If your lunch program is outsourced (or even if it isn't) ask for a group meeting with those that plan the lunches. Express your concerns, but be calm and reasonable. If you have parents that are nurses, nutritionists, or knowledgeable in this area - it helps even more.
Ours are not great, I'll admit - but still, the company that oversees our program has been remarkably responsive. I know parents at our elementary had such a meeting, and the company was very receptive. For instance, they agreed to serve nachos a maxmimum of once per month as well as some other substitutions. Also, some of what they have to say might surprise you. For example, I didn't realize the pizza they serve is a type of "smart pizza" made with wheat flour, low fat cheeze, and some enrichments.
join the crowd. i have never seen a school menu without the same options. hard to change the district food choices, they are driven to buy whats cheapest, and what is cheapest, is well...you get what you paid for.
even if you found healthier alternatives, they wont change if the cost isnt better than what they offer now. thats my guess anyway, unless you have a district with extra funds from an ed fund or something.
how about salad and fruit bar? lots of schools have these, next to the main menus you mentioned above.
hard thing is, to get your kid to choose the bar over the hot food.
best food still comes in a brown bag from home imo.
We are desperately searching for some easy and healthy lunch options for our district.
Our monthly menu is filled with dino nuggets. tater tots, nachos, pizza bites, mozzarella sticks, popcorn chicken, corn dogs, fish sticks. These are all offered this month. My heart is clenching!!!
The alternate option is often a non-fried item - I guess because they only have to make a smaller quantity of these.
What items are popular at your school? We have 400 students in our elementary school and our town has 4 K-6 schools.
