It’s common knowledge – and a common punch line – that school lunches and homework in college are terrible. Or, we should say, “were” terrible. Times are changing, and the school lunch battle for healthier, more nutritious options is turning things around.
Where once plastic cafeteria trays were dominated by greasy pizza, french fries and soda, their long-standing rule is being replaced by fruits and vegetables in most schools.
Though many government guidelines have helped improve the quality of food served to students, a proposal by the United States Department of Agriculture in early 2011 revealed an overly restrictive agenda that lacked common sense.
According to ABCNews, the USDA proposed to severely limit – or cut out – all white potatoes from school lunches and breakfasts, in an effort to reduce the amount of starches served to students. While the proposal sounds good in theory, it’s effect would disable schools from even serving a baked potato and fresh corn on the cob on different days within the same week.
Thankfully, common sense has prevailed in this school lunch battle. In October, the Senate unanimously turned over the proposal. According to the New York Times, the Senate ended the battle by prohibiting the Agriculture Department from setting limits on the maximum servings of fruits and vegetables in a school lunch.
As a teacher, I’m grateful common sense wins in this conflict. I remember the horribly unhealthy meals I used to eat in high school, and it’s refreshing to see the ice cream, pizza and fries replaced with healthier options. Now, I see my students in the cafeteria, and their plates are loaded with beans, salads, vegetables and fruit – every single day. It’s one less thing to worry about as a teacher.
However, the proposal to cut out all white potatoes from school lunches lacked common sense. Potatoes themselves are nutritious meal options; it’s the way they are prepared which makes them unhealthy. A baked or mashed potato, by itself, is an excellent choice; when swimming in butter, sour cream, gravy or oil, then we must start questioning its place on the menu.
Furthermore, the USDA’s plan to cut out all white potatoes on school menus delved into territory that was becoming a bit too awkward and uncomfortable for teachers and parents alike. As previously mentioned, the government has provided some helpful nutritional guidelines to cafeterias, but the highly micro-managed, overly restrictive rules on starch consumption the USDA tried to pass through became too Big Brother to let succeed.
When the government not only tells you what to teach, how to teach, and to test students at every grade level, then starts digging its claws into how many potatoes a child can eat per week, our country – and schools – becomes too much of a “nanny state.” Thank goodness for the U.S. Senate, who let common sense win in this ridiculous battle over potatoes.
