Comments on: The Schoolyard Foodie: Why our kids are fighting over fruit

By: Popcorn

Popcorn — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 07:23:03 +0000

What a marvelous post! I am just a beginner in community management/marketing media and trying to learn how to do it well – resources like this blog are very helpful. As our company is based in the US, it’s all a little bit new to us. The example above is something that I worry about as well, how to show your own actual enthusiasm and share the fact that your product is beneficial in that case.

By: nigel

nigel — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 13:48:11 +0000

interesting post, much of what you say is very informal and could help loads of people

By: Xenopuslady

Xenopuslady — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 19:11:22 +0000

This is one of many reason I homeschool. I used to teach science in a public high school and I can concur with the other teachers about the hideous nature of the school lunch. Our schools took microwaves away from the students because they apparently couldn’t be trusted to keep them clean. Luckily, the teachers had their own, but I barely had time to inhale my packed lunch in 26 minutes and U only had a few teachers competing fir the microwave across the hall from my room!

There’s also this tricky 30 minute kidney issue that requires students to pee 30 minutes into the class after lunch because their kidneys have just cycled whatever they consumed at lunch. Except that most teachers won’t give a restroom pass, so kids don’t drink at lunch rather than risk an accident or urinary tract infection. Of course, MRI research shows that a dehydrated brain doesn’t function as well as a properly hydrated one, do this is one more reason our kids can’t concentrate in class.

In contrast to the institutional lunch, consider this: my kids eat scrambled eggs and milk for breakfast, fresh fruit for a snack, PB&J on homemade whole wheat or smoked salmon or leftovers for lunch, a homemade legume-based dip and blue corn chips for a second snack. And they have free access to water and the bathroom.

By: “That Lunch is Nasty” - Perspectives on the National School Lunch Program

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 19:48:02 +0000

[...] percent eat school lunch on any given day. Nor is New York unusual in this regard; as far away as Oakland, “nasty” seems to be the word of choice (emphasized, of course, by “hella,” as things often [...]

By: Tammy

Tammy — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 21:58:59 +0000

For the next ninety minutes, it’s my job to convince this malnourished kid (who, by the way, has orange fingers from a bag of Cheetos being passed around surreptitiously) to sit still and be an active participant for an afternoon of middle school prison training.

Yet another reason to homeschool my kids. they get healthy meals on a daily basis and garbage like Cheetos rarely.

By: gehry

gehry — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 02:26:59 +0000

a yes to all of the above questions-I think you will like to read post #2…thanks for your comments…gehry

By: Harold Holcomb

Harold Holcomb — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 20:35:22 +0000

This is an ongoing problem at most schools. Until the inherent reasons are eliminated nothing much can be done. Involve your students in the decision making process – called ‘buy-in’ – they need to be heard so their ideas can be heard by them and others. It is easy to complain, but to come up with good ideas is another story. Perhaps you have just touched the tip of the ice berg.
I need to think more on this.

By: Anna

Anna — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 17:57:19 +0000

I couldn’t empathize with your students more. I came out of San Francisco public schools myself and I always begged my mom to make my lunch for me. Thankfully, she usually did (more reasons why I love my mom). On the days she didn’t, however, I was stuck with soggy corndogs or not-so-generous portions of Mystery Meat Special–in other words, I wasn’t having lunch that day. I was lucky that my parents had the time and money to make my lunches for me, but most of my peers didn’t, and most of them didn’t eat lunch because the choices were so bad. So, essentially, we starve our kids and then expect them to do well in school on an empty stomach. Does that seem right to you?

By: Annie Polk

Annie Polk — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 17:23:22 +0000

mark bittman tweeted you!
great post gehry. i am interested to hear about ways schools can provide healthier lunch alternatives and i like your comment about teachers not wanting to eat what the students are expected to eat. it doesn’t make any sense! we need to empower kids to eat healthy and to think about where food comes from.
go gehry!

By: School Lunch Links « relishments.

School Lunch Links « relishments. — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 14:08:48 +0000

[...] 1, 2009 Mark Bittman tweeted this great link this morning regarding school lunches. I completely agree with the Gehry Oatey’s post, especially this line: Tellingly, I rarely [...]