shit and then go LEARN?! It would take most of their attention just to not throw up. Now I'm pissed too!:grr:

[Snoutport]

34. me too man, me too... i cried when i went to the store

I couldn't help it.

For 7 hours those are my kids. I'm responsible for them. I'm the person supposed to be in charge of their well-being... and they give me poison to feed them, basically.

[8 track mind]

67. Very silly idea, but

take a picture of a meal like that and send it to the First Lady. Do it every day. Hey, it's worth a shot. It may work, it may not.

[RamboLiberal]

78. +1 on that - include your local, state, federal reps as well

Can't hurt. I applaud your efforts for your kids!

[demigoddess]

170. I also agree, but I would also find a reporter and send them

pictures every day or the local organizations of parents of special ed kids. My daughter was in special ed and I would have been livid!!! Parents can make noise teachers can't.

[CrispyQ]

141. Did you see "Super Size Me"?

Great movie!! In one segment, Spurlock goes to a school that has implemented a true hot lunch program. It doesn't look like the food court at the mall, it looks like the cafeteria from when I was a kid. We had German women cook us hot lunches that included real meat & real vegetables.

The teachers reported back that the students preformed better with the new diet. :wow: "Who'da thunk?", like my grandma used to say. Fill them with crap/poison & expect good performance? We treat our cars better than that! But our children? Hey, if some corporation can make a buck off of short changing the kids, what the fuck? It's the American way.

[Snoutport]

158. the breakfasts are worse sometimes!

fruit leather, a donut and chocolate milk.

[Frisbee]

165. I actually look back at my days in the school cafeteria...

in the 60s and 70s very fondly. It was a public school system, and I'd kill for a chance to have a few of the meals they prepared again. How times have changes.

[CrispyQ]

178. My school district was known throughout the area

as having one of the best hot lunch programs of all the districts.

Those old, wonderful German women, if they thought you weren't getting enough at home, they would sneak some edibles for the whole family, to the kid to take home. "No one goes hungry in our community."

:hug:

[bergie321]

172. Corporations can't profit

From real food.

[Snoutport]

208. true!

[msongs]

16. probably not following guidelines. school lunches r ok here elementarys have a salad bar along with

the hot "item" which is usually decent at least. sounds like your school is NOT on the plan as devised.

[nonconformist]

88. +1

Our school lunches are pretty decent too, and it is a school with a high percentage of students on the free or reduced lunch program. There is always a side salad with the hot item and FRESH fruit and a REAL vegetable. No dessert, the fresh fruit is the dessert.

I admittedly don't know a lot about this issue, but I assumed these things were regulated?

[Snoutport]

137. it is a serving of corn...but cooked in hot grease and heavily salted

so it ruins any nutritional value, basically!

[Shagbark Hickory]

17. What the hell is a corn nut? A kernal or something?

I guess we've come a long way since I was in school. We just ate french fries.

[nadinbrzezinski]

26. Here

http://shopping.yahoo.com/search?p=corn%20nuts

They are ok in a blue moon

[Shagbark Hickory]

29. Oh. Well those look yummy.

I can see how they're probably not the best thing to eat tho.

[nadinbrzezinski]

33. Once in a blue moom, while hiking

they are ok... kind of the granola I can eat, sort off... on a school lunch, not so much

[Shagbark Hickory]

77. You'd think that broccoli would be more cost effective.

Even if they dribbled a little cheese on it.

[Snoutport]

125. and maybe local.

the corn nuts are shipped 2000 miles to us!

[Snoutport]

85. the ones in the picture are big plump ones...the ones we get are hard little flat things

only the finest of grade z corn nuts for american teenagers! (deepfried in some nasty oil, if I recall)

[CrispyQ]

142. Oh yes! They are quite yummy!

But the entire time you are enjoying the taste, you're also worrying that you'll crack a tooth. Also, they sit like a rock in the bottom of your stomach for hours.

But if you were to offer me a few right now, I'd eat 'em. :blush:

[Hissyspit]

166. They have a lot of fat for a "vegetable."

They are essentially the same as Fritos, just not ground up. Fat, salt and corn.

Two servings of it, from what snoutport is saying.

[japple]

173. Well, that sends up a red flag. Who's making money off the corn

products!!!

