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Post by Deleted on Jul 25, 2011 16:12:48 GMT -5
Mom and I were talking about this during lunch today, and I thought it would be something interesting to bring up.
I've noticed that the ads for "kid food" (mostly on Neo) are ads for frozen foods that aren't very healthy and probably aren't good quality either. Also, school lunches sometimes tick me off. Some of my school's food is delicious but not very healthy. And the healthy choices they do offer really don't appeal.
Now, I've had frozen foods that are delicious and very healthy. There's this one company, Amy's Kitchen, that makes stuff from all over the world and I've tried two of her things. They're very good, and good for you! It even says on the package that they don't use peanuts, GMOs (which I don't know what they are but they don't sound good) or fish in their cooking. I think a kid would be okay with high-quality food. I think they would like her cheese enchiladas.
My mom says that the reason "kid food" companies make such awful food is because they don't want it to be too expensive and too burdensome for parents. But I think a sensible parent would care for their child over the amount of money they have. Now, if junk food is all one can afford, then that's an exception, but if the parent could easily pay for more expensive but healthier food, pick the healthy choice! Kids actually need it more than adults, because they're still growing.
I think schools should improve their food choices as well. They don't have to do away with pizza or anything, but they should offer healthy stuff that kids like. For instance, my school offers meatball subs when they could just as easily offer a vegetarian one with cheese and mustard, and a healthier meat could be added upon request. They also did something VERY ANNOYING last year: I used to get salad almost every day with Italian dressing. Well, they stopped giving us Italian, so I switched to French. Then, they took away the French! All that's left is Ranch. The salad doesn't appeal to me anymore. *facepalm* Congratulations, school, you've just propelled the kids further away from the healthy state you claim to want to enforce in them.
Thoughts?
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Post by Dju on Jul 25, 2011 16:17:51 GMT -5
I believe we're responsible for our own bodies and kids shouldn't be induced to eat certain things like 'EAT SALAD, BECAUSE THERE IS NOTHING ELSE FOR YOU TO EAT", they should be given several choices and informed about what effects that food will have in their organisms. my school does that all the time showing us documentaries about how bad fast food is for you, I don;t eat it because I hate it but almost 90% of my classmates keep eating fast food, it's their own choice. Sae, if you want to eat something healthy why not prepare your own lunch? I do that! It's really nice!
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Post by Deleted on Jul 25, 2011 16:21:30 GMT -5
Kids go for taste. Given a choice between something that tastes good and something that is "good for them", they will go with something that tastes good. If they are not given a choice, they will quickly become irritable and search for ways to get around it. This also holds true for teenagers and many young adults. The older they get, the more ability they have to influence the food providers, because they have some ability to boycott the undesirable food. That will end up with more problems than it's worth. Forcing schools to switch a program takes a lot of time and effort and probably a good deal of money. They can try but I wouldn't say "every school should give healthier choices". Because I honestly think it might be a waste of food and money. (I've seen school salads. They're nasty. ) ((As a note, I'm not against "healthy food". I love me a good salad. <3 But the only person I've ever met to make a decent one is my grandmother in Iowa. Never been to a public food place, school or otherwise, that has one that's any good. ))
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Post by Deleted on Jul 25, 2011 16:22:16 GMT -5
Dju, you're kind of missing the point. I'm not saying kids should eat things they don't like, I'm just saying better stuff should be marketed to them and served to them. That way, they'll be more likely to be healthy.
Also, Torkie, my point was the stuff that is marketed should taste good and be good for them. Take the enchilada things, for example. The ones I had were prepared in a good way, and had no additives! I'm not talking about salad. Things like pizzas made with better cheese and more tomato sauce that doesn't sap the good stuff from the tomato.
