Poll: Lunch Price

     For this week's poll on The School Lunches Suck! Blog, we asked the question, "How much does a lunch in your or your child's school cost?"  Answer below!!!

-----The School Lunches Suck! Blog has over 9,000 views, thanks for your support, and keep it up!! Help spread awareness by sharing the blog with your friends and family, and by following the blog with the tool on the right side of the page!-----

     Send in your pictures for our post, Lunch from Alabama to Wyoming, so we can get a picture of lunch from every state in the USA!!! Pictures can be sent to teubks@gmail.com  



How much does a lunch cost in your or your child's school

OPB: Operation Paper Bag.

To everyone who reads The School Lunches Suck! Blog, I have big news.  

We are joining forces with another movement against school lunches in New Jersey, called Operation Paper Bag. 

     Operation Paper Bag started out in Allentown High School, largely by a student named Jack Streppone.  Through a friend of a friend of a friend, I was put into contact with Jack.  Pretty quickly, he and I both realized that we didn't like the new changes to school lunch, and we also decided to do something about it.  

     In Jack's high school of about 1,300 students, there is something going on.  Students aren't buying lunch anymore.  They're bringing it.  Operation Paper Bag (OPB) was started by Jack and a few of his friends, and at the forefront of their movement is a petition, with nearly 900 signatures.  Everyday, Jack brings this petition to school, encouraging students to sign it, and lets them know about OPB.  The petition reads, "School lunch portions have decreased, while the prices, have increased! This is ridiculous! We, as students, need to stand up, be heard and do something about this!"  Jack said the reason for the petition and attention being brought to school lunches has a purpose,  "Ultimately our goal is to boycott meals at school, and hit the company that supplies our cafeteria with food and emyployees, Chartwells, where it hurts--financially."  

     Pretty quickly, the Allentown High School administration realized something was up, so the district superintendent set up a meeting between Jack and Chartwells before the full-fledged boycott was on.  Tomorrow, Thursday September 13th, Jack and the other students that started Operation Paper Bag are meeting with Chartwells representatives, employees, and a couple of school officials to talk about the school lunches.  There, Jack is going to present what he has found this year.  "Our lunch is $2.40," Jack went on,"and it's like finger food, but for raised prices!" 

     So over the coming weeks and months, I will be posting updates about Operation Paper Bag, and how things are going for Jack and his cause.  If you would like to follow OPB on twitter, their page is here, and their Facebook page is here.  This is really exciting news for The School Lunches Suck! Blog, so be sure keep posted for what's coming next!!

-----Don't forget to share The School Lunches Suck! Blog with your friends and family on Facebook with the 'share' button on the right.  Also, send in your pictures of school lunch for our challenge: Lunch from Alabama to Wyoming.  Pictures can be sent to teubks@gmail.com -----

Until next time, stay full!

2nd Guest post...LUKAS! Friday, September 7th.

     Here is the first guest post from our second guest poster, Lukas!!  Lukas also attends school in a small rural Kansas community, and is quite the achieved distance runner!  He will probably be posting every two weeks or so, so be on the lookout for more!

     Hello Everyone! My name is Lukas; I attend a school much similar to Shane’s in aspect of size, and community. I live on a farm and understand the importance of healthy diets, which goes for animals and humans. But what is most special about me is my ability to run. I have loved running since grade school, and it has become a key part of my life. In the course of my high school career, I have brought home many titles and awards to my community. So from a true athlete’s perspective, we NEED more food! Like most pre-collegiate students I weigh under 200 lbs. Skin and bones, is probably the most accurate way to describe us. Now I am not saying that the food is gross, because I am by no means a picky eater, but the quantity is not rational at all. The statistics may say that the U.S. is overweight but where I come from we aren’t much more than bean stalks. This is a picture of the lunch that was served on Friday the 7th; I took every possible item of food that was possible.

• 1-Sloppy Joe
• 1-Bean Salsa with tortilla chips
• 1-leaf of Romaine 
• 2-1/2 slices of tomato
• 1 pear
• 1-cup of milk

     As you can see there is not a whole lot on my plate, the sloppy Joe was delicious, but that was the only meaty and filling part of the whole meal. Bean salsa? Come on, that is an appetizer. This lunch, however, was on Friday, and my cross country meet was on Thursday. The day after a race is known as a 'Recovery Day', which means you have to re-nourish all the vital elements your body lost during your race. The average runner (typical high school runner) needs more protein per pound of body weight than a professional body builder. There isn’t enough protein on this plate to recharge a 5^th grader after PE and recess. 

     We pay for these lunches, and I don’t believe that gives the government the right to restrict them. If the overweight people want to chow down on Honey Buns and Soda, who are we to judge them, Let alone stop them? It is their body and they can do to it as they please! We are adolescents, our metabolism is peaking. It’s possible to eat a little grub and still keep our low body fat. School lunches aren't the problem, and making them smaller will only encourage indulging in fatty foods after the bell rings. I hope to post again soon, but until then God Bless.