[doc03]

18. Why is it schools have to supply lunches today? Back when

I was in school 1954-1966 we either brought a bag lunch or bought lunch, what is different today that the taxpayers are obligated to supply kids with lunch.

[Sanity Claws]

25. what is different?

Did you know that 25% of school kids live in poverty? That's poverty. There's another group barely above that.
The middle class has collapsed. The working poor are indeed poor. Back in 1954-66, most families could raise a family on just one salary. Not anymore.

[doc03]

31. I grew up in Appalachia and there were lots of families

that were dirt poor. We didn't have a 2 hour delay nearly every day in the winter, school was never canceled unless we had a really deep snow and it certainly wasn't cancelled because it was just cold. Just two weeks ago they had a 2 hour delay because of the cold, it was 15º at 7am and 17º at 9am!!! Did 2 degrees temperature difference keep someone from freezing to death?

[Sanity Claws]

40. Want me to get off your lawn?

[Justitia]

41. and you walked barefoot! uphill both ways!

I have no idea whether to take you seriously.

[doc03]

45. Did walk about 1/2 mile, I see parents today waiting with their

kids for the bus at the end of a 50 foot driveway and I am not exaggerating.

[Justitia]

46. so what? why do you care? be glad they are in school, they will be paying your Soc Sec soon

I don't know whether to laugh or cry

[doc03]

56. Why do I care? I have had the honor of training a few of today's

generation on the job. I had one of them ask how to get on the internet and where the games were about 30 seconds after walking in the door, it snows they think they are in school, they report off.

[Justitia]

59. So, just a general misanthrope, then? This isn't really about feeding schoolkids? -eom

[WinkyDink]

65. And I have had the honor of telling writers like you that that is a run-on sentence.

[bread_and_roses]

192. ROFL, the ancient Egyptians were also complaining about "the younger generation."

As, evidently, was Emporer Augustus. The world rolls on. Perhaps our young will be less slaves to the machine - and that would be a good thing. (I'm 60, btw - so am defending myself or my peers)

[WinkyDink]

64. The point would be: Where is the school? Not where is the driveway.

[bread_and_roses]

191. In grade - and maybe middle school - not sure - the busdriver CANNOT drop a child off

if there is no adult to receive them. And, if you think a minute, this makes sense. And what's it to you, anyway? Why do you care?

[Snoutport]

87. did your family hunt for extra food? or have a garden?

because that isn't really possible in the city. There is not fall back for starving kids in the city.

[Fuddnik]

117. I'll bet you walked uphill both ways too!

[Arugula Latte]

153. And he liked it!

[Snoutport]

37. 80% of my students are wards of the state. Foster kids. We pay to feed them regardless

Could you sit there while all of your students eat but one?

That would happen to me at my first teaching job. This one kid would come to school with no lunch or something horrible like an orange and 6 marshmallows. Most often it was a single tortilla in a baggy.

I couldn't stand it. He was five desks away from me and I could hear his stomach growling.

I gave him my lunch every day.

[doc03]

43. Something horrible like an orange, that's better than a

candy bar from the school vending machines. I remember PBJ or Cheez Whiz every day.

[Justitia]

38. uh, really? You didn't know that subsidized lunches go back to 1940?

But, there have been various school lunch programs in this country dating back to the 1890s.

I'm glad YOU might never have needed it, but millions of school kids have and do.

Personally, I believe that all schoolchildren should receive meals during the school day free of charge.

We cannot expect hungry or malnutritioned children to learn properly. Feeding them is part of the cost of education.

[doc03]

48. We got milk for 3 cents a bottle, I think that was subsidized

but my first 5 years of grammar school we didn't even have a cafeteria or even a vending machine.

[bvar22]

150. It really is ALL about YOU,

isn't it.

Did you read the OP?
Did it touch anything inside you?

[Snoutport]

157. I was wondering the same thing....

must be a mighty cold frigid place, that heart.

[WinkyDink]

63. Gotta love SIXTY-YEAR-OLD INFO. You sound like my mother, and I'M 61.Yer damn HOUSE was only

$10,000. If that.

[RebelOne]

135. I'm 72 and back when I was in elementary school,

there were no free lunches. You either had lunch money, took your lunch to school, or you just plain didn't eat. And my mother's house was only $7,000. Life has certainly changed a lot since those years.

