I think, too, that we need to dispel the second part of this idea a little bit more though: "The goal becomes personally having the resources for the individually-packed lunches from home, not collectively raising the bar on school-provided lunch so that everyone can enjoy an appealing and nourishing lunch." The idea that all school lunches are not already appealing and nourishing isn't true. Many are! But we are told over and over that they are inferior to packed lunches so it's hard to believe anything else. In the two public school districts we've lived in, when my kids get school lunch, they eat a wider variety with more produce and different proteins and whole grains over the course of the week compared to when we pack from home. Because when we pack from home they want one of the same two things, and school lunch is always different each day. It's possible I didn't read the intent of that sentence correctly (because I think we feel similarly about this!) but wanted to mention that.
Yes, appreciate this, Amy! I also hate the attitude that "school lunch isn't healthy, so I will pack my child's lunch every day." It's harmful and incorrect. AND I think school lunches in the US have a long way to go to maximize their potential for all students. I can only speak from my experience as a parent in Denver and New Orleans, and as an intern in a school district outside of NOLA, but many of the disappointing aspects stem from the fact that food service has an impossibly tiny amount of money to use per meal, and a large number of students to feed. Reliance on commodity products like cheese and beef are the only way they can make it work, and the post-pandemic staffing crisis makes all of this harder. I unfortunately have not had the experience of seeing a wide variety of proteins, grains, vegetables, and fruits in the school districts I have been involved in. My kid still eats school lunch most days of the week because it's a completely fine lunch and I'd prefer to support the school lunch system, and some new legislation in CO means food will hopefully increase in quality in the coming years, but if I am honest, the school meals I have experienced (eaten, prepped and served) are not as appealing, diverse, or culturally appropriate as food I make for myself at home. But they SHOULD be. So I guess it's a "yes and" for me.
I totally should have acknowledged the wide range of this and the staffing shortages. You're right on all of this. It should be better for WAY more students. All of this is really important to acknowledge, so I'm glad I got to read more of your thoughts on it.
Reading this post reminded me of just how hard it is to have little kids! It’s an intense, exhausting time with such an extraordinary burden falling on mothers. I love love LOVE the idea of sharing caregiving/meal-making/house-cleaning tasks in a more communal way.
My kids are teenagers now (13 and 15) and oh it was a happy day when they started fixing their own breakfasts and packing their own lunches! They even cook dinner for the family now, too (and clean up after themselves… sometimes). It still feels a bit miraculous to me—when they were younger I always wanted to include them more in the kitchen but it was just so… messy… and cooking/dishes time was often the only time I had to myself, so I often felt I wasn’t doing a good job at getting them involved in cooking. But they found their way to the kitchen eventually.
So I guess I’m saying to parents of young kids, hang in there! And also, putting older kids to (age-appropriate) work can relieve some of the burden while helping them feel more capable and independent.
Okay, so I feel a little weird posting this because I feel like I've talked more than once in your comments about living in Minnesota and I swear that being Minnesotan isn't my whole personality ... but... Minnesota passed legislation this year that all school lunch is free for all kids in all the public k-12 schools and I'm super happy about that. At first I was just thinking about the stigma reduction around free and reduced lunch programs, but now about this actually being a small thing to make parent's (especially moms) lives easier too.
No need to feel weird, Wendy! As you know, I completely understand being a fan of where you live. And hooray for free school lunch for all! Colorado also passed similar legislation this year, and I am delighted as both a mother and citizen who wants a more equitable food future.
I think, too, that we need to dispel the second part of this idea a little bit more though: "The goal becomes personally having the resources for the individually-packed lunches from home, not collectively raising the bar on school-provided lunch so that everyone can enjoy an appealing and nourishing lunch." The idea that all school lunches are not already appealing and nourishing isn't true. Many are! But we are told over and over that they are inferior to packed lunches so it's hard to believe anything else. In the two public school districts we've lived in, when my kids get school lunch, they eat a wider variety with more produce and different proteins and whole grains over the course of the week compared to when we pack from home. Because when we pack from home they want one of the same two things, and school lunch is always different each day. It's possible I didn't read the intent of that sentence correctly (because I think we feel similarly about this!) but wanted to mention that.
Yes, appreciate this, Amy! I also hate the attitude that "school lunch isn't healthy, so I will pack my child's lunch every day." It's harmful and incorrect. AND I think school lunches in the US have a long way to go to maximize their potential for all students. I can only speak from my experience as a parent in Denver and New Orleans, and as an intern in a school district outside of NOLA, but many of the disappointing aspects stem from the fact that food service has an impossibly tiny amount of money to use per meal, and a large number of students to feed. Reliance on commodity products like cheese and beef are the only way they can make it work, and the post-pandemic staffing crisis makes all of this harder. I unfortunately have not had the experience of seeing a wide variety of proteins, grains, vegetables, and fruits in the school districts I have been involved in. My kid still eats school lunch most days of the week because it's a completely fine lunch and I'd prefer to support the school lunch system, and some new legislation in CO means food will hopefully increase in quality in the coming years, but if I am honest, the school meals I have experienced (eaten, prepped and served) are not as appealing, diverse, or culturally appropriate as food I make for myself at home. But they SHOULD be. So I guess it's a "yes and" for me.
I totally should have acknowledged the wide range of this and the staffing shortages. You're right on all of this. It should be better for WAY more students. All of this is really important to acknowledge, so I'm glad I got to read more of your thoughts on it.
I'm glad you commented about it! I'm sure the thought will cross other people's minds as well, so I appreciate you bringing it up.
Reading this post reminded me of just how hard it is to have little kids! It’s an intense, exhausting time with such an extraordinary burden falling on mothers. I love love LOVE the idea of sharing caregiving/meal-making/house-cleaning tasks in a more communal way.
My kids are teenagers now (13 and 15) and oh it was a happy day when they started fixing their own breakfasts and packing their own lunches! They even cook dinner for the family now, too (and clean up after themselves… sometimes). It still feels a bit miraculous to me—when they were younger I always wanted to include them more in the kitchen but it was just so… messy… and cooking/dishes time was often the only time I had to myself, so I often felt I wasn’t doing a good job at getting them involved in cooking. But they found their way to the kitchen eventually.
So I guess I’m saying to parents of young kids, hang in there! And also, putting older kids to (age-appropriate) work can relieve some of the burden while helping them feel more capable and independent.
Okay, so I feel a little weird posting this because I feel like I've talked more than once in your comments about living in Minnesota and I swear that being Minnesotan isn't my whole personality ... but... Minnesota passed legislation this year that all school lunch is free for all kids in all the public k-12 schools and I'm super happy about that. At first I was just thinking about the stigma reduction around free and reduced lunch programs, but now about this actually being a small thing to make parent's (especially moms) lives easier too.
No need to feel weird, Wendy! As you know, I completely understand being a fan of where you live. And hooray for free school lunch for all! Colorado also passed similar legislation this year, and I am delighted as both a mother and citizen who wants a more equitable food future.