Page 4 | School food in North America - is it that bad?

shez021 · 20/08/2022 21:42

liveforsummer · 20/08/2022 20:35

I don't think schools are generally nut free in the UK? Certainly the schools on our local authority area you can bring a peanut butter sandwich in if you like. They don't serve it (doesn't meet other dietary guidelines) but none of the food is guaranteed nut free and they do serve egg which in our specific school we have more allergies of than nuts. Not the point of the thread but has been mentioned a couple of times. A friends dd has multiple allergies and has been told by dr that it's important to learn to manage it herself as she can never control the environment everywhere she goes and they no longer advise exclusion policies around certain foods

Where I live in the UK all schools primary and secondary are nut free. I have one super allergic to nuts child and tbh I'm glad. I'm aware I can't control everything and he knows what he can and can't have, but it does make life a little easier.

Original poster

UndertheCedartree · 20/08/2022 21:43

gumball37 · 20/08/2022 21:11

It's literally because of the sauce. It's pathetic and a joke even to many Americans when it came out during one of Obama's presidencies as his wife was the lead for healthier options

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Oh, yes Michelle Obama grew vegetables at the White House, didn't she?

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UndertheCedartree · 20/08/2022 21:48

Caroffee · 20/08/2022 21:24

English school meals were nothing to write home about for a very long time pre-Jamir Oliver (much as I dislike him). In fact they were so bad and unappetising at my middle school that kids took packed lunches. Lumpy smash springs to mind and in latee decades when teaching, chicken nuggets.

However, the idea of routinely giving out donuts for a school breakfast did make me 😁. There is nothing more likely to make you put weight on than a fatty, sugary, fried doughnut covered in rubbish. Occasionally I treat myself to a coffee and donut for brunch but worry that I have instantly piled on pounds

Oh, absolutely and they could still be better now. It was the idea of rotten, raw and burnt food that alarmed me!

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Original poster

UndertheCedartree · 20/08/2022 21:52

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 20/08/2022 21:29

We go to a local secondary (England) weekly for a separate non school club on an evening. I sometimes stroll around the grounds while dd does the club. They have multiple "food counters" which are like parked up street food vans.

Handy for quick meals for 1000kids but there's no way they are serving meat and two veg/spaghetti bol/cottage pie from those.

At the secondary schools we have been looking round most (not all) did seem to have a proper canteen serving main meals but they all had some 'express' type food counters elsewhere too.

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Original poster

UndertheCedartree · 20/08/2022 21:54

InChocolateWeTrust · 20/08/2022 21:29

Savoycabbage

I've not heard the term nut free used but nuts arent allowed in any schools round my way (south east england), I thought it was quite common for them to be banned in schools.

I'm in the South East. Definitely here it is the norm to not allow nuts.

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bluebellsandcustard · 20/08/2022 21:56

UndertheCedartree · 20/08/2022 18:33

My DD and I were watching a video on 'school food around the world'. The North American meal didn't look very fresh but ok. It was chicken nuggets, very gloopy looking mash, peas, a giant chocolate chip cookie and some tinned fruit. But in the comments loads of people were saying that's gourmet food compared to what you actually get. People saying the food is routinely burnt, under cooked, rotten. Loads of comments all agreeing on this. So I'm just being curious - can it really be that bad? If it was wouldn't parents, teachers and governors complain? And how could they pass an inspection?

When I was travelling in N America I found it hard to find fresh, non-processed food. It seemed that the supermarkets only had food wrapped in plastic made in a factory.

Remarkably different to Europe.

TeacupDrama · 20/08/2022 21:59

the anaphylactic society doesn't recommend nut free or indeed any allergen free as it leads to complacency and unfair treatment as a school may ban nuts for a nut allergic child but then won't ban strawberries for a similar severity of reaction, when it comes to anaphylaxis it is the severity of the reaction that matters not the trigger if you have that type of reaction to strawberries / latex / eggs you are no more or less likely to die than someone with similar allergic repsonse to peanuts
this is rarely understood as many believe that anaphylactic reactions to peanuts are worse than anaphylactic reactions to kiwi milk latx etc when they are not

Original poster

UndertheCedartree · 20/08/2022 22:00

Cantstandbullshit · 20/08/2022 21:36

That’s a lie. My daughter goes to a public school in Chicago and while not 5 star food it’s also not the extreme pictures and videos you see on the internet all done to align with stereotypes.

When we were moving to the US about 8 years ahi we could barely find any YouTube videos with sane unbiased information, all extreme videos based on stereotypes to get likes in social media.

Even during the lockdowns they still continued to give food for families to pick up from the school or even delivered for free and we got some boxes a few times not because we needed it but because it was going to waste and also curious and there was fruits; vegetables etc in it.

also there’s nothing like one type of food in American schools, all school districts are different and there will differences across them some may be bad I agree but generally not so. Even a state like Illinois alone has hundreds of school districts as schools are run by cities and they do not all offer the same lunch, there is NO universal school lunch in the US.