[JVS]

66. Get ready to have fun eating the same lunch in the senior home.

:hi:

[nonconformist]

91. For some kids, this is their only meal of the day.

And for many more, it's their only hot meal of the day, they're left to just snack around on whatever junk food they can find at their house.

Some of these parent(s) try their best, but others suck, admittedly. Still, knowingly allowing kids to be hungry or malnourished sucks too, so we do what we can for them. It's not the kids fault.

Plus, hungry kids don't learn. It's in the best interest of society at large for kids to be able to learn properly.

[Snoutport]

101. A nurse in our district put together a program, wrote grants, got donations and

she and a small group of helpers fill backpacks with food every friday for the poorest kids to take home over the weekend. That nurse deserves some angel wings. Some of these kids are so skinny it is troubling.

[Phentex]

121. Why wouldn't the nurse point out the obvious?

Anyone concerned about the health of the kids would speak up, not cover up the problem.

[lostnfound]

103. French people love their children more

It's obvious. Not just their own child but all of the children in their community.


http://healthyschoolscampaign.typepad.com/healthy_schools_campaign/2007/04/notes_from_fran_2.html

[CrispyQ]

145. "Not just their own child but all of the children in their community."

:applause:

Republican Family Values = "My family has value, yours does not."

[Snoutport]

154. that is so depressing....nt

[ehrnst]

120. Only kids that meet poverty levels are given a free lunch.

Because starving kids don't learn, and keep the others in class back with them.

That's the pragmatic reason.

The humane reasons should speak for themselves. Kids should not go hungry.

[CrispyQ]

144. How many martini lunches for fraudulent banksters & their ilk, have taxpayers paid for?

You're worried some kids might get a free hot lunch? Because you didn't get one when you were a kid? Really????? :banghead:

Three hots & a cot - we owe all citizens that. Oh, & healthcare, education & child care. This would be a damned fine start.

[Arugula Latte]

149. Seriously? You're on DU and you don't agree with subsidized SCHOOL LUNCHES for poor kids?

Jesus H. Christ. Now I've heard everything.

[JVS]

169. It really is disgusting.

[dbackjon]

184. No kidding

Even Jesus H Christ knew the value of feeding the masses.

[OhioChick]

19. What are corn nuts?

:shrug:

[Pharaoh]

24. deep fried corn kernels

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corn_nut

[OhioChick]

60. Thanks....

I've never heard of or eaten those before.

[Liberal_in_LA]

20. ewwww. I don't remember school lunches being so awful

[ohheckyeah]

70. I went to a pretty small country

school for elementary school and we got homemade food for lunch. Homemade rolls, cheese mashed potatoes, fresh snapped green beans, etc. It was delicious!

[Snoutport]

127. corporations gave grants to dismantle kitchens and now the schools can only

buy packaged stuff. Portland oregon only has one elementary school now with a working kitchen!

[LiberalAndProud]

201. Link?

Surely this made the news.

[toddwv]

22. What's that like 3 days worth of sodium in one meal?

Are they by any chance in the AS (Advanced Sodium) program?

I do love Corn Nuts though but Fritos AND Corn Nuts? C'mon.

[Snoutport]

202. i just figured out the sodium....

124 % of their daily sodium intake....

[slay]

27. Show um this clip from the movie Heathers regarding corn nuts:

at 1:33. -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQik7L8Av6w&feature=related

Seriously though - that is awful. We need a true progressive revolution in this country to change things - it's not happening under Obama for obvious reasons, but I think that is the only solution. People in power now just want to CUT CUT CUT everything until it's only the super super rich and super super poor in this country. :(

I'd file a complaint with the school board at least though.

[Aerows]

54. But we can afford to wade into another war, this time with Libya

Can't feed hungry children something decent, but we can afford to bomb yet another country.

[slay]

68. It's sickening isn't it?

how even the Dems do this shit. I thought they were the party of the people. Judging by the last 2+ years, I'd say that is no longer true - if it ever was. We, the people, have nobody looking out for our interests at this point. It's all about what the rich and powerful want - and they sure do love them some war-mongering! :puke:

[BOG PERSON]

76. a progressive revolution??

isn't that something of an oxymoron?

[TheKentuckian]

30. I believe in sin and that "meal" is one.

I thought lunch was garbage when I was a kid but this is off this charts.

