First Lady Michelle Obama has championed healthy lunches for the public school system, which has become immensely unpopular. The Caller is comparing what Malia and Sasha Obama eat for their school lunches versus that of students in the public school system.
The first daughters attend Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C., a private school. According to the report, tuition per student is $36,264 per year and includes hot lunches. On Tuesday, December 9, the vast menu consisted of food seen in a fancy restaurant.
Potato Sausage Soup; Firecracker Slaw; California Chef’s Salad; All Natural Jamaican Jerk Chicken Wings; Sweet Potato Black Bean Bake; Sautéed Local Greens; Gemelli Alfredo; Sliced Pineapple
This is a lot different from the federally-funded lunches public schools are being forced to take on that has a caloric value of 600-850 each day. Under the strict program, schools must limit the amount of fat, sodium, and calories in students’ lunches. It’s caused a major uproar among kids not eating enough — or find the food downright unappetizing. The hashtag #ThanksMichelleObama has expressed the anger of students forced to eat lunches they can’t stomach. Several photos have been posted online of lunches the kids can’t stand.
Some of the wealthier school districts aren’t participating in the healthy lunch program and have turned down the federal dollars included.
Wyoming Public Media reveals that many students now are brown bagging it because they’re dissatisfied with school lunches.
Sheridan County One abandoned the federal lunch program last year, but they have a “wealthy student body,” with less than 20-percent qualifying for free lunches. Sheridan One’s food service director, Dennis Decker says there’s no one-size fits all program.
“A one-size-fits-all program doesn’t work everywhere. And I also think that food is a little too personal to make a law. You can tell someone they can’t speed, but I don’t you can tell everybody what they have to eat every day.”
“A lot of our students are athletes or they go home and work on a ranch, so the 650, 700 calories really wasn’t enough for them,” Decker adds.
The school still serves lunches that meet the calorie limit but they have more options at higher prices. Many in the public school system can’t afford to abandon the federally subsidized school program.
Michelle Obama lunches aren’t necessarily a big hit with students across the nation. As seen from the menu above, Malia and Sasha Obama’s lunches aren’t part of the public school’s mandate for food served to students.
[Photo Credit: Mark Wilson/Getty via People ]
