Anyway, in keeping with that theme, about a month ago Noah's class was working on "persuasive writing". (As an aside - this is not a subject Noah needed any help with - in fact he told me a few days ago that persuasive writing has been his favorite part of language class this year... no surprise as I've been saying since he was 18 months old that he is going to be a lawyer...) Quite a few of the kids in Noah's class wrote persuasive letters to the principal regarding the unhealthy school lunches. (Noah's letter was concerning the atrocity that is called "Only Twenty Minutes for Recess")
School lunch in our country seems to have become a national topic as of late. I was reminded of an email that went around about a year ago regarding school lunches around the world: (please note: these pictures were copied from various articles about this on the internet. I did not actually get to visit schools around the world for the purpose of this post. Unfortunately.)
Russia
South Africa
France
China
China Again..
Japan
Japan again...
And a variety of school lunches from around the USA...
Carbs, fat, carbs, fat, carbs.... very sad for our kids...
Noah and Emmy complain that at their school the pizza is too cheesy, the waffles and pancakes are too drenched in butter, etc. but they would LOVE to buy lunch on chicken nugget and smiley fries day. NO WAY! Now, I only let my kids buy lunch once/week, and I know I shouldn't even do that. But it is a compromise because they would like to buy more often like their friends do... And there is that occassional morning when I haven't prepared well enough (read: don't have any food in the house) and having that once a week cushion is helpful to me on those days.
Jamie Oliver is doing a show this season, Jamie's Food Revolution, which explores the whole idea of healthy school lunches, and eating in general. I have to admit I haven't had the opportunity to watch the show yet, but tonight is the finale on ABC, and I hope we get to watch it as a family.
You can also visit Jamie's website here about this and even sign a petition. I appreciate his passion for good (real) food and his desire for people to think about what it is they are putting into their bodies.
I hate to admit it, but Great Britian does not come to mind when I think of "good food" but between Jamie Oliver, and this report done by the BBC, maybe it's time for me to rethink my position on that... Here they tell us how Japanese elementary students study, grow and cook a different food plant every year. They integrate food awareness into their everyday school environment. Living in such a rural area, I stomp my feet and say, "Why aren't we doing this here!" If we felt more connected to our food, maybe wiser choices would be made.
I'm not standing on any soapbox here, nor would Noah consider this a persuasive argument. I just wanted to open it up for discussion since my boy brought it into our home. Here's to healthy eating habits, Cheers!
And on that note: The Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Showdown IS still in the works! (It's all about balance, people...) All of the ingredients have been purchased, I've just been lacking a full day to dedicate to the baking of 6 different recipes of cookies!!! Thanks for your patience!
We've been watching Food Revolution, and have enjoyed it. Public school lunch programs are controlled by the government, and you, Miss Beth have just provided another example of why the government needs to stay out of our lunch pails!! Parents (not all, but most) know best about what is proper nutrition for their children. I think you're wise to allow your children to eat the school lunch once a week. It provides limits, but it's still a special treat for them. God provided dietary guidelines in His Word, and what has been discovered?...the Mediterranean diet is the healthiest!! I'll happily eat fish...but not with eyeballs still attached. In that case...I'd rather eat fish sticks!! Happy baking... and please pass the (dark) chocolate!!
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