[TahitiNut]

36. No wonder there's so much castrated corn around.

:dunce:

[white_wolf]

42. Dang when I was in elementary school in the 90's

I complained about that square pizza they gave us. It didn't taste like Pizza at all, but I think I may have been lucky. Do they still serve that by the way?

[RayOfHope]

90. they do indeed n/t

[eShirl]

44. not much difference between the corn nuts and the Fritos

just the shape

[Snoutport]

159. and the chocolate milk has corn syrup in it. is that a veggie?

[Journeyman]

47. So show the district/school that fresh food and better nutrition can be purchased . . .

and prepared for the same cost as over-processed, pre-packaged "food."

Unfortunately, I don't believe you'll be able to do it, especially when the needed prep time is factored in.

Regrettably, that seems the sole consideration these days: what can be done at the least cost. Health isn't a consideration for provided food. Quieting tummies and dulling the ache seems the only consideration.

Good luck getting some changes implemented. You're a good person to pay for items yourself, but I can't see you continuing that for very long. For the foreseeable future, however, I suspect conditions are going to worsen before they improve.

[white_wolf]

49. Just think I bet next week the vegetable will be popcorn.

[demwing]

83. Just give them a cup of corn meal, mixed with a tablespoon of corn syrup

and let them wash it down with a healthy cup of corn oil. Oh - don't forget the salt...

[Snoutport]

205. Oh, on Monday they got baby corn as their vegetable!!

lol..seriously...five little tiny baby corns wrapped in saran wrap.

[AC_Mem]

50. Parents should start packing their children's lunches

Every morning I wake up and I make my grandchildren a balanced, hot breakfast and I pack them a balanced, nutritious lunch. I check the lunch menu and it's not bad, but they don't care for the food and frankly, I prefer to know what they are eating.

I end up having to pack extra every day because they end up sharing with their little friends.

It's a shame what they are doing to our children. Parents need to step up and take care of the children they brought into this world - or grandparents :)

I remember when my kids were in elementary school - this was how it was: we had to pack the lunches for the kids and we had to cover each one of the food groups (we were given a list). If we missed a food group, the school supplemented it and we were charged for that food! That was about 25 years ago and my how things have changed.


Annette

[ekelly]

81. I think I just broke a bootstrap n/t

[jillan]

86. I always made lunch for my kids too. Always tried to give them a balanced meal.

[Snoutport]

207. Hi Annette!

Your grandkids are really lucky to have you! I wish all my students had someone like you in their family. Almost all my students are foster kids. They have so many strikes against them it is heartbreaking. I do what I can to make sure they eat well. :0)

[JBoy]

51. Paging Jamie Oliver.

[kentauros]

123. TED, Food Revolution

Considering the size of this thread, I am really surprised that we're the only ones mentioning him and his 'crusade' to reform school lunch programs.

So, for everyone else, here are Jamie Oliver's videos to watch :)

Jamie Oliver's TED Prize wish: Teach every child about food

Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution (on hulu)

Jamie Oliver's YouTube Channel

[WolverineDG]

134. No you're not

but don't forget when his show was on last year, there were many on DU who were making fun of him & thought he was wrong.

dg

[kentauros]

136. I missed that thread.

I'm not normally in GD anyway. I think he's planning on another miniseries, so I guess I'll see more of the same when it airs ;)

[WolverineDG]

133. Yup. Funny how he got little support on DU nt

[slackmaster]

148. Or Oliver Twist

:argh:

[kentauros]

151. Unless there's a question on a test,

would today's NCLB kids even get that reference? ;)

[-..__...]

52. Inform the school board/principal/admin...

that one of your students has a corn nut/Oreo/Fritos/raisin allergy.

I'll bet you'll get some feedback then.

[Glimmer of Hope]

53. This is horrible. Can the school start a garden?

[leeroysphitz]

55. So I take it that you are opposed to serving cheesy bread sticks as an entree?

Actual menu Item.

[white_wolf]

57. I remember those in elementary school.

Everyone else loved them, but I could never eat them for some reason.

[Kali]

61. well at least the corn nuts and fritos are whole grain

but counting corn nuts as a veg? lotta sodium and fat in that lunch, but better than nothing, I guess. Thanks for buying them some fresh stuff - did they eat it?

[Imajika]

71. Mmmmm Corn Nuts...

I kind of like them. And as a kid, I'd have MUCH prefer Corn Nuts to carrots.

