After seeing the school lunch served to the students, a father from upstate New York has called out the local school district. Chris Vangellow, whose son attends the Parishville-Hopkinton Central School District, said that the school officials are failing the kids in a major way with their pathetic and unappetizing food offerings.
Vangellow shared a photo of his son's school lunch among his Facebook network to show four thinly sliced chicken nuggets, a side of dry carrots, a small helping of white rice, and fat-free chocolate milk. He implied that the choices would not provide the kids "enough energy" to get through the rest of the day. He also said that his son skipped some of the food on his plate because they were "not very appetizing."
The dad understood that while school lunches are free, it doesn't mean that the children or their parents can't raise concerns about the quality. He added that not all families could afford to have homemade school lunches prepared for their kids so they could avoid eating these unappealing meals.
Improving School Lunch Choices
In an interview with Fox News, Vangellow said that his 16-year-old son started sending him pictures of his school lunch to show how much the quality has gone down. The dad said that his son, a school athlete, felt that the meals weren't helping when they had to practice their games later that day.
Vangellow said that he gives his son lunch money to buy extra food to snack on in-between game practices at the convenience store near the school. His rant on social media earned replies from other parents who also shared their concerns about what their kids are eating. Some of the comments agreed with the portion size and the quality of the food.
Following his rant, Superintendent William E. Collins issued a public statement addressing the school lunch concern. He acknowledged the complaints and comments of the students and parents and stated that they would make some changes.
Collins also said that they follow the same nutritional guidelines as the other public schools and as provided by the Boards of Cooperative Educational Services. While social media photos can be misleading, it's evident to Collins that the parents and students want to see some improvements.
So, the school district has been working with a cafeteria manager to explore options for better food that will comply with the National School Lunch Program. They also created a volunteer-based initiative to grow a community garden in the school's courtyard. Collins also said that they would develop a Wellness Committee that will partner with local producers and businesses to provide healthier school lunches and snacks.
USDA Also Responds
A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) told Fox News that they know how schools are challenged to provide adequate food for the kids in light of the pandemic crisis. USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that an estimated $750 million would be diverted to school meals programs in 2022. The increase in funding will ensure that the kids will enjoy healthier meals for free.
Meanwhile, Vangellow said that he had joined the Reimagining School Lunches initiative of the superintendent. The voluntary members of this committee meet and brainstorm about how to make school meals more nutritious and appetizing with considerations to the cost shouldered by the school district.
