Attack of the Food Nazis: Chicago school bans lunch from home

Oh-oh, the Food Nazis strike again!

Chicago Tribune: At his public school, Little Village Academy on Chicago's West Side, students are not allowed to pack lunches from home. Unless they have a medical excuse, they must eat the food served in the cafeteria.

Principal Elsa Carmona said her intention is to protect students from their own unhealthful food choices.

"Nutrition wise, it is better for the children to eat at the school," Carmona said. "It's about the nutrition and the excellent quality food that they are able to serve (in the lunchroom). It's milk versus a Coke. But with allergies and any medical issue, of course, we would make an exception."

Carmona said she created the policy six years ago after watching students bring "bottles of soda and flaming hot chips" on field trips for their lunch. Although she would not name any other schools that employ such practices, she said it was fairly common.

A Chicago Public Schools spokeswoman said she could not say how many schools prohibit packed lunches and that decision is left to the judgment of the principals.

"While there is no formal policy, principals use common sense judgment based on their individual school environments," Monique Bond wrote in an email. "In this case, this principal is encouraging the healthier choices and attempting to make an impact that extends beyond the classroom."

Any school that bans homemade lunches also puts more money in the pockets of the district's food provider, Chartwells-Thompson. The federal government pays the district for each free or reduced-price lunch taken, and the caterer receives a set fee from the district per lunch.

Wow, so schools now know better than parents what constitutes healthy eating and they can fill their coffers at the same time. 

Back in the day, my parents would never ever let us eat a school lunch, because my parents did not trust the schools nutritional choices. My mother thought her choices were far superior. Had such a policy ever been instituted when I was in school, my parents would have taken the next day off from work to go down to the school to tell them they were taking me out of that school. Today's parents allow themselves to be bullied and steam rolled by control freakish principles and teachers.

The other funny fact about this insane policy is that it is having the opposite effect of better nutritional choices.

At Little Village, most students must take the meals served in the cafeteria or go hungry or both. During a recent visit to the school, dozens of students took the lunch but threw most of it in the garbage uneaten. Though CPS has improved the nutritional quality of its meals this year, it also has seen a drop-off in meal participation among students, many of whom say the food tastes bad.

"Some of the kids don't like the food they give at our school for lunch or breakfast," said Little Village parent Erica Martinez. "So it would be a good idea if they could bring their lunch so they could at least eat something."

"(My grandson) is really picky about what he eats," said Anna Torrez, who was picking up the boy from school. "I think they should be able to bring their lunch. Other schools let them. But at this school, they don't."

That would have been me for sure. As a kid, I was picky as hell when it came to eating. Only my parents could firm hands could make me eat icky things like eggs, vegetables (save peas and corn), hot cereal, milk, etc. No school worker could ever get me to eat anything I did not want. Realizing this, my parents were smart enough to send me to school with lunches that were nutritious and that they knew I would eat on my own.

This policy is most likely all about raising more money. Unfortunately, it may also be the way of the future. For too long the public has stood silent against Food Nazis who insist upon telling us what is best for us. The Food Nazis new poster child Michelle Obama has been quite successful in selling the control message under the ruse of "it's for the children".

Via: Memeorandum
Via: The Chicago Tribune