Poll: What’s for lunch?
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The Daily News recently surveyed school lunchrooms to see if the “health-crazed Bloomberg administration,” which “often touts how it has overhauled school lunches and slashed calories,” has succeeded in making standard cafeteria fare healthier. According to some nutritionists, some of the “healthy” offerings may not cut the mustard.
The News reports that a simple toasted cheese sandwich on oat bread — frozen and then heated in its plastic wrapper — contained more than 30 ingredients, including high-fructose corn syrup, which the administration had vowed to cut out. “It just looks so greasy, you can tell it’s unhealthy,” observed a student at Clara Barton High School.
In our new poll, we ask: what’s for lunch at your school, and how do you feel about it? Is it junk food or is it getting better? And whether kids get school lunch or packed lunch, what do they actually eat?
Take our poll and share you thoughts below.
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At our elementary school, sometimes the school lunches are healthy, but I don’t think that most students get the benefit of many of the healthy elements because they are so unappealing - overcooked vegetables - ick! Also, while sometimes there is real chicken, for example, at least as often there are highly processed chicken nuggets or chicken tenders. Why serve this stuff? There is no salad bar.
Another complaint, if I may: We always print out the menu from the DOE monthly and then pick the days my son wants hot lunch. We have found, however, that many items listed are simply never served at our school.
One thing my son LOVES (when we can manage to arrive early): school breakfast!
Comment by A Parent — February 5, 2010 @ 2:31 pm
Both my kids either couldn’t get lunch, be cause they ran out of food!!! Or, they report the food is disgusting. We are working now to get a refund for the remainder of the year.
Comment by Dan Slater — February 6, 2010 @ 9:17 am
I am a student and I know that the lunches are truly disgusting. Somwtimes the food is good but it looks so unapealing. People want to know why kids are getting bigger, it’s because they don’t eat healthy things. IS318 sells healthy snacks such as baked potrato chips, water, juice (tropicana),and granola bars. Those snacks get me through the day but I never get a satisfying meal at school.
Comment by Anonymous — February 7, 2010 @ 10:56 am
Our school, PS 84, is partnered with Wellness in the Schools to improve school lunches. It’s a long and difficult process but we’ve made huge strides. Every school has the flexibility to make changes to the DOE lunch menu, within the constraints of offerings from the DOE’s food partner, School Foods. These are some of the things we’ve done at PS 84:
1) We offer a hot vegetarian entree, everyday.
2) We also have a fresh salad bar everyday, and the dressings are made in-house.
3) We’re working on getting olive oil into the cafeteria to make even better dressings and other healthful offerings, like hummous, pesto, etc..
4) In general, our cafeteria staff tries to make as much food fresh from scratch as possible. Our school has a wellness committee that helps make this happen.
5) There’s a huge debate about chocolate milk due to the high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) content. Our school is in the midst of this debate now: Some parents want chocolate milk, irrespective of HFCS, others don’t. We’re not sure where this is going, but we do think that Mayor Bloomberg needs to get HFCS out of our schools. This doesn’t necessarily mean getting rid of chocolate milk; it does mean getting a better alternative with a lot less sugar in general (preferably one that is both HFCS and RHBT-free!).
Parents interested in helping get HFCS out of all schools may sign this petition: http://www.petitiononline.com/no2hfcs/petition.html
Comment by Ameena Kucher — February 8, 2010 @ 11:12 am
The school lunches are obnoxious they are gross. They taste like something nasty , and why should some people pay $1.50 when the food is horrible like who would eat that most of the students take the lunch and hust throw it out !It’s a waste but it’s worth it .
Comment by Nicole — February 8, 2010 @ 7:15 pm
My school serves partially healthy lunch, but the food is disgusting. Frozen foods are often given, and taste horrible. Watery, tasteless veggies, tacos,dry chicken nuggets, it’s really bad. NOBODY in I.S.109 eats the school lunch happily. Thank god for the vending machine and my kind mother. She gives me grapes and I buy chips.
Comment by Jaya — February 9, 2010 @ 5:31 pm
my school sometimes have good lunch.usually the lunch is only good on friday because they serve pizza.BeSIDES The luch some of the lunch ladies ARE REALLY MEAN!!!!!!!!
Comment by ashley — February 21, 2010 @ 7:03 pm