Kids Hate Healthy School Lunches, Black Market for Junk Food Emerges in LA

By Michelle Woo Tue., Dec. 20 2011 at 11:00 AM

Categories: News

This year, the Los Angeles Unified School District changed the unchangeable. It made cafeteria lunches (gasp!) healthy. Out went chocolate milk, corn dogs, chicken nuggets and nachos. In came vegetarian curry, lentil and brown rice cutlets, quinoa and pad Thai.

The only problem? Kids hate it.

In a Los Angeles Times report, Dennis Barrett, the district's food services director, called the new menu debut a "disaster."

From the Times:

Many of the meals are being rejected en masse. Participation in the school lunch program has dropped by thousands of students. Principals report massive waste, with unopened milk cartons and uneaten entrees being thrown away. Students are ditching lunch, and some say they're suffering from headaches, stomach pains and even anemia. At many campuses, an underground market for chips, candy, fast-food burgers and other taboo fare is thriving.

In response to the complaints, the district is revising the menu. Hamburgers will be back. The "Caribbean meatball sauce" will be changed to a teriyaki flavor. Pizza is also returning, though it will be a healthier version with whole wheat crust, low-fat cheese and low-sodium sauce.

Officials are trying to hold some ground, saying the goal is to "stay the course on healthy food." Chocolate milk, nachos and deep-fried corn dogs will still be a distant memory.

As of now, one principal is comparing the food situation to Prohibition.

Anyone remember the Flamin' Hot Cheeto black market in Orange?

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Zipfly

sugary processed junk food is like heroine. you only have to try it once and you are hooked for life. it makes kids hate the healthier foods mentioned above. these junk food and cereal companies that prey on children are guilty of child abuse and should be taken to task for it. of course kids are going to want to eat food that has been modified to be 10 times as simulating to the senses. after eating that, you'd laugh at a salad too! even if you give it to your kids as a rare treat, they are going to be begging for it always and it will seriously set back their appetite for healthy food. It's how it's designed. People need to take notice of this and quit buying it! Your kids will eat the healthy stuff, when hungry enough...then they will get used to it....then it wont be a problem anymore. it just takes patience and somewhat of a "healthy food rehab" for a few days. but it's so worth it!

Zipfly

of course this is completely unrealistic if your kids are not home schooled or if they are older and can go get the junk food from friends or with their own money, but the point is true and it would take either laws passed or people to quit buying it for it to "go away", but that is highly unlikely as well. That's like trying to make evil go away. you just wont ever be able too...

Jennifer M Gray

As long as your eating a "free" lunch that the tax payer is supporting then you have no right to complain about it being healthy. If you want your kids to eat junk then pack it yourself and stop suckling on the government teat. And be sure you take your fat kids off of state paid for insurance, I don't want to pay for their diabetes and high blood pressure at 9 years old.

Margarita Assael

Why is it the business of the school to be telling kids what to eat? Use the money for updated technology for classes---what happens during summer and breaks when kids eat what they want? This is the job of parents and not the school---again, government in our faces---and take off those stupid calories at fast food---"None of your business what I eat!"

Jennifer M Gray

As long as your eating a government paid for "free" lunch...they can tell you what to eat. Don't like it...pack your own and pay for it.

Jason Darr

good for LA USD trying to do something combat our national epidemic of obesity (especially among minority youth)

Kevin

No, its not good when they try something that fails. And the sad thing is they could make a healthful yet tasty lunch, but government will never do it

Gowithawinner

My son goes to LAUDS school and they did get rid of the chocolate milk but they still serve all of those other things. My son never ways at school unless I send him with lunch not just because its bad but bravissimo a school with nearly 2500 kids you think they could do lunch in shifts. Nope! They all go at the same time and only get half an hour!

John Smith

The fatter you get, the thinner I look.

Rolfershannon

thats CRAP they are not telling you that its the same no matter if the lunches are healthy are not. Kids still throw away and are not eating the food or drinking the milk.