From Sara on Sun, May 31, 2009

What a sad story! But if you are never presented new things how will you have the chance to discover them? Maybe next time the children see blackberries they will at least recognize them and give it a try.
In Sweden a recent study shows that children who live in cities have less and less knowledge of how to move around in a forest, being afraid of insects and small animals. My hope is that the growing trend for allotment gardens might bring children outside, giving them the opportunity to learn that soil and worms are not dangerous.
Read more at http://www.sweden.se/eng/Home/Work-live/Sustainability/blog-about-sustainability/Allotment-gardening—a-growing-trend/

From Scott Dubois on Mon, June 01, 2009

If you had the chance to see the TV series, Jamie’s School Lunches, they had this same problem when transitioning from junk food to healthy meals in the school cafeterias. The students didn’t really know any better and were afraid of trying anything new. They eventually came around, but only after teachers engaged the students in a week long food education program and removed all fast food options from the menus. The students ended up liking the food, it came in under budget, and there was a marked decline in illness and behavioral problems among the kids.

It’s a sad state of affairs, but we’ve got proof that a better way is possible for our children. Lets hope the First Lady keeps pursuing the course she’s on.

From Julianne Will on Wed, June 03, 2009

Why not find a way to teach the children about those foods? Nutrition could be integrated into the curriculum. Learn math by discussing bushels harvested per acre for total yield. Talk about goji berries in the context of Brazil’s rainforests. Discuss political history via the coffee industry. Recipes teach sequential thinking for young children. There are so many ways to incorporate healthy living through every other subject.

Beyond this, a school in England came up with a way to pay for its students’ lunches. I would have been charmed to have had this opportunity in my Chicago neighborhood: http://www.spellabella.blogspot.com/

From Laura McKerrow on Sat, June 13, 2009

Years ago I took my children (4 & 6) to Chile and we were challenged to find ‘normal’ food from time to time - part of the problem is that children DO find it stressful to be continually and completely out of their environment. A number of years later I took them to Switzerland (11 & 13). While we managed to eat many meals at my sister’s house, we also ‘challenged’ ourselves to try at least one unfamiliar dish (even if we shared it) every time we went out. Perhaps part of the solution is to create the challenge - one ‘new’ food at the cafeteria per week and challenge points earned for everyone who is willing to taste it? That could break down the barrier created by unfamiliarity.

From Karyn Zoldan on Sat, June 13, 2009

It’s hard and sad to imagine a child who has never had meat loaf or lasagna.

I remember eating cafeteria food and it was pretty much like home except for the gooey, beige, chipped beef on toast.

From Susan Odell on Sat, June 13, 2009

Am I missing something?  The Jonesboro budget depends on federal reimbursements and if the kids don’t eat then their reimbursements go down.  But if you’re serving fewer meals, aren’t your costs lower?  And what’s more important here - serving crap the kids like or serving real food that will make for healthier kids?  Jonesboro is taking the low road that so many of my friends have taken - little Joey doesn’t like vegetables so he gets a special meal of boiled pasta with butter.  Where’s the responsibility as parents / administrators / guardians?  Since when do kids get to decide what they eat?  Perhaps if kids were more involved in the process of growing, harvesting, and preparing food they might be more interested in what they eat.  Isn’t school all about opening kids’ eyes to new things?  Teaching them??  Why isn’t good food and nutrition part of that education process?

From Rick Ruddick on Sat, June 13, 2009

The tribe I worked with incorparated a greenhouse into their youth programs and right away the kids where eating vegetables off the plants that they would of in the past left on there plates. They had the added health benefit that comes with being part of the planting and caring and harvesting of what they eat.

From Pat Edwards on Tue, June 16, 2009

I too work for a district that provides free breakfast and lunch to all students, in Texas.  Funding also depends upon each child “taking a tray”, even if they immediately throw it away in order to keep the numbers high enough to support the system.  A few years ago they even stopped the practice of giving away extra food to the needy,or allowing local pig farmers to pick up the scraps.
So, we have children who only eat pizza and corn dogs, parents who allow this, a cafeteria that makes “extra” money selling snacks and allowing food to be thrown away, and a state legislature that just imposed a new Wellness plan for P.E because here in Texas we have a major childhood obesity problem.

From Emily Frank on Tue, June 16, 2009

I wholeheartedly agree with Rick Ruddick: put gardens in the schools so kids are invested in their food and they’ll try new things!  We’ve seen this work countless times, from Alice Waters’ Seed to Table program to urban gardens.  Plus it ties our kids to our land so they can start to understand that they probably can’t grow bananas but freshly picked strawberries are divine.

From we are never full on Tue, June 16, 2009

Pat Edwards - I am in the same boat as you.  This “keeping funding” for free lunches is insane to me, but it is true here at my Brooklyn, NY secondary school.  every day when i do lunch duty I see first hand the amount of waste produced. it makes my stomach churn.  whole pieces of chicken.  veggies.  untouched apples and oranges - all thrown out.  without a CARE.  in fact, there are many kids who have asked me why they can’t give it away?

also, what is sicker is that they have to take a tray - the WHOLE tray.  if they want just the corn, they aren’t allowed to just have the corn. they must have everything else that is offered.  it’s sick. 

a few years ago I wrote a ranting blog post about my feelings on the free lunch: http://www.weareneverfull.com/free-lunch-for-the-inner-city-kids-does-free-mean-it-needs-to-be-crap/

things need to change - majorly.

From Rick Ruddick on Mon, June 22, 2009

The Tribe I work with in Northern California worked with a local natural food store and local utilities company and with 2200 dollars where able to construct a 1600 sq. ft. greenhouse/ed. center. With aprox. 300 guests visiting and regular visits from the Tribal Head Start and local youth groups comming into the greenhouse learing about food,organic growing of foods, the environment,alternative energy,  water, wildlife, the fish, forests,health,and proper diet It works and the cost is min. The greenhouse was constructed of native materals found in our area. Utilizing tradtional building practices and other recycled items i.e. windows,doors,hinges,ect..Donated siding. It is doable in any commuinity, any school, with min. funding. It has been one of the most rewarding projects and it is just taking root.  All our visitors are given a plant to take home and the response is so great. School is out and in any given day at least 10 kids show up to help out, to check out the willow or squash they planted. It works….