I get your point and applaud you for buying them something healthy, but honestly, I am not sure this is a problem that will ever be solved.

When I was in school they tried to offer and encourage us to try the healthy choices, but we all pretty much went for the slab of pizza, milkshake and cupcakes. If they took the decent tasting stuff away, the kids would all keep their money and hit McDonalds or 7-11 on the way home. I remember when they took the soda machine out and substituted a machine full of fruit juice. This was a complete flop as pretty much everyone just went to the convenience stores around the school for the Coke, Mt Dew and other good stuff.

[madrchsod]

72. here`s some food for thought....

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-healthy-school-lunch-man-20110317,0,4216235.story

3 dollars a meal? and the kids like it?

this can`t be true! but it is.

[BOG PERSON]

74. but everyone knows a corn nut is neither a corn nor a nut

[Pharaoh]

80. But you can break at tooth on one!

:hippie:

[bullwinkle428]

75. What are they planning for tomorrow? Pork rinds?

I can't blame you at all for feeling :banghead: !

[Snoutport]

206. OMG! My staff and I joke that the pork rinds are next! nnt

[Waiting For Everyman]

79. #1 Find out who's supplying the food and how much is being paid for it

(I'll bet it's way too much) #2 Send a picture of that "lunch" to Michelle Obama along with a letter, ccing copies to CNN (Sanjay Gupta), and MSNBC (all the good guys, oh and even Mika B. b/c she's a food freak).

See what happens then. I'll bet something does. And include a pic of the kids.

That would be my suggestion. See if anybody cares - and then if they don't, at least you know that too, and that becomes part of the story to take it further.

If whatever company who's supplying this stuff can be forced out, maybe then some kind of a coop could be formed. Back in the "old days" when I went to school (1950s and 1960s), lunches were prepared by rotating mom-volunteers, and it was really good (and for 30 cents, isn't that unreal?). Today, maybe some retired people in the community would do it if nobody else, and food could be bought from a local farmer's market etc. It only needs a kitchen (preferably on-site) and some volunteers. Just a thought.

It's an outrage for anybody to pretend that's a lunch though, and to actually have so little regard for those kids. God bless you for what you did, and for caring. :hug:

[LiberalAndProud]

82. From what I'm reading here, those lunches aren't reimburseable.

http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/lunch/_private/CompetitiveFoods/fmnv.pdf


As far as I can tell, states are responsible to police the program. Perhaps you need to contact

Mailing Address:
ATTENTION: JOYCE DOUGHERTY, DIRECTOR CNP
OR STATE-NATIONAL SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM
255 CAPITOL STREET NE
SALEM, OR 97310

http://www.clackamas.us/socialservices/rguide/info1016ab.html


Something to think about, anyway.

[Motown_Johnny]

89. Do you have a local school board?

If so, shouldn't you be discussing this with them?

[Frank Cannon]

109. That's a good question. And if this is a public school, there is a central office...

and someone there is in charge of the lunch program. It seems rather odd that the original poster is beating up on the cooks at the school and makes no mention of having explored these other routes, which appear obvious.

But, then, the original post seems rather hinky to me anyway. Color me more than a little skeptical.

[Luciferous]

92. I would be pissed if my daughter's school served that for lunch. You

should complain, and whoever is in charge of planning the lunches at that school should be fired!

[donheld]

93. maybe DU should adopt a school

[mrmpa]

94. Costo water is $4 a case, energy and breakfast bars, then...

give the receipt to your principal for reimbursement.

[themadstork]

95. But there just isn't the money for education!

I mean, what kind of country would we be if we didn't keep fighting these crazy-ass wars?!

We don't want to educate our meat-shields. I continue to believe that one day our shameless dismantling of public education over the past few decades will be seen as one of the greater disgraces of this era. FOX Propaganda has become the true American education. Who needs Shakespeare or Milton or Emerson when you have Glen Beck?

You're an awesome teacher. Keep fighting the good fight. I agree with the suggestions to try sending photos to politicians interested in the cause.

[BadgerKid]

96. I wonder what the money trail is.

It would be great to have transparency of actual school lunch cost, staff cost, and what the subsidies (if any) are.

[anarch]

100. corn nuts? what is this extravagence? ketchup should be the only vegetable

corn nuts. who do you think you are, the queen of England?