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As I said, it wasn't the You Tube video that was extreme. It was people commenting.

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UndertheCedartree · 20/08/2022 22:02

Cantstandbullshit · 20/08/2022 21:37

Please don’t watch the video, it’s just useless stereotypical dribble.

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I'm sure I can make my own mind up.

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Cheeselog · 20/08/2022 22:02

DayYTY · 20/08/2022 20:07

I read an article on the BBC news website about how different countries around the world are struggling with food prices. In the US they interviewed someone who was responsible for sourcing good for a school and she commented about when she couldn’t get peanut butter, which the children all love. I was surprised because schools in the UK are now generally nut free and wondered if that’s not normally the case in the US/if maybe there are less nut allergies?

Sorry, not really the point of the thread but it made me think of it!

Allergy rates do vary by country! I'm not sure about the difference between the UK and USA but wouldn't be surprised if peanut allergy was less prevalent in the latter due to the greater popularity of peanut butter, so kids are desensitised to it. Israel has extremely low rates of peanut allergy and this has been put down to the fact that one of the most popular snack foods is peanut puffs (Bamba) which are given to toddlers from a young age.

savoycabbage · 20/08/2022 22:04

I'm in the South East. Definitely here it is the norm to not allow nuts.

It's standard for nuts to not be used as an ingredient in school meals but I've never come across a nut ban.

Original poster

UndertheCedartree · 20/08/2022 22:04

MooseBreath · 20/08/2022 21:38

Canadian here. My primary school (Reception-Y5) and middle school (Y6-Y8) didn't even have a cafeteria. All lunches were packed from home, but in primary there was milk provided (white or chocolate) if parents paid. High school (Y9-Y12) had a small cafeteria where you could buy pizza, chips, and a few other overpriced greasy options, but the vast majority of students brought food from home, went home for lunch, or walked over to a local takeaway.

Thank you. What did you bring in your packed lunch?

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Nandocushion · 20/08/2022 22:05

DayYTY · 20/08/2022 20:07

I read an article on the BBC news website about how different countries around the world are struggling with food prices. In the US they interviewed someone who was responsible for sourcing good for a school and she commented about when she couldn’t get peanut butter, which the children all love. I was surprised because schools in the UK are now generally nut free and wondered if that’s not normally the case in the US/if maybe there are less nut allergies?

Sorry, not really the point of the thread but it made me think of it!

All the schools my DC went to in the US (not very many tbf) took the view that they simply couldn't guarantee a nut free environment and it was up to students with allergies to keep themselves safe. They didn't serve peanut butter or anything, but they knew students might eat it before coming to school etc so nothing was guaranteed. They were very very strict on the no sharing food rule instead.

HerRoyalNotness · 20/08/2022 22:15

South Tx here. Elementary have a rule that they have to take a fruit and a vegetable to get the meal rate $2.25 or they’re charged extra. They have fresh salad every day, veg might be cooked broccoli, carrots etc. They do have pizza day once a week, but still gets served with a fruit. They have a sharing table for anything unopened they don’t eat which other kids can choose something from. They’re only allowed water during the day but can have a milk at lunch.

from my older two, in middle school there were two lines. The meal line or the quicker faster food line. My oldest seemed to live on cheeseburgers for 3 yrs. Middle child does the proper meals and there will be chilli’s, curries etc.

no idea at high school, but last week he said lunch was 5 pieces of cantaloupe, a skinny piece of chicken and 2 pieces of bread. Not exactly a full meal for a growing teen.

as for thé PP not finding fresh food in US supermarkets, how ridiculous! It’s the same as anywhere, shop the outside of the store for all the fresh food, meats and dairy. All the processed stuff is in the middle aisles.

Original poster

UndertheCedartree · 20/08/2022 22:18

TeacupDrama · 20/08/2022 21:59

the anaphylactic society doesn't recommend nut free or indeed any allergen free as it leads to complacency and unfair treatment as a school may ban nuts for a nut allergic child but then won't ban strawberries for a similar severity of reaction, when it comes to anaphylaxis it is the severity of the reaction that matters not the trigger if you have that type of reaction to strawberries / latex / eggs you are no more or less likely to die than someone with similar allergic repsonse to peanuts
this is rarely understood as many believe that anaphylactic reactions to peanuts are worse than anaphylactic reactions to kiwi milk latx etc when they are not

I was always under the impression that nuts were banned in schools as more DC were allergic to those than were allergic to kiwi for example.

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Original poster

UndertheCedartree · 20/08/2022 22:21

savoycabbage · 20/08/2022 22:04

I'm in the South East. Definitely here it is the norm to not allow nuts.

It's standard for nuts to not be used as an ingredient in school meals but I've never come across a nut ban.

Nut bans in all the schools and nurseries here. If your DC takes something in with nuts they are not allowed to eat it (if it is spotted).

