Comments on: School Lunches: Think Twice

By: Nathan & Jenni Oates

Nathan & Jenni Oates — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 18:56:42 +0000

Hey there! Thank you for your reply! Well, I think you are taking a very good first step. I am going to be posting a blog soon on kids food ideas, but for starters, I think the biggest thing to watch is the sugar content. There is so much hidden sugars in foods that we don’t even realize. The average child in America consumes 53 tsp. of sugar per day! That’s unbelievable! It’s hidden in those squeezy yogurts, applesauce, fruit roll ups, drinks, lunch meat, etc. If you begin to identify what sugars to avoid you can still get some of the same stuff, just minus all the added sugars! High fructose corn syrup is one to really avoid and that is in most juices, unless it says 100% juice. It is used as a preservative for foods and they are now adding mercury, the most toxic substance on the planet, into HFCS to help the preserving factors. Yikes! Get natural applesauce, fruit like clementines (so easy to peel and no seeds!), apples (sliced and peeled for ease), boxes of raisins, etc. There is no way to eat perfectly when it comes to kids and needing to pack lunches, but if you can eliminate a lot of the added sugars, then getting the naturally occurring sugars from wheat and grains is not as bad! Our rule is try to eat as much “God food” (straight from nature) as possible vs. “Man Food” (processed, preservatives, etc.). It’s not easy and some days we fail miserable, but b/c we are trying to eliminate where we can, those “bad” days don’t do too much harm! Keep going! You are on the right track! We have a children’s health and nutrition webinar this coming Tues. 9th. If you would like to listen in, click the link on the front page and it will take you to the registration!

By: Kerry Lopez

Kerry Lopez — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:07:06 +0000

I’ve studied school lunches and although sales may not go down with the swap out to good foods, waste does. A lot of it goes in the trash because the kids aren’t taught healthy habits at home. When Reagan made ketchup a vegetable to meet funding requirements, this was studied heavily. The school were bending over backwards to provide the vegetable but the kids were throwing it away. As a way to cut costs, they made the change.

By: Jennae

Jennae — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 18:48:45 +0000

Thanks for writing this article! It’s an eye opener. I do send my kids to school with a home packed lunch because I know how unhealthy their options are at school.
However after reading your article, I realized that some of the foods I am packing them aren’t that great either!!!!!!!!!
Can you give any advice on what to pack for their lunches everyday?
Currently I make them a ham and cheese sandwich on whole wheat bread, pretzel sticks, a fruit, Capri Sun – the water flavored ones, and sometimes a granola bar or homemade cookie for dessert.
You mentioned staying away from grains altogether – can you please give some more ideas? or point me in the right direction?
thanks so much!
**PS what can we do to make changes in the school system?