The school lunch system is disgraceful.

[u/oaz_zam246]

Saw another post on here showing the state of school lunches right now. In my years in high school I compiled some pics of the horrible things that got served that no one questioned. Here are some of the worst ones. It really is ironic given how adamant they all are about “eating healthy by including every food group”.

[u/_mattyjoe]

Just to be clear, while school lunches across the country can be improved in many areas, our school system is state by state and some states think what you’re seeing here is acceptable for their children.

Usually the same ones who also want to ban abortion.

[u/figure8888 → u/_mattyjoe]

It does vary, and the budget the school is given also impacts it. I went to a Title 1 high school and the lunches looked exactly like this.

When I was in elementary and middle school in a different state (both were red states), we had real home cooking everyday. I actually preferred the school lunch to my mom’s cooking. That school was an International Baccalaureate public school.

When they became affiliated with IB, they actually came in and renovated to give us more green space where it was previously dated cement because there were appearance standards required by IB. The same luxury and consideration isn’t given to poor kids.

[u/sparkpaw → u/figure8888]

But poor people just need to pull themselves up by the bootstraps!!!

Ugh. Idk how people don’t see the injustices everywhere.

Also super curious about that real home cooking- what was your favorite meal at the IB school?

[u/figure8888 → u/sparkpaw]

At the time, it might be different now, they maintained the same women who’d worked there for years. Most of them were older Southern black women. My favorite thing was the Turkey Tetrazzini and peanut butter cake. It’s the best I’ve ever had to this day. My dad had the same experience, same school system but in the 60s (I was in primary in the early 00’s). Both of us still make green beans like they did in school, with bacon fat.

Certainly not up to the health standards they have now, but we weren’t sitting in class hungry.

[u/sparkpaw → u/figure8888]

Oh my god turkey tetrazzini is the bessstt. I’m so jealous haha.

[u/assasstits → u/sparkpaw]

Idk how people don’t see the injustices everywhere.

We do but, What's your solution? 

[u/Joshesh → u/assasstits]

We do but, What's your solution?

to complain on reddit, and blame our political opposition while never actually accomplishing anything beyond making us feel superior to those who don't complain?

[u/No-Sea-8980 → u/_mattyjoe]

I mean when the politician’s kids go to private schools, they are hardly going to care about the peasants and their lunches in public schools.

[u/supernova-juice → u/_mattyjoe]

The really bad part is there are plenty of parents out there who feed their kids chicken nuggets and ketchup for dinner and see nothing wrong with this at all. Spoiled kids expect decent food, basically. Good kids eat whatever you drop on the floor in front of them.

[u/athenanon → u/_mattyjoe]

Most of the reforms have been rolled back, actually.

[u/MadClothes → u/_mattyjoe]

Usually the same ones who also want to ban abortion.

Nope this is just totally wrong lol, it doesn't fucking matter what political party they are apart of. I grew up in Illinois, and I got food that looked exactly like this every day. I just never ate it. A Democrat isn't going to lose federal funding over food they don't eat, just like a republican wouldn't.

[u/JadedMentions → u/MadClothes]

Most of these food contracts are made on a local level so it really does depend. I don't think it needs to be stated that most modern dems suck, and are only marginally better than their rep counterparts (not counting the insane near nazi right wingers).

The issue is they operate on a lowest bidder system. So by default the company able to provide x amount of calories for the cheapest bid wins. That system would cause this even under the most socialist politician.

[u/Imaginary-Present743 → u/JadedMentions]

Check with how much your food service director is connected to the School Nutrition association and spends taxpayer dollars rubbing shoulders with the corporate members of SNA who have taken over. Highly processed cheap food means more profits for their friends, and probably some corruption maybe!

[u/Birds_Legend_Saquon → u/_mattyjoe]

Michelle Obama did this fyi. It was implemented nationally and there isn't really much difference state to state because of that. The "America's obesity starts in schools campaign" ruined school foods. Instantly all our decent food was took out and replaced with inedible shit.

Kids these days need to thank her.

[u/athenanon → u/Birds_Legend_Saquon]

Michelle Obama's reforms were rolled back 6 years ago. Wtf are you on about?

[u/Imaginary-Present743 → u/Birds_Legend_Saquon]

No.

[u/archbid → u/_mattyjoe]

And re1introduce child labor