Saturday, October 16, 2004

School lunch rant

Apparently, the crise du jour in NYC schools involves a food delivery problem. The practical upshoot is that the kids aren't receiving that wonderful lunchtime nutrition. One principal has sent a letter to parents, suggesting that they start sending box lunches in with their kids.

It is on this very topic that your resident border straggling blogger becomes quite confused. According to Bill O'Reilly and his ilk, (and oh, internet, how I am biting my tongue about his current woes) Canada is an evil socialist nanny state. However, it is on this side of the border that parents can abdicate the responsibility of feeding their children, and can foist it off on the state.

Now, my little socialist self would embrace such a belevolent gesture, if I had not witnessed what passes for a "nutritious" breakfast or lunch at our (otherwise fine) local primary school.

Sorry folks, but breaded, deepfried popcorn shrimp IS NOT FOOD. Broccoli that is limp and brown no longer offers any nutritional benefit.

And school breakfasts .. there's a great social experiment. It must be funded by the makers of Ritalin. Let's see what happens when we put little boys on a bus for 45 minutes, when the school is only 2 miles away. Then let's give them Pop-Tarts (the really brightly coloured ones, with sprinkles too!) and juice and chocolate milk. Now let's tell their parents that these little boys need Ritalin because they are disruptive, and unable to sit still for the next three hours. I maintain that root beer and a multivitamin would provide an equally nutritious start to the day.

Thanks, but this product of the socialist nanny state prefers to provide a decent breakfast and lunch for her child. Call me crazy.

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