[Morning Dew]

102. I don't see anything like that in the Portland public school lunch menus

http://www.pps.k12.or.us/departments/nutrition/3983.htm

I dunno.
:shrug:

[Frank Cannon]

111. I don't either.

I call shenanigans. But then, I've called shenanigans so many times on this board, shenanigans has asked a judge for a restraining order.

[Phentex]

113. LOL!

This is one of those things that would be so easy to bring to the attention of the higher ups without getting into trouble. All it would take is a parent or two complaining about the menu. The teacher would not be considered a whistle blower because the lunch is right there in front of everyone.

Something does not add up here.

[Starry Messenger]

179. I don't either.

I'd happily eat any of this for my lunch. I couldn't get March to show up, but if Feb's menu is typical, I don't see how Corn Nuts would fly on this program:

[Phentex]

180. unlimited fruits and vegeatbles?

My teen would bankrupt them. The boy can eat fruit!

[Starry Messenger]

182. The point being, corn nuts are not served as a vegetable in Portland.

A friend of mine called the school district today and asked, because of this thread. The district was very concerned at the information being put forth here. They are looking into it.

[Phentex]

183. I get it...

the whole thing is fishy. I think the OP is delusional on this issue. I expect we will see a full delete of it soon.

Not to mention posting it from school!

[Morning Dew]

200. Hope to hear an update . n/m

[Zanzoobar]

105. Nutrition facts: Corn V Corn Nuts

They're not that much different other than the sodium. The corn nuts have 1/12 tsp of salt for 1 oz serving. Probably about what a person would sprinkle on an ear of corn. The added butter would probably make them damn near equals.

Yeah, I know. All the purists eat only raw farm fresh corn right off the cob. Most people don't.

[bergie321]

177. My corn

is not deep fried until it can break a tooth. That process has to pretty much destroy any nutritional value that the corn once had.

[Raine]

106. Corn nuts!!! I broke a tooth on that crap

and had to have a root canel and a cap that cheap snack was very expensive! :argh:

[Phentex]

110. Corn nuts aside, I can't belive they serve fritos and oreos...

not for the free lunch kids. Some schools sell junk in addition to the lunch but are you telling me the fritos and the oreos were provided? I really want to see the school lunch menu.

[pinboy3niner]

112. Outrageous! Corn nuts are no good without beer!1!!

:evilgrin:

[ChairmanAgnostic]

114. Those poor, castrated corns.

Reminds me of the Reagan era. Even worse, Obama keeps moving to the right on so many issues.

[yellowwood]

115. Where Is All That Corn We're Subsidizing

Supposed to go? We're putting it in our gasoline as fast as we can even though it uses a lot of oil in its production.

But we've got to placate those rich gentlemen farmers/corporations
http://farm.ewg.org/progdetail.php?fips=00000&progcode=corn

Then, when the kids get to be obese, it wil create new jobs in health care.

It's win/win!

[Jersey Devil]

116. Fresh moose nuts would have been better

Just kidding, but I never have heard of corn nuts in my life.

The fritos and oreos don't sound too smart, but what is wrong with raisins and chocolate milk for kids. The sandwich I can't comment on unless I know what the meat was, but I doubt it was Spam or anything like that.

I am not making excuses for those making up the menu, but they are limited when feeding so many kids by things like spoilage. I can't imagine how they would manage storing bananas and carrots without some of that food going bad.

[CommonSensePLZ]

185. Corn nuts taste the same as Fritos. ~nt

[HopeHoops]

118. Better than ketchup.

[AngryAmish]

119. Are you familiar with the term graft?

It also means public corruption. Anyway, find out who is in charge of the purchasing for your school. Then find out what company supplies the food. There will be a connection between the two and there is money or other renumeration going from the supplier to the person or persons in charge of the purchasing.

Welcome to Chicago. Where we feed our children garbage but have a well paid public class.

[Le Taz Hot]

122. I was going to ask if your district has a nutritionist

but I remembered our district has a "Nutritionist" and it's been under her watch that students are fed pizza, chicken nuggets, hot dogs, hamburgers and a myriad of other processed foods along with drinks with huge amounts of sugar or HFCS.

[TwilightGardener]

124. Not one "Heathers" reference? I must be getting old...

[Divine Discontent]

162. post 27 referenced it with a link! it made me laugh, never seen it.

[TwilightGardener]

197. Thanks, I missed that post!

[mimitabby]

126. where are you?

a bunch of phone calls and letters to authorities MIGHT help. Do you have a newspaper?

