my kids mom..... is your school PUBLIC?? i have only heard of private school cooking lunches. i am impressed.

we too have the allergie issues at our school. creates a 'problem' (for lack of better word( for class parties too and home baked goods at fairs/fundraisers.

but here parents are not part of the menu planning, i think it is strictly staff,,,,the food svc leader, the heads of school and the teacherrs who have a say in mattters. which is probably as it should be, as only they are privy to the limits of the possible ie finances and funding issues especially with the school lunch program that is reimbursed , and kids on the free or reduced program. i am sure the picture is very complex, and some things are open book to parents about public schooling, but from what is disseminated to the public, the school food program and everything related to food, ie the a a la carte foods and discretionary items ie snacks, is not disclosed. maybe it can be requested, i dont know. but from next year onward, i understand parents can give input through the wellness committees of the school on account of the wellness policy that the govt is initiating. so good things come to those who wait. trouble is, kids cant wait, they grow up fast so if one is truly dissatisfied with the lunches,,,brown bagging is the only way to go in the interim.

Since all of our lunches are cooked on site, our staff ASK parents input. Last year there were several that complianed about a low mein noodles meal and there was a letter sent home apologizing and sadly enough she had enough for one more lunch! The ventor gave her a great price on the meal and the sample she tasted was really good. She really felt terrible and when she talked with her staff they told her garbage on those days was twice as much as usual and kids were begging to buy other items!

I don't think it is our place as parents to tell other children what to eat. I say let the school do the job they signed up for, isn't their job hard enough without everybody coming down hard on them.

Funny you should say that because other children's allergies are slowing decideing what my kids and others can have. I don't care, I have allergies too, but it's like being on this large ship, we are really in this together.

who is coming down hard on SCHOOLS ref lunch program??
all threads here suggest its federally mandated . and funds come from the tax payers i guess . shcool food hands and decisions are probably tied to money and politics.
you cant serve filet mignon on a chicken nugget budget.
i admire our food svc administrators who have to make do with budget cuts left right and center. they cant do miracles. they need more money to make CERTAIN chnages.
and some people here have suggested more educaiton is needed. seems to be different at every school.

This is a very interesting subject. I really think the burden falls on the parents as to what their children eat, at school or home. I don't think it is our place as parents to tell other children what to eat. I say let the school do the job they signed up for, isn't their job hard enough without everybody coming down hard on them.

pals you are right about the govt stuff. but my experince has shown it does not matter WHAT the govt stipulates . it well may be that the cafeteria OFFERS what the govt tells it to (if they want to keep the funding) but my kids are not SERVED lunch, they are alllowed to PICK their lunch ie :if they dont want the fruit, they dont take it. if they dont want the veg, they just dont take it. we dont have a lunch tray filled with the govt approved 600 calories handed out to kids like when i was growing up.
we have each portion, meat, veg, fruit, dessert, carb, served in a little cup or bowl, and kids take what they like. SO whats important is not whats on offer, but what is your kid putting on his lunch tray??? and of course, just cuz its on the tray doestn mean it gets into his body. we cant control everything, but if ALL the foods were good choices, and GIVEN to the kids,, the higher the chances are that they will one day 'try' those peas and carrots. sometimes kids have to be presented with afood several times before actually trying it, just like with adults, we dont like change or new things either do we. its like inertia, hard to get chnages also into school foods cuz its like turning a battelship. the status quo is what it is. but with the govt now itself stepping in to make things healthier in the lunch programs they fund, looks like they are almost policing themselves, or at least, admitting it needs to change! good for them. a good start.

This is interesting because this was an issue at my school a few years back. A committee was formed to look at the nutritional value of our school lunches and know what we found out? That if your school gets food from federal programs they are told how much they have to serve, this goes down to the actually amount of peanut butter they put on a sandwich. If your food service does not use the food then your school loses out on those funds. When you look at the nutritional value set by the federal gov't for school lunches it would make you sick...so this goes way out of your local food service workers hands.