Areavoices.com: One mom limits school lunch spending, waste
When given the choice between healthy and unhealthy food, I think the majority of kids will choose unhealthy food. I know my kids will, even though at home we eat mostly healthy food and not processed food.By: Qin Tang, Associated Press
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When given the choice between healthy and unhealthy food, I think the majority of kids will choose unhealthy food. I know my kids will, even though at home we eat mostly healthy food and not processed food.
My kids know they should not buy extras, including desserts and soft drinks, at school. If they do that, I will simply put a limit on their account so they can’t spend more than the amount for their regular lunch.
Last fall, I found out that my daughter had “forgotten” the rule. Since she had just transitioned from elementary school to middle school, there was no limit set on her account to prevent her from breaking the rule. She purchased soft drinks and cookies several times because some of her friends did that too.
But rules are rules, I told her. When I called and talked to the cashier at school to set a limit on my daughter’s lunch account, she said, “Good for you.”
I don’t think these unhealthy food items should be an option at school because I don’t like wasting food. I find the wasteful behavior in the school lunchrooms terrible. Some kids don’t finish their lunch and throw a lot away. They buy more of what they like and throw away the stuff (mostly fruit and vegetables) they don’t like. I know if I allow my kids unlimited spending, they will buy more junk food and waste healthier food.
I don’t tolerate my kids’ wasteful behavior. At home, I make sure that they eat everything they have on their plates. But I can’t control what they do at school. However, by setting a spending limit on their account, I can control their spending and thus prevent them from buying unhealthy food.
It’s important for me to teach my kids to be resourceful with our food and money, and to be mindful of our environment. I want to do what I can to help them build healthy eating habits and to keep the lunchroom from becoming a waste site.
Read more posts from the blog On My Mind at onmymind.areavoices.com.
About Qin Tang
Qin Tang is a librarian, writer and columnist in Woodbury. She blogs about her everyday life at onmymind.areavoices.com.
Tags: news, community, areavoices, school, lunch, waste, spending, eating, food, healthy, behavior
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