[Initech]

128. If corn nuts are a vegetable, I'm Elvis Presley.

[JonLP24]

129. Sounds a little better than my school lunches

Usually the menu was soggy fries and mystery meat. Basic training food was like a 5-star restaurant compared to school lunches I ate.

[Justitia]

138. This thread encouraged me to look up my school district's menus - pleasant surprise!

I live in Houston, 4th largest city in the US.

As you know, Texas is not known for it's generosity with funding schoolkids, so I was pleasantly surprised.

The menu was pretty decent, but the thing I liked the best is the breakfast program.

Breakfast is offered FREE to EVERY STUDENT, in the classroom, during the first 10 min of class time every morning.

By not making students show up extra early (possibly conflicting w/bus schedules) to eat breakfast, this insured that EVERY student would have free access to breakfast in their own classroom every day.

I was very impressed by this - especially in Texas.

Now, let's hope this doesn't get cut!

[speltwon]

139. That is abominable. And nutritious food does NOT have to be expensive either

The other day I made a very tasty peasant soup - Chicken stock (I had frozen in my freezer, made from a couple of chicken carcusses, etc.), carrots, cabbage, broccoli, onions, and potatos.

Later, I added some canned stewed homemade chicken that we made in bulk last summer, for extra protein.

Nutritious, hot, and tasty. I sexied it up with a little fish sauce, soy sauce, and dried oregano and pepper.

Probably could make a bowl of that soup for well under .75 , a big bowl, and that's at retail produce prices.

You get tons of nutrients, fiber, etc.

Add a tuna fish sandwich (tuna in water, not oil), with low fat mayo, etc. on wheat bread and you have a tasty , nutritious lunch, for under a $1.50.

It's not frigging rocket science, and feeding kids crap is #$(#$($fucking child abuse. It REALLY pisses me off. They have shown that everything from IQ, to disease resistance, to mental health, etc. is improved by eating a decent diet.

[Erose999]

143. You're lucky they didn't count it as corn AND nuts... both a veggie and a protein.

I know if Lush Rimjob and Agent Orange had their way, the schools would be serving the kids bread and water.

[slackmaster]

147. Sounds Dickensian. Did any of them come to you and humbly ask for more?

[Blue-Jay]

155. I love Corn Nuts!

They should make a jalapeno version.

[Hissyspit]

193. I'm pretty sure they do.

But Fritos AND Corn Nuts? Are these kids running a marathon?

[progressoid]

156. And, it's a grain. Not a vegetable.

[Hissyspit]

167. And it's essentially the same thing as the Fritos.

[abelenkpe]

168. That lunch is criminal

Good for you buying them something good to eat. :)

[rucky]

171. I guarantee you the district is diverting Title I money.

And the cuts you metioned to the aides last week is probably a diversion of Title XX funds.

Federal money for a specific use being misused to offset general operating expenses. It's criminal what they're doing.

[Pacifist Patriot]

186. My first thought was skimming.

That lunch just sounds foul!

[NotThisTime]

174. They give them frito's but nothing nutritious? Really? I'd be more pissed about that.

Corn nuts, well that is sort of out there, but frito's are completely unnecessary with the crap you've described already, how about something not processed? Sounds disgusting.... For reference what do they charge for that (I wouldn't call it a meal)

[underpants]

176. I have to say our daughter's school, at least on paper, serves really good meals

"Meatless monday"s

Yogurt and granola everyday
Veggie burger everyday

Usually 6 options for lunch everyday

Public school

[brewens]

181. Here's my local schools hot lunch menue. I was the dairy guy

a few years ago and ate lunch at the schools every once in awhile. It was usually pretty good. This is in Idaho.

http://www.lewistonschools.net/departments/nutrition/Mar03lunch.html

[Pacifist Patriot]

187. That's just gross and in my opinion, probably criminal.

I recommend some serious investigating regarding decision makers and suppliers.

[pokerfan]

189. What was the fruit?

[TNLib]

190. No wonder we have an obesity problem in this country

nt

[krispos42]

195. I don't think corn nuts should count as a food, period.

And I LIKE junk food!

[Taitertots]

211. How do you get other people to care about your children?

That is the question you are really asking. It underlies all the problems related to education.


"Your children" being your class in this case.