The school lunch program

Among the mass of paperwork that accompanied the kids on their first day of school was the good ol' school lunch menu. Wow. This was a shocker.
I have always thought that the USDA is reinforcing bad eating habits with their lunch service. They have relegated themselves to keeping in line with traditional "kids menu" type foods. Here in Hawaii, it's even worse. Our menu consists of a meat main dish- usually something fairly fattening and unhealthy, and one or two sides of STARCH! Not a vegetable listed the entire month.
I see why they do this- they figure kids hate vegetables, they'll just get thrown out, so why bother, we'll just save the expense and eliminate them entirely. I am shocked. Back in Texas the kids could choose from a healthier alternative like the baked potato bar or the turkey wrap when the main offering was something like sloppy joes or chili. My kids frequently chose from that line (proud parent moment) and here the choice isn't even offered.
Here is a small sample of what is being offered:

Roast beef with gravy, garlic whipped potatoes and a biscuit
Batter fried fish, deli roast potatoes and a whole wheat roll
Chicken sticks with sauce, steamed rice and a whole wheat roll
  and my favorite...
Chili Cheese Fries and a muffin!

Normal fare in Hawaii: called the Mixed Plate

What's amazing is that immediately next to the menu posting on the school bulletin board is the nurses office with a poster warning that childhood diabetes is on the rise! Hmmm, I wonder why? Obesity continues to plague our little ones primarily because of what is being put in front of them from such an early age. I understand children can be picky- I have one or two of those in the house. But, continued exposure to the good healthy stuff is necessary if we ever want our kids to move past the basic plain hamburger and fries when they're adults and heart disease, high blood pressure and cancer are banging on their door.
So what can we do? In our house, we are personally opting out of the program and packing lunches everyday, but that wont be enough to change it. Luckily, there are some brave people who are working to make a difference in schools around the nation. Here is some food for thought:
Bringing in a Chef in Berkely
Whole Foods gets involved
New Legislation in the works

Take some time to research this in your community. Become an advocate to shape how are children are nourished when not at home. And please, please, please don't stop offering the salads, veggies and grown-up food!