It’s bad enough when kids are fed high fat, high sugar starchy foods for lunch (along with sugared milk) and limply cooked veggies, but when I come across a piece of news like this, it really infuriates me and gives me more resolve to NEVER weaken to the convenience and economy of buying a school lunch.

Please read what my friend, Rocco Castellano, has reported on his blog this morning and read below about another piece of news that should have you questioning how much the powers-that-be really care for their people.

http://askroccoblog.com/children-are-eating-downed-cows/

Now, here’s another school lunch related item that was brought to my attention last week.  It appears as though at least one Chicago public school has chosen to ban brown bag lunches.  You see, they believe that they know better than parents.  In some cases, they might offer more nutritious options.  But since when is it the job of schools to feed children?  Are they not designed to educate?

I suppose the real problem I have with this is the freedom of choice that is removed altogether. Let’s allow people to make mistakes.  Yes, we have lazy parents, who offer red hot corn twists and Twizzlers for their kids.  But does that make it acceptable to take away the freedom to choose for them should they change their habits and the freedom to choose for those health conscious parents, who pack healthier foods for their kids?

There is also more potential to allocate more funds to the food providers.  You know, the same providers who abuse the sick cows and slaughter them to feed our children?

It’s only a matter of time before more schools and school districts look at this Chicago school as a champion of charity and that the providers of the school “food” can lobby for more schools to hop aboard the train of love and socialism.  -Whoops, did I write that?

Let’s keep control of our own children’s food. Here’s how:

1. Do not allow the purchase of school lunches unless your child’s school is one of the very few progressive schools that garden and prepare real ingredients with real cooks at the school, such as the Berkeley School District in California.

2. Teach your child to pack a lunch at an early age and take the burden off yourself.  My 8 and 6-year-olds have to pack their lunches and MUST choose 1 fruit and 1 vegetable along with raw nuts, whole grain bread or crackers and water.  Occasionally, they might have a little treat included.

3. Find out what your school is serving and where the food comes from. You are not powerless to affect change in the School Lunch Program in your district.  Chef Ann Cooper has offered a way to do that and has transformed the program at the Berkeley Schools.  You can learn more here.

Maybe this shouldn’t be such a big deal. Maybe you wholeheartedly disagree? Post your thoughts.