Children leaving lunchroom hungry

Mary A. Craig

To the editor:

Recently, I had the pleasure of going to my grandsons' school and having lunch with them. This wasn't my first time, but each time I have gone it is the same.

I understand that school systems have to provide a more nutritious meal to our children, but I'm here to tell you they aren't eating it. Instead I watched the wasted food get tossed into the trash. I don't think this idea is working - providing food to our children that they just aren't eating.

On this day the children were given non-breaded baked chicken, a bun, a salad consisting of yellow and red peppers and radishes and I guess dessert was a couple of orange slices and milk. Also, most of the children chose chocolate milk instead of white.

As each child passed me I noticed that not a single one had touched the chicken and salad - they maybe ate the bun and orange slices and the milk carton was open.

I feel sorry for the ladies in the lunch room that have to prepare the food - they have to see on a daily basis this waste. I bet they wish they could go back to the old ways and prepare food that the children will really eat. At least then they knew they would have something in their bellies to carry them through the rest of the school day. I'm here to tell you the children leave the lunchroom almost as hungry as they entered it.

Mary A. Craig

Cedar Rapids