Edition
8
When was the last time you were actually in a high school?
Yeah, me too. When I graduated, I took off the cap and gown,
got into my car and never looked back.
That may have been an error in judgment. Seems
that high schools these days, judging from the California Department
of Health Services study which included 171 school districts with
345 high schools, found that 95 percent of schools surveyed sell
fast foods as a la carte items! And I’m not talking here about
hamburger surprise or vinegared spinach or canned peaches or anything
else those large red-faced ladies in the school kitchens would
cook up for us using who-knows-what as cooking guidelines.
No, these “a la carte” dishes, which
are often sold in cafeterias in addition to the National School
Lunch Program means, need not meet the nutrition requirements
of a traditional school lunch and are not regulated by the state
or federal government. The most common a la carte items
sold include pizza (provided by Round Table or Dominos), cookies,
chips and burritos (supplied by Taco Bell). Taco Bell was
served at more than half of the school surveyed. Subway’s
sandwiches were also prevalent. And the reasons school districts
gave for selling fast food are (get this) kids like it and it
keeps districts out of the red! They found that apparently
kids today don’t think food is “real food” unless a recognizable
brand name is attached.
I don’t know about you, but this shocks
me to tears. Can I still join the PTA or something and voice
my negative opinion of these goings on? I doubt it.
I’d just be an old fool who didn’t understand the system, right?
