Letter to the Editor
The 'Letter to the Editor' in the April 11th issue of the Stockton Sentinel was very sad.
To quote several alumni that read this and reached out to me (this one being the nicest one I can share), 'That was the most ignorant thing I have ever read! I would have withheld my name too.' At first, I just viewed it as a spoiled child's temper tantrum of 'I do not want to eat vegetables, and you cannot make me.' But after looking over our posters in the cafeteria, I saw that NONE of them are 'MyPlate' posters, except for one on the north board that explains what items are in each food group, and NONE of them speak of calories. So, I now view this as not only a temper tantrum but also bullying. I have my doubts this was indeed a student that wrote this letter in its entirety.
The posters in our cafeteria speak of eating a colorful (fruits and vegetables) diet, encouraging students to try new foods, i.e., 'Make Today a Try-Day,' and the benefits of breakfast, but the main thing is they are just a colorful reminder of all the many food options that are available to our students.
OFFER, that is our NSLP program. We OFFER a variety of food groups so that kids can have a choice.
If this student (if, in fact, it was a student/child that wrote this) made the choice to only have 300 calories, then that was their choice for the day. They could have chosen to add a milk that is 100-110 calories (9g of protein that is not counted towards the Meat/Meat Alternate); they could have chosen a marinara cup that is 40 calories (1g protein); they could have chosen to add ½ to 1 cup of steamed corn that would have been 100 to 200 calories, or chosen ½ to 1 cup of rosy applesauce that would have been 48 to 96 calories. Still, they instead chose to just take the main entree item of the cheesy pull apart and, as a result, only ended up with 300 calories. As a senior, they should know by now how to build themselves a healthy meal and be aware that more than just meat/protein is needed to fuel their body. The cheesy pull-apart is 300 calories (14g protein) and is no different than having a grilled cheese at 318 calories (14g protein) or a slice of cheese pizza at 290 calories (16g protein). If a student does in fact have a food allergy, then there are forms to be filled out by their doctors that then need to be delivered to the school and to the health department so that the school can be made aware of the issues and go about providing alternatives for them in the best way that the school can.
It has been said by several parents that No Meat was served on this day. So here is a Question to Google: Are cheeses considered a meat/meat alternate for USDA guidelines? Answer: Meats and meat alternates (M/MA) include meat, poultry, fish, cheese, yogurt, soy yogurt, dry beans and peas, whole eggs, tofu, tempeh, peanut butter or other nut or seed butter, and nuts and seeds. The Cheesy Pull-Apart has a CN label that credits it as 2 Grains and 2 M/MA of cheese.
Additionally, this particular student made the choice not to eat breakfast, even though the school does offer breakfast in the cafeteria for all students before school. In years past, we've offered an easy grab-and-go breakfast in the high school, but it was decided that the students should come to the cafeteria to avoid mess and food in the classrooms.
As for the Produce bar (sorry, it is not like the Salad Bar at the bowling alley, and there is no time machine to take you back to 1990), it is just as it sounds: it is fresh vegetables and fruits. This is a cold Produce bar, with raw being the most common way to enjoy these items; if things were cooked and cooled, it would be less appealing. From time to time, we offer potato salad, pasta salad or cold leftover baked beans, and a few pickled/canned items, again vegetable-based, but these items are normally for 9-12 grades because of the higher sodium levels, and they have the calorie range to allow this to work. We do also offer hot vegetables when shown on the menu on the hot bar, which is seasoned with a bit of butter and salt and pepper added to them, but no, we're not allowed in accordance with the guidelines to use as much as some would season them at home. The Produce bar is filled between groups of students, and if a student asks for something that was a popular item and maybe was all taken before they went through, then we are more than happy to see if we have any left or if it is something we can make sure to have extra the next day. The Produce bar is NEVER completely empty at the end of lunch. Also, we offer paper boats if a student needs to make another trip to the Produce bar, just like at the bowling alley, for health and sanitation reasons. Students are always welcome to come and get a paper boat and take advantage of the Produce bar for free or possibly have another entree charged to their account. Again, their choice.
Adults understand that, yes, you do need vegetables and fruits, cooked or raw, to fill their hunger/ caloric needs and in order to help maintain a healthy body. Someone who truly has limited access to food would not turn away food even if it is not their favorite thing; they, sadly understand how difficult it is to do without that food. So please think of the kids that truly have nothing and appreciate that you are not one of them and dip the vegetables in some Ranch and demonstrate your ability to behave as a maturing young adult would and do what is best for your body even if your tastebuds disagree.
On the school website, under the Dining tab, the school breakfast and lunch menus can be found, which list what is offered daily, but those items are not all that is offered, that is just the more popular items, and depending on the day, we do also offer a variety of condiments, but only list a few to help keep the calorie and sodium levels down. If anyone wants to see the calories offered for any given day, they can view/ print them off by selecting which nutrients to add to the menu there.
Our food service program operates following the USDA guidelines and regulations. Chapter 16 of the KSDE Food Service Facts has been added to the Cafeteria tab on the school website so that if anyone has questions or cares to learn more, they can see what each age grade group is required to have calorically per Food Service guidelines to meet our regulations. USDA is federal funding, and with children not taking what is required, it then affects our program and school monetarily. The agreement with KSDE/USDA is that each meal will meet the requirements. Example: Cheesy Bread (2 grains and 2 Meat/meat alternate), Marinara cup (.25 cup vegetable), 1/2c Steamed corn (.5 vegetable), Carrots (.25-.5 vegetable), 1/2c Rosie Applesauce (.5 fruit), Milk (1c fluid milk). What makes a reimbursable meal? The basic formula requires five meal components: milk, fruit, vegetable, meat (or an approved meat alternative like beans, yogurt, or CHEESE), and grain. For a meal to be reimbursable, students must choose THREE full portions of the five, with at least ONE being a FRUIT or VEGETABLE.
Schools do their best to be well-rounded and offer a variety of fruits and vegetables to ensure that the needs of the students and the regulations of USDA are met. Without federal funding, Stockton would likely not have a school, and the students and families here would be much worse off without the school being around at all. Kaye Whitney Food Service Manager/ Director USD # 271 Stockton