-Lukas

Thanks, Lukas!! 

----If you like The School Lunches Suck! Blog, share it with your friends and family on Facebook with the widget on the right side of the page, or follow the blog over there too!!----

Thursday, September 6th, & POLL RESULTS!

     What's for lunch Thursday, September 6th?  Hot dog on a bun with french fries and baked beans.  Again, I opted for a different vegetable than french fries.

    Here is a breakdown of what I ate for lunch on Thursday, September 6.

• 1 hot dog on a white bun
• 1/2 cup grapes
• 1 grape juice box..............100 calories
• 1/2 pint 1% low-fat milk...100 calories
• 1/2 cup dark green salad
• 1/2 cup mixed veggies
• 1 packet ranch dressing/ketchup.....120 calories

     On Thursday the 6th, a hot dog on a bun with baked beans and french fries was served for lunch.  I love french fries more than you can know, but I like them fried to a golden crisp and am quite fond of the ones served at Runza.  The french fries at school, however, are a different story.  I'm not sure how these french fries are cooked, but I can tell you they are not fried to a golden crisp.  They are thick crinkle cut fries, but not like ones I enjoy at Runza.  When I asked three different students the first word they thought of when I told them to describe school french fries, their response was the same--soggy.  Personally, I would rather get a different vegetable and eat it than let the french fries go to waste.  Otherwise, this lunch wasn't too bad.  

     The results from The School Lunches Suck! Blog poll: How much control? are in!!  This week we asked the question, How much control should the Government have over school lunch?  With a total of  78 votes, we had two responses that both received about 33% of the vote.  The winner was 'None at all' with 30 votes, and 2nd place was 'Half as much' with 26.  

Keep it the same.	7 (8%)
Half as much.	26 (33%)
1/3 as much.	15 (19%)
None at all.	30 (38%)

     The School Lunches Suck! Blog has been receiving a lot of attention recently, as the story in the Beatrice Daily Sun that mentioned the blog was picked up by The Associated Press this Saturday!  Also, watch out tomorrow (Monday) for a quick update about where you can see the blog mentioned on TV!!

-----Don't forget to share The School Lunches Suck! Blog with your friends on Facebook, and as always, feel free to leave a comment or question below!  If you have a suggestion for a blog post idea, or any question at all, you can email me at teubks@gmail.com -----

Until next time, stay full!!

#BrownBaggingIt

     In many school districts across the country, several students have decided to bring their lunch this year.  Yesterday, I had a link to the Beatrice Daily Sun article explaining that almost 40% fewer students buy lunch at BHS.  But, it seems that it is a growing trend across the country.  For those familiar with Twitter, a trending hashtag (#) in recent days is #BrownBaggingIt.  According to an article from the Huffington Post, "Plum High School student Sean Doyle started it all by going on Twitter, telling everyone to bring their own lunch to avoid purchasing from the school for a day."  He then created the #BrownBaggingIt hashtag, and ever since it has become a trending topic on twitter. 
     Some say that bringing your own lunch to school will die out as the year goes on, but the majority of students I've talked to think that it will continue.  "I bring my lunch now, and plan on bringing it for the rest of the year.  The lunches aren't going to get any better," said senior Shelby.  Another student, senior Dylan said something quite similar, "It's becoming part of my morning routine.  It just fits in, and doesn't even take that much more time."  
     This topic--school lunches--has received a lot of attention in the last few weeks, as parents, students, and teachers get back into the school groove.  Several people, from the West coast to the East, have written about lunch in a similar way that I have--a blog.  One of my favorite posts I have read is School Lunch Soapbox, written by a woman named Annie, a mother of three from South Dakota.  In her post, Annie describes her feelings and a story tied with school lunch when she was a 9th grade teacher.  Make sure to check it out--it's a good read!!
     
-----This brings me to my next idea......I am going to start featuring guest bloggers, letting them tell you from their point-of-view how the lunch in their school is!! Be on the lookout from posts from Lukas, Shane, and a couple of others!!  If you know someone who would be a good candidate for an interview, let me know!
----- Also coming soon, a Q&A with the Assistant Director of University Dining Services at UNL!
Don't forget to share the School Lunches Suck! Blog on Facebook, and 'Follow' the blog on the right-hand side of the page!!

Until next time, stay full!!

Poll: How much control?

     Every two weeks, The School Lunches Suck! Blog will have a poll for the readers to participate in.  The poll for this week is about Government control over school lunch.
----Have a suggestion for a poll I should put on The School Lunches Suck! Blog? Leave a comment below!-----

How much control should the Government have over school lunch?

Thursday, August 30th.

     What's for lunch Thursday, August 30th? Tacos with tater tots.

Here is a breakdown of what I ate for lunch on Thursday the 30th.  

