Is that real chicken on that sandwich? I remember growing up and hating to buy lunch at school. I usually packed my lunch or even sometimes went home for lunch since I lived a mere block away. Coming back in time for recess before the afternoon bell rang, I vividly remember my fellow students complaining about the daily offering.
In the intervening years between then and now, schools tried to make great strides to come up with something that kids would eat. And a few items turned out well, so the wastage of food dropped significantly. But now, thanks to the mighty hand of an ever more powerful government, the Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010 kicked in with ever more control and results that are abominable. The current First Lady, Michelle Obama, interjected herself into the role of Food Czar and things have gone from bad to worse.
According to the new government Food Bible, Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the maximum caloric intake for high school kids in America today is 850 for lunch. This means that a large strapping football player, expecting to complete his afternoon classes and then participate in heavy duty football drills for hours after school in supposed to be highly energetic on an 850 calorie and usually unappealing lunch.
Take a look at the picture with this article and you will see the typical high school lunch offering. A supposed grilled chicken sandwich with lettuce on a bun accompanied by cooked carrots, fruit and lowfat milk. Michelle, are you really kidding me? Is this what we expect active and growing teenagers to eat to keep them going through the rest of the school day?
When I was a boy in high school and active in sports, I can remember coming home after school and eating a loaf of my mom's home made bread with butter and washing it down with a quart of ice cold milk, this after eating a full plate which, while never great, certainly was far superior to today's menu. And after eating my "snack", the first statement out of my mouth was, "Mom, will dinner be ready soon?"
Active children need lots of food and lots of calories. Unless they have some type of physical condition, they burn those calories nearly as quick as they take them in. So caloric intake really isn't a problem but lifestyle, well, that's a much different matter.
Go by the ball fields in your town after school or on the weekends and what do you find? Sadly, except for the kids who are either self-motivated or have direct parental involvement, you find them empty. They are home in the air conditioning looking all pasty and white while they exercise their thumbs on video games or surfing the net, previewing the Lord only knows what types of sites if parents aren't observant.
So for dear Michelle, no, the calories aren't the real problem, the problem is inactivity. And because of the meddling in school lunch plans and administration, many schools are taking a big financial hit when kids refuse to eat the "slop" that is served or they just throw it away.
Thankfully, the House of Representatives has received many requests for exemption from the federal guidelines and a bill is being proposed to give Congress more oversight control. The sad part is that it shouldn't be the White House or the Congress administering control over what kids eat; it should be the parents.
This is just one little issue exemplifying what we face when parents negate their responsibility and the government steps in to take control. Really now, has the federal government ever taken charge of, and administered, a program that really worked well? Excepting our military forces, I don't think so.
It's time for we parents and grandparents to get back in the game and take charge of our children and our destiny. If not, the Food Police will entwine itself into anotherthe very aspect of our family that used to be quite enjoyable: the family meal.
God save the Republic and have a great day. It's ultimately all up to us and our choices.
In the intervening years between then and now, schools tried to make great strides to come up with something that kids would eat. And a few items turned out well, so the wastage of food dropped significantly. But now, thanks to the mighty hand of an ever more powerful government, the Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010 kicked in with ever more control and results that are abominable. The current First Lady, Michelle Obama, interjected herself into the role of Food Czar and things have gone from bad to worse.
According to the new government Food Bible, Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the maximum caloric intake for high school kids in America today is 850 for lunch. This means that a large strapping football player, expecting to complete his afternoon classes and then participate in heavy duty football drills for hours after school in supposed to be highly energetic on an 850 calorie and usually unappealing lunch.
Take a look at the picture with this article and you will see the typical high school lunch offering. A supposed grilled chicken sandwich with lettuce on a bun accompanied by cooked carrots, fruit and lowfat milk. Michelle, are you really kidding me? Is this what we expect active and growing teenagers to eat to keep them going through the rest of the school day?
When I was a boy in high school and active in sports, I can remember coming home after school and eating a loaf of my mom's home made bread with butter and washing it down with a quart of ice cold milk, this after eating a full plate which, while never great, certainly was far superior to today's menu. And after eating my "snack", the first statement out of my mouth was, "Mom, will dinner be ready soon?"
Active children need lots of food and lots of calories. Unless they have some type of physical condition, they burn those calories nearly as quick as they take them in. So caloric intake really isn't a problem but lifestyle, well, that's a much different matter.
Go by the ball fields in your town after school or on the weekends and what do you find? Sadly, except for the kids who are either self-motivated or have direct parental involvement, you find them empty. They are home in the air conditioning looking all pasty and white while they exercise their thumbs on video games or surfing the net, previewing the Lord only knows what types of sites if parents aren't observant.
So for dear Michelle, no, the calories aren't the real problem, the problem is inactivity. And because of the meddling in school lunch plans and administration, many schools are taking a big financial hit when kids refuse to eat the "slop" that is served or they just throw it away.
Thankfully, the House of Representatives has received many requests for exemption from the federal guidelines and a bill is being proposed to give Congress more oversight control. The sad part is that it shouldn't be the White House or the Congress administering control over what kids eat; it should be the parents.
This is just one little issue exemplifying what we face when parents negate their responsibility and the government steps in to take control. Really now, has the federal government ever taken charge of, and administered, a program that really worked well? Excepting our military forces, I don't think so.
It's time for we parents and grandparents to get back in the game and take charge of our children and our destiny. If not, the Food Police will entwine itself into anotherthe very aspect of our family that used to be quite enjoyable: the family meal.
God save the Republic and have a great day. It's ultimately all up to us and our choices.
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