What's irritating about the school lunch is this: restaurants don't have to promote health. Schools do. And yet the sub sandwiches I get at Mr. Goodcents are probably a billion times better for me than the sub sandiwch at school which contains only meatballs and marinara sauce. (Granted, I am a vegetarian who always gets a cheese sub with no pepper jack, lettuce, onions, pickles, mustard, oil, vinegar and black pepper. I'm sure other subs there are not as good for you)
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Post by Deleted on Jul 25, 2011 16:26:54 GMT -5
Dju, you're kind of missing the point. I'm not saying kids should eat things they don't like, I'm just saying better stuff should be marketed to them and served to them. That way, they'll be more likely to be healthy. Also, Torkie, my point was the stuff that is marketed should taste good and be good for them. Take the enchilada things, for example. The ones I had were prepared in a good way, and had no additives! I'm not talking about salad. Things like pizzas made with better cheese and more tomato sauce that doesn't sap the good stuff from the tomato. I realize what you were trying to say. I'm saying that it doesn't usually work out like that. Especially for larger schools; when you have to cook for thousands of students, you really need to be efficient. In my experience and the experience of most people I've talked to, this results in the quality (both health and sometimes in taste as well) of the food being less than if they were making it for say, ten or twenty people. I can't picture schools of such huge size integrating something like what you're suggesting without a larger kitchen, a larger kitchen staff, and more time to cook. That isn't possible in a lot of places.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 25, 2011 16:28:51 GMT -5
Dju, you're kind of missing the point. I'm not saying kids should eat things they don't like, I'm just saying better stuff should be marketed to them and served to them. That way, they'll be more likely to be healthy. Also, Torkie, my point was the stuff that is marketed should taste good and be good for them. Take the enchilada things, for example. The ones I had were prepared in a good way, and had no additives! I'm not talking about salad. Things like pizzas made with better cheese and more tomato sauce that doesn't sap the good stuff from the tomato. I realize what you were trying to say. I'm saying that it doesn't usually work out like that. Well, why shouldn't it? I think the companies should drop their cheapness and start making food that's actually good for the child. Also, I don't get why adding a bunch of stuff makes it cheaper. Wouldn't the additives add to the cost of production and thus make it more expensive?
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Post by Luna on Jul 25, 2011 16:29:31 GMT -5
At my school, we've always had an option for healthy food. Grapes, apples, salads, green beans, corn and all that are set out. It's the kids choice not to get it. And, they only serve milk and water, which last time I checked, was pretty good for you. There are plenty of healthy frozen lunches kids can eat. Some schools have tight budges right now, so they have to pick the unhealthy cheap foods over the healthy pricey foods. If you don't like it then don't eat it. The child chooses what they eat in there school lunch, and it's there body.
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Post by Dju on Jul 25, 2011 16:29:32 GMT -5
Dju, you're kind of missing the point. I'm not saying kids should eat things they don't like, I'm just saying better stuff should be marketed to them and served to them. That way, they'll be more likely to be healthy. But that's exactly what I meant to say, you can't just serve them food, you must give them an option and information, honestly I'm not a big fan of salad but I try to dodge it by putting other healthy things in my plate or mixing it with meet so things will taste better, but that's because I know what happens on my body and not because someone just took all of them and substitute it for something else.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 25, 2011 16:31:44 GMT -5
At my school, we've always had an option for healthy food. Grapes, apples, salads, green beans, corn and all that are set out. It's the kids choice not to get it. And, they only serve milk and water, which last time I checked, was pretty good for you. There are plenty of healthy frozen lunches kids can eat. Some schools have tight budges right now, so they have to pick the unhealthy cheap foods over the healthy pricey foods. If you don't like it then don't eat it. The child chooses what they eat in there school lunch, and it's there body. Except the vegetables and green beans served in schools are just...ugggh. Now, the green beans served at one of my favorite Chinese restaurants - pretty much the only reason I like green beans.
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Post by Luna on Jul 25, 2011 16:33:04 GMT -5
At my school, we've always had an option for healthy food. Grapes, apples, salads, green beans, corn and all that are set out. It's the kids choice not to get it. And, they only serve milk and water, which last time I checked, was pretty good for you. There are plenty of healthy frozen lunches kids can eat. Some schools have tight budges right now, so they have to pick the unhealthy cheap foods over the healthy pricey foods. If you don't like it then don't eat it. The child chooses what they eat in there school lunch, and it's there body. Except the vegetables and green beans served in schools are just...ugggh. Now, the green beans served at one of my favorite Chinese restaurants - pretty much the only reason I like green beans. It's because there canned. They are still good for you, they just don't taste to great.