• 1/2 cup strawberries
• 1/2 cup grapes
• 1/2 pint 1% low-fat milk......100 calories
• 1 cup assorted veggies
• 1 taco bowl
• 1/2 cup taco meat
• 1 ounce cheese
• 1 packet sour cream.........25 calories

     Tacos are one meal that not very many students complain about, I mean, who doesn't like tacos?  We have the choice of 2 soft shells, 2 hard shells, or one bowl.  Tacos are usually served with tater tots, but instead I opted for green peppers and sliced tomatoes.  Last year, I distinctly remember being pretty full on taco day, but this year, after my lunch I wondered why I didn't seem as full. 

     In years past, we were allowed to help ourselves to the cheese, sour cream, and other delicious toppings one puts on a taco.  This year, the cheese was portioned out, and sour cream handed to you when you paid for your meal.  You could still put your choice of vegetables on top, but it just wasn't the same.  It took me only about 10 minutes to eat, leaving me quite a bit of time to talk to my friends at my lunch table.  

     By the time I was leaving school to go to work, at 3:00, I really wondered if I had eaten lunch at all.  I got to work, and thankfully someone brought muffins to share that day.  I disappeared to the break room to eat one, and when I got off work at 6:15, I still wondered if I had eaten lunch.  To me, the portion sizes are just ridiculous.  Oh, and I almost forgot to remind you.  Lunch prices at BHS have increased $.10 from last year, making a 'USDA approved lunch' now $2.50.  And, in order for students receiving free and reduced lunch to get the discounted price, they must follow the new standards. 

     

     Below, I have links to a couple of interesting reads from the Beatrice Daily Sun regarding the new school lunches.

School lunch gets a makeover

http://beatricedailysun.com/news/local/education/school-lunch-gets-a-makeover/article_57cdb241-729a-5c92-8c3e-af91a1129b1b.html

BPS fees, lunch prices to increase

http://beatricedailysun.com/news/local/bps-fees-lunch-prices-to-increase/article_da90287b-e7e1-5b95-85da-8cc8013dc82e.html

-----Recently, one of my readers suggested that I call someone from the University of Nebraska in the football program, and ask them what kind of diet the football players for the Huskers are on.  It will be quite interesting to compare their diet to that of a high school football player, so watch out in the coming weeks for a post!!!  As always, don't forget to share The School Lunches Suck! Blog with your friends on Facebook, and check back often for updates!!-----

Monday, August 27th.

     What's for lunch on Monday, August 27th? Spaghetti with meat sauce and a bread stick.

Here is a breakdown of what I ate today.

• Spaghetti with meat sauce
• 1 bread stick
• 1/2 pint white milk
• 3 strawberries
• 2 orange wedges
• 3/4 cup mixed veggies
• 5 slices pickled beets

     Total Vegetables: ~ 2 cups

     Total Fruits: ~1 cup

     

     Today's lunch was a common meal served in cafeterias across the country. Everyone is used to the familiar glob of noodles covered in a somewhat watery spaghetti sauce.  The noodles and the bread stick were both whole wheat, which fulfills the USDA requirement that half of all grains must be whole.  As with my meal last week, about an hour later I was hungry again.  I really started to feel bad for the football players sitting across the cafeteria from me, as they have practice after school.  I wanted to know just exactly what a person like a football player needs, so I did a little research.  

     I know that the USDA has a handy little website called choosemyplate.gov, formerly known as mypyramid.gov.  There, there is a tool that anyone can use, called Daily Food Plan.  The Daily Food Plan breaks down how much of a certain food group a person should eat in any given day. Here, you can select your age, height, weight, gender, and level of physical activity.  

     I decided to use a 17 year old male, weighing 210 lbs. and standing 6 feet tall., with more than 60 minutes of activity a day.  To me, this represents the average football player. The results from the Daily Food Plan were not surprising to me in the least.  

• 3,200 calories a day
• 10 ounces of grain a day, at least 5 ounces whole grain
• 4 cups of vegetables a day
• 2.5 cups of fruit
• 3 cups of dairy
• 7 ounces of protein

With our new school lunches, we knock out a portion of each suggested daily consumption.  

• 850 calories
• 2 ounces of grain
• 1 cup of vegetables
• 1 cup of fruit
• 1 cup of dairy
• 2 ounces protein

     With the limit of calories for a 9-12th grade lunch set at 850, many of those 17-year-old football players or other athletes are simply not getting enough energy from his or her lunch to preform their best at practice.  With only 26.5 percent of daily caloric intake coming from lunch, where is the energy athletes need for practice coming from?  I will interview a couple student-athletes in my school in the next coming weeks to find out.  

Here is the link to the Daily Food Plan from the USDA.

http://www.choosemyplate.gov/myplate/index.aspx

Here is the link from the USDA comparing current school lunch regulations and the previous regulations.

http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/governance/legislation/comparison.pdf

Until next time, stay full!