Comments on: Ban the Bag: Should Kids Be Forbidden From Bringing Lunch to School? http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/food/2011/04/ban-the-bag-should-kids-be-forbidden-from-bringing-lunch-to-school/ A Heaping Helping of Food News, Science and Culture Wed, 15 May 2013 14:48:35 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4 By: Melissa http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/food/2011/04/ban-the-bag-should-kids-be-forbidden-from-bringing-lunch-to-school/comment-page-1/#comment-5138 Melissa Tue, 03 May 2011 15:27:35 +0000 http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/food/?p=8733#comment-5138 Not having the option to bring your own lunch is insane! I'm a mother of 3 children and just had a sort of heated discussion about this yesterday with another parent. My youngest is 4 and we were having discussions about PreK, long story short she asked me about a particular school that her child was attending. I responded that one of the reason I chose not to send my child there is because bringing lunch from home is not an option. Needless to say I felt like I had to defend my reason for wanting to send my own daughter with her own food. Since when I feeding my child her own food from home not an option. From the beginnning of time we've always had the option to bring your own lunch. Bringing your own lunch shouldn't just be regimented to those that have medical and religious reasons to support your choice. How about that's just my preference! For those that like the convenience of not having to prepare lunch for their child daily hats off to you. However, respect those that choose to send their children with their own food. Not having the option to bring your own lunch is insane! I’m a mother of 3 children and just had a sort of heated discussion about this yesterday with another parent. My youngest is 4 and we were having discussions about PreK, long story short she asked me about a particular school that her child was attending. I responded that one of the reason I chose not to send my child there is because bringing lunch from home is not an option. Needless to say I felt like I had to defend my reason for wanting to send my own daughter with her own food. Since when I feeding my child her own food from home not an option. From the beginnning of time we’ve always had the option to bring your own lunch. Bringing your own lunch shouldn’t just be regimented to those that have medical and religious reasons to support your choice. How about that’s just my preference! For those that like the convenience of not having to prepare lunch for their child daily hats off to you. However, respect those that choose to send their children with their own food.

]]> By: Lori Smith http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/food/2011/04/ban-the-bag-should-kids-be-forbidden-from-bringing-lunch-to-school/comment-page-1/#comment-4414 Lori Smith Sun, 17 Apr 2011 19:24:12 +0000 http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/food/?p=8733#comment-4414 This is too intrusive. As a parent, I get to decide what my child eats. When I was growing up, I brought my lunch to school most of the time. The school sent the menu home every week, and my parents would be able to see if there was a hot lunch day that they would give me money for once in a while. I know what my children like and I won't send them to school wondering what will be on the menu and if they will eat it or not. If I pack their lunch, then I know they will like the things I pack. My sons are creatures of habit and they usually want a sandwich, a yogurt and a fruit for lunch almost everyday. Also, on special days I could put a little treat like a note and a hershey kiss in their lunch-- no principal should be able to tell me thats not allowed! This is too intrusive. As a parent, I get to decide what my child eats. When I was growing up, I brought my lunch to school most of the time. The school sent the menu home every week, and my parents would be able to see if there was a hot lunch day that they would give me money for once in a while. I know what my children like and I won’t send them to school wondering what will be on the menu and if they will eat it or not. If I pack their lunch, then I know they will like the things I pack. My sons are creatures of habit and they usually want a sandwich, a yogurt and a fruit for lunch almost everyday.
Also, on special days I could put a little treat like a note and a hershey kiss in their lunch– no principal should be able to tell me thats not allowed!

]]> By: Ara http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/food/2011/04/ban-the-bag-should-kids-be-forbidden-from-bringing-lunch-to-school/comment-page-1/#comment-4413 Ara Sun, 17 Apr 2011 14:36:00 +0000 http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/food/?p=8733#comment-4413 I don't agree with the idea. Parents still have the right to make and prepare pack lunches for their kids. Because home cook meal is more safe and good to eat. If the school cafeteria will only provide lunches that mothers cooked for their kids and they also used <a href="http://www.happytiffin.com/tableware.html" rel="nofollow">stainless tableware</a>, then no parents would be worried. =) I hope, every schools also considers what the parents have in mind. I don’t agree with the idea. Parents still have the right to make and prepare pack lunches for their kids. Because home cook meal is more safe and good to eat. If the school cafeteria will only provide lunches that mothers cooked for their kids and they also used stainless tableware, then no parents would be worried. =) I hope, every schools also considers what the parents have in mind.

]]> By: Karen Johnson http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/food/2011/04/ban-the-bag-should-kids-be-forbidden-from-bringing-lunch-to-school/comment-page-1/#comment-4407 Karen Johnson Sat, 16 Apr 2011 13:03:27 +0000 http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/food/?p=8733#comment-4407 If the schools are going to say that home packed lunches are forbidden, then the schools had better provide better food than they did when I was going to school. All those luke warm soggy veggies, and dried out hamburgers. Yuck! If the schools are going to say that home packed lunches are forbidden, then the schools had better provide better food than they did when I was going to school. All those luke warm soggy veggies, and dried out hamburgers. Yuck!

