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As a previous child I call bs

My nieces (4&2) are fed a very healthy diet and will eat bell peppers like an apple. I could see this being the case for this generation.

Maybe in private schools, sure. You’re not getting farm-fresh anything at a public school 🙃

Of course, kids prefer better food.

Also wouldn't consider this article uplifting as it is just highlighting the disparity between rich school districts and poor school districts.

Why not just bring your own food to school?

"There's very little meat in these gym mats"

Our schools had a canteen for chips and popcorn and pizza, but we've never had "school lunches".

I always wondered why ppl just didn't pack their own lunch, especially since school lunches were always complained about (in every movie I've watched, anyways)

In the US, at least, school might be the only time they're getting meals. Many children qualify for free breakfasts and lunch. Food is expensive. Mom or dad might be working multiple jobs to stay afloat and don't have time to cook, or might not know how. They might live in a food desert without access to a real grocery store, and all that's around is a convenience store or gas station.

>food desert

This is the one thing i have to tell myself that not everybody has.

Perfect, send them frozen nugs my way.

I think it's different for different kids. I was really picky, my step kids eat everything and my 9yo eats almost nothing but pasta and rice... and of course, nuggets.

Packing your own lunch is expensive. School lunch when I was growing up was ~$1.50. It wasn't good, but a lot of kids / families relied on those inexpensive meals. It was also one of the reasons my family went to church youth nights on Wednesdays, the meals were like $2 a person and didn't require the time to make them.

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I’ll take the frozen ones.

Would highly recommend that anyone who has 20 minutes to spare watch Jamie Oliver’s War on Nuggets.

I think for some of us it's about consistency. For example, fresh fruits can range from mushy to squishy to firm and tart/sour to sweet. Processed foods are the same every time all the time, there aren't bones or bruises to work around, and the taste is much more predictable.

As an adult, the health benefits of fresh foods can help tip the scale in favor of extra prep time to lower the inconsistency for healthier meals and snacks, but when you're a kid you have to rely on a parent/adult to understand and do the prep work (and not harass you about food waste when you leave mushy blueberries on the side of your plate). Processed foods are already consistent, and don't involve prep time by parents who are probably stressed and overworked.

> I think for some of us it's about consistency.

I can very much see this the case for my son.

Okay that was a really good watch. Thanks for linking it!

My high school had the food come from a contracted company. It was literally a grade below what they served at prisons.

I saw that when it aired on network television. I laughed about it for days. 😆

Yeah. Even the full-price lunch was super inexpensive because it was subsidized.

Ugh my bones are so brittle... but I've been drinking plenty of Malk??

now with vitamin R!

Can't speak for other states but that's not true in California. They require schools to include fresh California produce. I think they offer it to the schools for free or for a discounted price. Plus some school districts focus on actual cooking, though supply issues during Covid messed with that. My husband is a cook for a lower middle class school district in southern California.

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They taste better cooked

They taste better cooked

Damn, now I am hungry AND depressed.

Ever hear of poor people?

As a Swede I can just say that selling out both our schools, prisons, military and elderly food to Sodexho was a fucking warcrime. Fuck that company and their shitty soggy tasteless spagetthi.

It was almost never the people making the foods fault. When I was on the weekend K9-watch and it was just like 50 people on base the foodstaff, with the same budget as usual days, made godamn oven parfait and delicious meatloaf. It's just that they're given shitty kits to produce way too much food way too fast and the end product is bad overall food.

In college we ate out more often than we ate in school, and it cost like 11$ per eating but we still rather did that than eat Sodexho food.

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Gods I hate multinational companies

I just ate at a Sodexo cafe in a hospital. Cold scrambled eggs, $1/slice of bacon, hard croissant and watery coffee, for $14.

Chicken McNuggets aren't even made from pink slime. Jamie Oliver lied to kids.

https://youtu.be/NCm6INQ09yY

Are you sure they aren't just fans of Iron Chef? https://youtu.be/miOLle5M42o

Aww, yes, the Asian kid's lunch. https://youtu.be/Bsj_rsuTuMs

Hols up. You mean to tell me that 'kidd' prefer flavours and texture instead of processed edible product? No wayyyyyy

Plus breakfast and lunch is free for every kid!

Yep, in his district they are! I think the districts need to apply for a waiver to do that, though. They have to have a certain percentage already receiving free lunch in order to qualify. It's awesome though.

breakfast lunch is free for every public school student in the state of California. They passed a law about a year ago.

Private may be different, but for public it’s free for every kid no matter their financial status. No family needs to apply for anything they just show up and get it.

Oh that's great! Hubby's school district has been this way for years and that's my only point of reference because our kids are grown. But this is great to hear!