Fast-food standards for meat top those for school lunches

[kleenex]

Fast-food standards for meat top those for school lunches - USATODAY.com

Just thought I would pass this piece of new on

 

[luvs]

oughta see the junk they fed us in Catholic school! PLUS the principal would return us to the lunchroom to clean the plate, regardless of if we were stuffed, if she noticed food on the tray when we went to empty them. soggy mixed veggies, whole milk, whipped topping, baked taters with several ladles of cheese sauce/sour cream, sloppy joes, steak nuggets, french toast, fish fries during Lent, ughhh. then my highschool began bring pizza in on fridays, selling pop & candy & cookies & offered chix sammiches, where the not-too-smart students would slather them with mayo, & salads with bacon & cheese, croutons & eggs. fries, burgers, it was just gross! & the lunches we took weren't healthy, either- baloney, mayo, or peanut butter/jelly. i'm so glad i'm certified in nutrition! my kiddos won't be consuming those foods!

 

[Michael in FtW]

IMHO - the story would be more credible if it wasn't embellished in a way where they were trying to make an issue out of something that isn't an issue ... old hens. No, KFC doesn't buy them - but then my grandmothers wouldn't have bought them for making fried chicken, either. For fried chicken you want a young and tender bird like a broiler or fryer. These old spent hens are what our grandmothers knew as being labeled "stewing" hens - older than 10-months, tougher, more flavorful chickens which are just as nutritious as their younger counterparts - you just have to cook them a little lower and slower by moist heat methods - use them in things like coq au vin, soups, stews, etc.

Now, the rest of the story regarding the testing of ground beef - that I can agree with somewhat. It should be tested as stringently as ground beef sold in the grocery store. But, then again - the school lunch ladies around here when I was growing up always overcooked everything so E. Coli didn't stand a chance of surviving with their cooking methods - my granddaughters say they still do! Could be why even with the lower testing standards there are not as many E. Coli outbreaks in schools as in fast-food joints?

 

[Kathleen]

School Lunches

It bothers me tremendously what we serve children at public schools. Having worked in several public schools, I'm as concerned over the menu choices as the food quality. Look at the menu of your closest public school system. Here is what mine offered children today:

Entrees:
Pizza (cheese or Pepperoni)

Chicken Patty Sandwich

Hamburger/Cheeseburger

Cheesesteak Sub

Taco

Then the sides were: Corn and fruit salads

I will tell you that the chicken patty is processed and pressed. The fruit salads all have copious amounts of sugar.

My favorite daily menu for the month was last Monday. Here is what the kids were offered:

Entrees:

Pizza (cheese or Pepperoni)

Chicken Patty Sandwich

Hamburger/Cheeseburger

Cheesesteak Sub

Pancakes with sausage

Choose two:
Green beans
Fruit cocktail

All veggies are from cans. The sausage floats like styrofoam.

I feel horrible for those children who get a free lunch. I would not feed our cat the things they feed our children at school. About half of the students bring their lunches. But for those that buy their lunch...

~Kathleen

 

[Michael in FtW]

I agree, Kathleen - the menu choices for kids these days are worse than the quality of the food that goes into them!

But, that's another soap box ...

 

[Wyogal]

I had lunch at a school the other day. The main course was sloppy joes on whole grain buns, there was abundant fresh fruit and vegetables on the salad bar. The students also get snacks during the day featuring fresh fruits and vegetables: different types of bananas, carrot coins, apples, orange small tomatoes, oranges. The kids really eat it up.
Lunches are getting better and if your community isn't serving fresh fruits and vegetables on a daily basis, then get involved and talk with the school and school board about implementing changes.