]]> By: Beth Blevins http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/food/2011/04/ban-the-bag-should-kids-be-forbidden-from-bringing-lunch-to-school/comment-page-1/#comment-4401 Beth Blevins Fri, 15 Apr 2011 12:40:49 +0000 http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/food/?p=8733#comment-4401 If my daughter didn't bring her lunch to school she wouldn't eat lunch. As a practicing vegetarian and a picky eater, she finds few choices at school. She thinks American cheese tastes like plastic--but that's what is used for the grilled cheese sandwich, one of the vegetarian options. She says the pizza sauce on the cheese pizza falls off. So, most days, I pack her a box of organic milk and a sandwich of some kind--her favorite is vegetarian deli ham and provolone cheese. BTW, it's actually more ecological to pack her lunch, even when using a fold-over baggie for the sandwich, since the school lunches are served on Styrofoam trays that are thrown out. If my daughter didn’t bring her lunch to school she wouldn’t eat lunch. As a practicing vegetarian and a picky eater, she finds few choices at school. She thinks American cheese tastes like plastic–but that’s what is used for the grilled cheese sandwich, one of the vegetarian options. She says the pizza sauce on the cheese pizza falls off. So, most days, I pack her a box of organic milk and a sandwich of some kind–her favorite is vegetarian deli ham and provolone cheese. BTW, it’s actually more ecological to pack her lunch, even when using a fold-over baggie for the sandwich, since the school lunches are served on Styrofoam trays that are thrown out.

]]> By: Maya http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/food/2011/04/ban-the-bag-should-kids-be-forbidden-from-bringing-lunch-to-school/comment-page-1/#comment-4399 Maya Thu, 14 Apr 2011 23:54:33 +0000 http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/food/?p=8733#comment-4399 Unbelievable, it's the opposite. I don't let my kids eat anything at school. They used to come back with fever and stomach ache from all those packaged food. So I always pack their lunch. If they forbid that, kids better stay home. Unbelievable, it’s the opposite. I don’t let my kids eat anything at school. They used to come back with fever and stomach ache from all those packaged food. So I always pack their lunch. If they forbid that, kids better stay home.

]]> By: Susan Glaser http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/food/2011/04/ban-the-bag-should-kids-be-forbidden-from-bringing-lunch-to-school/comment-page-1/#comment-4398 Susan Glaser Thu, 14 Apr 2011 22:54:45 +0000 http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/food/?p=8733#comment-4398 I do NOT agree with allowing the schools to be the "diet police". To not permit parents to choose what they want their children to eat is way beyond reasonable. This is much too intrusive. Providing a nutritional meal to those who choose to eat it is fine, forcing them to eat it or go hungry is ridiculous!!!! I do NOT agree with allowing the schools to be the “diet police”. To not permit parents to choose what they want their children to eat is way beyond reasonable. This is much too intrusive. Providing a nutritional meal to those who choose to eat it is fine, forcing them to eat it or go hungry is ridiculous!!!!

]]> By: Cathy Hollister http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/food/2011/04/ban-the-bag-should-kids-be-forbidden-from-bringing-lunch-to-school/comment-page-1/#comment-4397 Cathy Hollister Thu, 14 Apr 2011 19:00:34 +0000 http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/food/?p=8733#comment-4397 How about teaching kids how too cook in middle and high school? Most schools have done away with Home Ec programs. Good nutrition and home cooking go hand in hand. How about teaching kids how too cook in middle and high school? Most schools have done away with Home Ec programs. Good nutrition and home cooking go hand in hand.

]]> By: Michele Hays http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/food/2011/04/ban-the-bag-should-kids-be-forbidden-from-bringing-lunch-to-school/comment-page-1/#comment-4396 Michele Hays Thu, 14 Apr 2011 16:38:10 +0000 http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/food/?p=8733#comment-4396 Education, education, education - and not "do as I say but not as I do," either. Every school should have a nutrition curriculum...and a school lunch that demonstrates that curriculum. Education is a much more effective tool than a ban. However - when kids are bringing food to share, I do agree that the school has some responsibility - not just to prevent medical emergencies - but to hold kids to the standards of their nutrition curriculum or wellness policy. Education, education, education – and not “do as I say but not as I do,” either. Every school should have a nutrition curriculum…and a school lunch that demonstrates that curriculum. Education is a much more effective tool than a ban.

However – when kids are bringing food to share, I do agree that the school has some responsibility – not just to prevent medical emergencies – but to hold kids to the standards of their nutrition curriculum or wellness policy.

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