redtiger 1,744 Report Share Posted May 2, 2013 http://gma.yahoo.com/blogs/abc-blogs/elementary-school-cafeteria-goes-vegetarian-191450488.html I fail to see the advantage of this to growing children, can someone explain to me how this is a good thing? Aftiqudgsa 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
legend11 32 Report Share Posted May 2, 2013 http://gma.yahoo.com/blogs/abc-blogs/elementary-school-cafeteria-goes-vegetarian-191450488.html I fail to see the advantage of this to growing children, can someone explain to me how this is a good thing? Well, it depends. Will this school make sure that the kids have enough protein and minerals in their daily diet that supplement what various meats can provide? If so, then this is a fine thing. Having lived in New York and knowing school teachers there, I can tell you that the school lunches are the same basic crap we all ate growing up in southwest VA. Rectangular pizzas, tiny burgers, frozen fried fish... A "vegetarian" diet certainly adds more nutritional value to a growing child than what's currently offered. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deleted Account 5,203 Report Share Posted May 2, 2013 Well, it depends. Will this school make sure that the kids have enough protein and minerals in their daily diet that supplement what various meats can provide? If so, then this is a fine thing. Having lived in New York and knowing school teachers there, I can tell you that the school lunches are the same basic crap we all ate growing up in southwest VA. Rectangular pizzas, tiny burgers, frozen fried fish... A "vegetarian" diet certainly adds more nutritional value to a growing child than what's currently offered. It adds "more" value. It is by no means the be-all, end-all. Vegetarian menus are often woefully deficient in essential amino acids, such as lysine and methionine. It is not impossible to get those amino acids, but to do so, you have to rigidly structure your daily eating, which often includes larger amounts of legumes and soy than is healthy, particularly with the hormone changes soy may cause in men. To be fair, there are supplements to supply them, but should we expect the average John Smith to run out and buy a $20 supplement for his kid? Heh. Eating properly is 90% proportion control, 10% not being a moron. Eliminate soda machines. Replace them with water and 100% juice machines. Give more vegetables and smaller meat portions. Give smaller sweets. Offer 2%, 1%, and skim milk over whole milk. It's really not hard... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redtiger 1,744 Author Report Share Posted May 2, 2013 I see the advantages of a varied menu(none of us got that in school) but I cant see how no meat can be a complete diet. Especially when you take into account that for a lot of students their 2 meals at school are their only real meals. It just seems that cafeterias are jumping on the band wagon and whats truly healthy and complete is being overlooked. The goal should be balance, not to be part of a trend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bucfan64 309 Report Share Posted May 2, 2013 (edited) The recent adjustments to school lunches as mandated by the Federal and State Governments, along with the NUDGING of Michelle Obama has resulted in some positive and quite a few negative changes. The current school menus are radically different from just a few years ago. Gone are potato selections, rarely are potato's served during lunch, ever. When they are, it is sweet potato fries and only about 1 day every two weeks. All breads have been replaced with wheat bread options, and much smaller portions. In the past two years, salad, fruit, nut mixes and natural juices are becoming more common. Gone are breads heavy in yeast, fried chicken (replaced with grilled chicken) and many pastas. For the most part some of the changes are welcomed, however, I have witnessed more and more students bringing their lunch from home because of the changes in the menu. I guess it doesn't sit well with their palate. I actually like many of the food choices now being presented, but I do not like the "Big Brother," concept of forcing students to eat certain types of foods. It has been widely discussed that many of these changes are designed with the intent of directing students away from a "traditional," menu toward one that is more Vegan or Vegetarian in design. I don't know if changing the lunch menu will have that type of impact, after all these kids do most of their eating at home and in restaurants, but it is interesting to see how this collective approach to "feeding the cattle," will eventually play out. Edited May 2, 2013 by bucfan64 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasDenton 79 Report Share Posted May 2, 2013 Some of these changes aren't that bad, but portion size is what I'm worried about. I know the concept of not over eating, but I've been in a lot of schools the last few years and ate lunches at all of them and they just aren't feeding the kids ENOUGH food IMO. My first year in the school system as a substitute teacher and observing classes as part of my education major, most of the lunches were fine, even great. But this year especially has been bad. I can't tell you how many kids I've had (and heard this from the regular teachers too) who didn't get enough to eat. Sometimes, I'd even have a teacher go to the cafeteria to pick up some fruit or something for the kids to eat after lunch to get them through the day. There are a whole lot of kids who don't eat enough outside of school (and many of them don't hardly eat at all outside of school) so they suffer the most when all the school's lunch contains is something like one 3 inch long burrito, a very small scoop of beans and corn, and a juice box (this was an actual government approved lunch at one elementary school I was student teaching at...it was pathetic). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redtiger 1,744 Author Report Share Posted May 3, 2013 (edited) Feed them quality food and appropriate portions. And they will be just fine. The problem is when we feed students processed breaded chicken patties and pizza every day (typical lunch when I was in school). quality food, appropriate quantity thats the answer. Not Vegan, Vegatarian, traditional, asian, mediterranean or whatever else. Replace beef with chicken or turkey as often as possible, reduce potatoes, more veggies and fruits. Simple. Edited May 3, 2013 by redtiger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HurricaneWarning 212 Report Share Posted May 3, 2013 School lunches started declining when they took whole milk out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasDenton 79 Report Share Posted May 3, 2013 I say meat, taters, bread, and milk. Beef em up and keep em active! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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