I wanted to read “Lunch Wars” by Amy Kalafa because I am not knowledgeable about school lunch programs. Heck, when I was in school (St. Clements for all my Cleveland friends) we didn’t even have school lunches. I walked home every day until eighth grade like the vast majority of the school.
When I reached high school I was excited to bring my lunch to school. I was a vegetarian and didn’t bother with the school lunches because they were mostly meat based. That is not to say I didn’t bring a dollar or two every once in a while to buy junk.
When I reached high school I was excited to bring my lunch to school. I was a vegetarian and didn’t bother with the school lunches because they were mostly meat based. That is not to say I didn’t bring a dollar or two every once in a while to buy junk.
I am about to send my oldest to school and I want to be informed. Amy Kalafa pretty much scared the heck out of me when I read this. I raided the cupboards for items with high fructose corn syrup and banned the stuff forever.
One of the biggest things I took from this book is that you have to be an active participant in your child’s health at school. You have to go into the school and eat with your child. See what they are serving and get active in making a change.
That being said I honestly won’t be starting my own food revolution. Children’s food habits begin at home. I teach my children about “sometimes” foods, what foods are good for their body, and what isn’t. Yes, I do not have super kids and if given a choice they would prefer to have McDonald’s rather then eat the tofu curry I made for them last night, but they did eat the tofu. We make weekly trips to pick up food at the farmers market and belong to a CSA. I will be packing my children’s lunch.
I am not saying food revolutions are not necessary. It is, but I just won’t be the one to start it in my community. The processed food they pass off for meat is downright scary and the commodity systems schools use (basically low quality food provided by the government) made me cringe. The thing is I believe that if we start the revolution at home (bye high fructose corn syrup), we can teach our kids to make the right choices in most instances. If they eat healthy 80% of the time and occasionally grab a donut I think they will be okay.
Maybe I am just niave?
What do you think? Read the book and join the discussion on blogher: HERE
"This was a paid review for BlogHer Book Club but the opinions expressed are my own."
3 comments:
Thanks for coming over. I also enjoyed your review. I am relieved to know that there are more moms out there like me. :)
I am going to add you to my blog reader.
I would love to read that book. Food is something that I struggle with a lot in my parenting. I wish my son didn't even know what sugar was, but he has a huge sweet tooth. I grew up with a family that ate healthy, non-processed foods, but I rebelled in middle school and ate twinkies and ice cream for lunch at school. I do think if my parents had discussed the beauty of fresh fruits and veggies and how chemicals can affect people's health, I might have made better choices back then.
We pack our own lunches here, too. Partly because WD is gluten-free, but partly because, I know that what I'm packing for them is way better than what they'd be getting at school. I agree that food knowledge should begin at home, but some families are woefully lacking in that arena.
Post a Comment