I’m a mess of LOL’ing over here. I’m on board with healthy school lunch options, but maybe I’m spoiled because my kid (who is 6, not 16) is a fantastic eater and our school offers awesome hot and cold lunch options daily.
Every month the menu posts to the website. Jack and I review the selections and decide if he wants to buy his lunch at school or bring it from home. Today he’s buying white-meat chicken nuggets, a whole wheat roll, green beans, and reduced-fat milk. Tomorrow is pizza and salad day, so he’ll be buying again (Our school gets fresh pizza from a local pizza place). YUM!
If he doesn’t want the hot lunch option—he never wants the open turkey sandwich—he can always choose from whole-grain cereal that comes with a cheese stick, fresh fruit, and grahams, or a bagel with the same sides. Of course there are days when I pack his lunch. Jack loves turkey and cheese sandwiches on whole-grain bread. I add a side of cherry tomatoes and baby carrots, veggie chips, a cookie, and a lemonade box.
I totally feel for parents with kids who will not eat anything other than nuggets and pancakes—um, but these are toddlers or school grade kids, not teens.
I’m a little miffed over one teen’s photo tweet about her sad lunch. It’s of 1% milk and a chicken patty sandwich. The caption is: “All we get for lunch today. Thank you Michelle Obama.” But this is totally misleading because the meals at her school are required to provide whole grain, protein, low-fat milk, a fruit, and a veggie. The kid turned down the fruit and the veggie — solid nutrition — and is complaining that there are no deep-fried, caloric tots offered up.
Side note: She has nada to do with this.
Cry me a river, kid. Next time get the apple and broccoli. You’re hungry and whiny because you’re not eating the full, healthy meal and that’s just absurd. What are you? A two-year-old on hunger strike? If my six-year-old can enjoy salad and low-fat milk you can too! Maybe these teens need sticker charts.
This brought to you by a mom who just had celery, yellow peppers, and cucumbers with hummus for lunch.
Chime in!
