Menus are meaningless!

In the 12 years I've been advocating for better foods in my kid's school, I've learned loads. For one thing, menus are meaningless! Recently I took a look at my middle schooler's menu, saw a stir fry that seemed harmless and sent my child off to school with lunch money. She tells me that she had a giant pretzel, some noodles and a flavored water. Not exactly what I was hoping she'd have for lunch that day.

The week of October 15-19 is National School Lunch Week, sponsored by the School Nutrition Association. We'd like to encourage you to join us for a Lunch In during that week. Experience with your own eyes, ears and taste buds what your kids are doing for lunch 180 days a year. Click here for a check list and a humorous essay written by BSF Advisory board member, Kate Adamick.

Common sense will tell you that menus don't mean much in any dining establishment. What matters is what the food is like when you sit down to eat it. As parents and advocates, we need to sit down and eat the food our kids are eating in school to truly assess whether it supports their health.

Last March, BSF board member Geri Brewster and I attended the Mayo Clinic's Obesity Summit. We learned that most parents across the country have no idea what is being served in the cafeteria. The USDA encourages parents to visit the cafeteria and have lunch with their kids. This is truly the only way that parents can know for sure what their kids are eating.

You don't need a degree in biochemistry or nutrition to know if the food being served in your child's cafeteria is good to be eating on a daily basis. It's really about common sense. Parents are the real customers in the cafeteria. We're the ones who pay for lunch. Our bottom line is the health and well being of our kids.

We hope you'll join us for the LUNCH-IN and tell your neighbors too.
Please send your stories and digital photos of lunch, both good and bad to photos@angrymoms.org As our kids get sicker and fatter, it's time to start a national dialog about what is going on our school cafeterias. Parents hold the power to make a difference. See you at lunch!