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Post by Dju on Jul 25, 2011 16:33:34 GMT -5
At my school, we've always had an option for healthy food. Grapes, apples, salads, green beans, corn and all that are set out. It's the kids choice not to get it. And, they only serve milk and water, which last time I checked, was pretty good for you. There are plenty of healthy frozen lunches kids can eat. Some schools have tight budges right now, so they have to pick the unhealthy cheap foods over the healthy pricey foods. If you don't like it then don't eat it. The child chooses what they eat in there school lunch, and it's there body. Except the vegetables and green beans served in schools are just...ugggh. Now, the green beans served at one of my favorite Chinese restaurants - pretty much the only reason I like green beans. As Luna said before, if you don't like it just don't eat it. There are several ways to dodge it by bringing food from home, school can advertise healthy food how much they want it's still each person's option.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 25, 2011 16:39:10 GMT -5
Well, why shouldn't it? I think the companies should drop their cheapness and start making food that's actually good for the child. Companies are about efficiency. That's what turns the most profit. Balancing resources with time in order to make the best quality of stuff in the most quantity as fast as possible tends to be the goal. There are FDA regulations regarding food products that have to be met in order for food to be safe. Beyond that, it's a company's prerogative on what they're making, and the customers' prerogative on whether or not they want to buy it. I'm not sure what this has to do with school lunches since I don't know of any that sell brand products. ,' Also, I don't get why adding a bunch of stuff makes it cheaper. Wouldn't the additives add to the cost of production and thus make it more expensive? Could you be more specific? The only thing I can think of is preservatives, and that's so that the product has some shelf life and can be shipped and sold. As Luna said before, if you don't like it just don't eat it. There are several ways to dodge it by bringing food from home, school can advertise healthy food how much they want it's still each person's option. ^One of the basic points of my statements. Well put.
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Post by M is for Morphine on Jul 25, 2011 16:42:24 GMT -5
Healthy school lunches are, I think, even more important to kids than even marketing. Children who are very poor are dependent on school lunches for most of their nutrition. This is a somewhat interesting documentary, though you can get the gist from reading the summary. Also, there are a lot more obstacles in the way of healthy meals for poor children. Like in Detroit, there are very few grocery stores because many businesses have pulled out. So most families have to get incredibly unhealthy meals from convenience stores. School lunches need a lot more funding, but school budgets are getting smaller and smaller all the time. That leads to corners being cut, like reducing the number of dressings.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 25, 2011 16:43:25 GMT -5
Healthy school lunches are, I think, even more important to kids than even marketing. Children who are very poor are dependent on school lunches for most of their nutrition. This is a somewhat interesting documentary, though you can get the gist from reading the summary. Also, there are a lot more obstacles in the way of healthy meals for poor children. Like in Detroit, there are very few grocery stores because many businesses have pulled out. So most families have to get incredibly unhealthy meals from convenience stores. School lunches need a lot more funding, but school budgets are getting smaller and smaller all the time. Yeah, I don't get why people have been cutting the school budget. Does no one care about our children?
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Post by Gelquie on Jul 25, 2011 16:48:49 GMT -5
There's a little give and take from both sides. It's true kids go for taste, and they usually prefer things like candy and whatnot; generally unhealthy things. They tend to like what's sweet. I will admit though though more exposure to healthy foods instead of candy as well as better marketing might help encourage that sort of thing. As long as it's not overdone (don't wanna spark the rebel part in some personalities).
This is just a guess, but it seems it's more economically feasible to market processed foods as cheaper than healthier foods; healthier foods tend to require more maintenance than something that can last a lot longer but has a bunch of other things. Not to say that some companies aren't trying, though. (However, I still hold that some places try too hard to promote healthy foods.)
I hate school food too. It's the quantity over quality thing; they have to feed a lot of people. They do have healthy choices, though. Most of it is canned, but they still have things like corn and other things.
I make a personal choice to cook my own meat versus cafeteria food, after an experience from getting a stomach bug after eating my middle school's chicken strips. However, that is not to say that meat is unhealthy. Healthiness is more than just calories; it's also about the type of foods you intake, and meat provides plenty of protein and iron. Not to say that vegetarians should switch; it's their choice and lifestyle and completely up to them. But to call meats unhealthy versus salads is a bit of a stretch, I think. I'm sorry if that's not what you meant, but I just want to put that out there. xD I only consider a few meats unhealthy, such as bacon (because of all the grease).
Anyway, overall, I'm kinda in-between on this kind of thing. Overall, you can't control how one eats, but one can provide incentives towards healthier food. The current work in providing healthier options could be better, I agree, but it's generally a slow process and not necessarily a perfect one (especially after considering the circumstances).
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