NYC Kids Dish On Their Lunches For 'National School Lunch Week'

In honor of National School Lunch Week, the New York Post asked three local students to rate their school lunches.

Two of the three students who reviewed their school's lunchtime offerings attend public schools, while the third goes to a costly private school. The disparity between the quality of meals is stark.

A public school 5th grader wrote,

I am one of the haters. Only because I think that cheeseburgers that are squished like someone slept on them for a week, mushy and gushy fruit, and milk that tastes sour and smells like a rodeo (or public bathroom) are barf-worthy.

Another 5th grader, at a private school, applauded her school's excellent cuisine, which includes menu items such as spinach and radicchio salad.

Read the full story on the New York Post.

Parents, students, administrators and others hoping to make school lunches healthier can find toolkits online at TheLunchBox.org.

Comments

[JesuisFrederique]

03:13 PM on 10/17/2010

Why is this such an issue? Parents need to take responsiblity for what their children eat.

[sfbbmom]

02:46 PM on 10/15/2010

Americans would scream with shame if they saw the delicious, well-prepared school lunches in France. Real vegetables and fresh fruit, yoghurt, fresh French bread, meat dishes such as roast chicken or baked fish, cheese, water or white milk, and the like. I am not making this up. Many schools post their lunches on line. To me it seems as if American parents do not really care for or about their children based on what they feed them and what they allow schools to feed them. Chicken nuggets should be banned. In some cases it borders on child abuse to feed an already obese 5 year old what I see some parents give them. With very few exceptions, a 5 year old is only obese because of the parents. Why would a caring parent do this to their child??

[Kevin Ware]

01:29 PM on 10/19/2010

Well duh. Americans are taxed less for education and our population is significantly larger than France. Get it?

[bassaiguy]

10:14 AM on 10/15/2010

I have a solution: Mom and Dad, make your kid her lunch. I do (and I'm male, so it's not a gender issue). It doesn't take much time, it doesn't take much money, your kid will be healthier and you can even throw a note in there every now and them to remind them you love them.

[Holly Rayl]

08:56 PM on 10/15/2010

It would be wonderful if every parent had the time, money, and motivation to do this, but they just don't. Many parents depend on schools for feeding children what may be the only meals they get each day. It is crucial we find a way to feed these children the nutrients they need to grow healthy.

[bassaiguy]

03:53 PM on 10/16/2010

But it doesn't take significant time or significant money - and if you're saying free lunch is the answer then the recipient is probably also getting home food assistance, too, so that's a spurious argument. You hit the nail on the head when you said it is motivation that is needed. Sadly, some parents aren't motivated to take care of their kids and, instead of making them act responsibly, we've allowed them to slide by by doing a half-*ssed job at feeding their kids for them.

[KayAch7]

10:18 PM on 10/14/2010

This article is a joke. Public School lunches are worst than private school lunches, but where is the solution?? Private schools most likely (I greatly assume) have real kitchens - besides the $$$$$ to be able to prepare proper meals. Public Schools do not have either. So the lunch box site is a joke as well since they seem to address school authorities on how to make healthy recipe's, which require a REAL kitchen. Again, what is the solution??