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Original poster

UndertheCedartree · 20/08/2022 22:27

HerRoyalNotness · 20/08/2022 22:15

South Tx here. Elementary have a rule that they have to take a fruit and a vegetable to get the meal rate $2.25 or they’re charged extra. They have fresh salad every day, veg might be cooked broccoli, carrots etc. They do have pizza day once a week, but still gets served with a fruit. They have a sharing table for anything unopened they don’t eat which other kids can choose something from. They’re only allowed water during the day but can have a milk at lunch.

from my older two, in middle school there were two lines. The meal line or the quicker faster food line. My oldest seemed to live on cheeseburgers for 3 yrs. Middle child does the proper meals and there will be chilli’s, curries etc.

no idea at high school, but last week he said lunch was 5 pieces of cantaloupe, a skinny piece of chicken and 2 pieces of bread. Not exactly a full meal for a growing teen.

as for thé PP not finding fresh food in US supermarkets, how ridiculous! It’s the same as anywhere, shop the outside of the store for all the fresh food, meats and dairy. All the processed stuff is in the middle aisles.

Sounds a bit of a mixed bag there.

I have to say at the supermarket I usually go to there is processed food all over not just in the middle aisles, so not sure supermarkets are the same anywhere.

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savoycabbage · 20/08/2022 22:29

Nut bans in all the schools and nurseries here. If your DC takes something in with nuts they are not allowed to eat it (if it is spotted).

It's that 'if it's spotted' that is the problem and gives a false sense of security.

How can so many schools just flagrantly ignore the advice of Anaphylaxis UK? I'm glad my dd went to schools that followed the guidance.

ilovepixie · 20/08/2022 22:35

MuffinMcLayLikeABundleOfHay · 20/08/2022 20:21

Why would a chicken sandwich be an entree?

Why not?

BlackbirdsSinging · 20/08/2022 22:37

Thankfully all the schools in my area are nut free. Can you imagine how scary it would be for the allergic child, their parents and the lunch time staff if it wasn’t.
Its like those awful people on planes who insist on eating their nut snacks and cause terrible allergic reactions in those that are susceptible. I think one poor girl ended up with brain damage as a result.
Thankfully most people are considerate of those who are vulnerable.

MuffinMcLayLikeABundleOfHay · 20/08/2022 22:38

Why not?

This has already been dealt with. 🥪

viques · 20/08/2022 22:41

If I ever have the misfortune to be reincarnated as a child I hope I am Japanese because Japanese school lunches look amazing.

shinynewapple22 · 20/08/2022 22:42

MuffinMcLayLikeABundleOfHay · 20/08/2022 21:04

UK secondary teacher here. All of the schools I am involved in are nut free.

They shouldn't be, it's against guidelines. And dd is anaphylactic to peanuts.

@MuffinMcLayLikeABundleOfHay not sure your response to the poster saying their school was nut fee makes sense - did you mean yes they should be ?

MuffinMcLayLikeABundleOfHay · 20/08/2022 22:48

No.

Like @TeacupDrama drama has already said, it's not good practice to have a nut ban on schools. It's not recommended.

agedasiago · 20/08/2022 23:56

There will be a LOT of variation. My experience is in Massachusetts (USA) where breakfast and lunch are currently free (fully subsidised) for all students.

Breakfast is typically at least cold cereal, granola, etc. with milk, yoghourt, fresh fruit, muffins, bagels, toast, cheese, spreads, juice, milk, etc. Maybe more hot/fresh cooked things in a larger school, a small school may only have take-away boxes or bags.

For lunch, where I am there is a main dish (with a veggie option - may be separate or a version, like "assorted calzones" where some are meaty and some are meat-free) plus a "deli station" (DIY sandwiches) and a salad bar. Then there will be at least one steamed fresh vegetable, some kind of starch like potato or rice or noodles, and fresh fruit. Drinks are water, milk (has to be fat free or 1% but includes flavoured milks) and fruit juice. In the high school (age 12+) there are vending machines with juice, energy/sports drinks, sparkling and still water, iced tea, American lemonade, etc. - but Coke, etc. is not allowed.

I don't think the main dishes are all that healthful - it's a lot of chicken, beef (almost no fish or seafood, and I think no pork or ham), burgers and fries, calzones, pizza, pasta "casserole" things, DIY tacos, various "bowls", etc., and they repeat a lot. But the sides are well thought out and nutritious and the deli and salad bars are really nice. I've never heard of anything spoilt or burnt; it just wouldn't be served. Everyone involved in school meals has to have a state-administered children's nutrition and health certification. There are state standards on nutritional balance, calories, etc.

There's also a cool "farm to school" program, Harvest of the Month, which is done state-wide, where they focus on one local crop every month (pumpkins, peaches, cranberries, cucumbers, wild rice, etc.) The cafeteria serves dishes made with that crop locally-grown, there are posters and info sheets and stickers and such, and the high school does an optional informational session for the students with someone like a local farmer, chef, etc. about that item, and students have a chance to share recipes, photographs, creative writing etc.