" The school lunches are still not good. My kids pack their own lunch (5th and 7th grade). They usually have a sandwich and a piece of fruit, sometimes yogurt or a cheese stick. "

" to Winemd: I don't understand what you mean when you say that school lunches are still not good. Are you speaking of lunches served by the school district as being not good? And, what do you mean by "not good"?

I am not be critical of you I just want to find out what the problem is. The reason is that we pay huge taxes to fund the schools and their services and if something is "not good" the community should know about it.

I think too many people are protecting the schools from the eyes of the public and that is not a good thing. So would you please elaborate. Thank you. "

" The school district lunches are provided by Sodexo. Here is the link to their menu: https://www.sodexoeducation.com/segment_0200/district_0528/ENM/Entry1/

A few years ago, our (charter) school considered not using them and Sodexo decided to improve the lunch. They started using "whole wheat" bread and have a salad bar now. The "hot" food tends to be dried out. The kids usually choose the less healty choices also.

I allow my kids to pick one day each week to buy lunch and that is it.

I have eaten there a couple of times and it is not impressive. Adults can eat at school for $3. Check it out if you like. "

" I have no idea who provides the food are Redwood, but it's normally really good. They have steak burritos. I very rarely eat at school, I tend to wait until I get home, but most of my friends buy every day. They have a "make your own sandwich" thing, too. And pizza, burgers, Orange Chicken and Teriyaki Chicken (yeah, I know I spelled it wrong).

My only problem with the system is the puny amount of investigation when deciding who gets free lunch... "

" What do you mean Diehard? Does the school give free lunches to people who don't qualify for them? What schools does this? We pay huge taxes to support our schools and I'd like to know if they are wasting our tax money but giving food away. "

" Here is a link to Slow Food USA's program to improve school lunches:
http://www.slowfoodusa.org/index.php/campaign/time_for_lunch/about/

All of the district lunch is supplied by Sodexo. If you look at the menu, it doesn't sound that bad. But the food is frozen food that is reheated and set out and gets dried out. I've had the hamburger and the ham and cheese sandwiches. To top it off, the kids usually choose the worst options. The garbage (or compost) can contains the fruit/salad. The chocolate milk is the most popular choice. The yogurt parfait is okay. I can spend less than $2.50 per lunch and have a much healthier lunch for my kids. "

" manx-
I can only assume, but it seems to me that the majority of the kids that type in their "student number" and either just walk into the place where they have the food or just hand over a few nickels and dimes and walk through are normally (not always, but maybe 50-70% of the time) are dressed in

~Abercrombie and Fitch (abercrombieandfitch.com)

~ Hollister (hollisterco.com)

~Hurley, Roxy, Etnies, Bullhead, Famous, Element, and others that you can find at pacsun.com

None of these brands are cheap (T-shirts are from $20-$40, $15 on Clearance, Jackets $30-$100, $20-$80 on Clearance, you get the idea). I think that if you can afford Abercrombie and Fitch (the most expensive brand of those I mentioned), I'm pretty sure you can afford a $2.50 school lunch.

Adding to the evidence that the lunch program needs to be "reformed", my grandmother used to work as a secretary for a school a while ago, and she told me that she reviewed the forms filled out to apply for free/reduced lunch, and that the "yearly income" you put down wasn't checked AT ALL to see if you were lying, so anyone could put down a low number and get free lunches, since no one verified the income.

Also meaning that I (middle class half-breed Mexican girl with a stay-at-home-mom, a sister, and a dog) could get a form and have my parents fill it out, put down a fake "yearly income" and most likely receive a free/ reduced lunch.

Thank you for responding so courteously. When liberals respond to that statement, they mostly say that I'm lying, that I'm racist, and once someone said that A&F was $4. I wish. "

" winemd-
Huh. Redwood doesn't have the yogurt parfait, and most of the stuff is "build your own burger/salad/sandwich".

The one thing I've noticed is that Middle School lunches are a million times better than Elementary School lunches. Elementary school lunches are NASTY. "

" I hope so, diehard, because the elementary lunches are pathetic. When you look at what they pay for overhead, there is about $1 left to spend on food per child. There has got to be a better way. I know some probably take advantage of the school lunch program, but there ARE some kids that the "breakfast" and lunch are their best and sometimes only meal per day. "

" winemd-
They do get WAAAAAAY better. In Elementary, you have those nasty little "pizzas" with the plastic cheese (no, it's not plastic, it just tastes like it. I hope.), and then there's that "spaghetti" that they scoop out of the tin with those Ice Cream scooper things...EW.

I know that there are SOME that REALLY need it, but they're not wearing A&F, that's for sure.

I forgot to mention in my other post (I was in a bit of a hurry) that my Dad works, we are not using ANY gov't programs, and we COULD afford a school lunch. "

" My son prefers the school lunch over bringing his to school, and he is in elementary school. He does this despite the fact that nearly all of his classmates bring their lunches to school. He likes the choices he gets there. He once told me that kids made fun of him for eating the hummus for lunch one day. I know he likes variety and we talk about what he eats for lunch most days. I feel like he eats well enough with the hot lunch provided by the school. "

" My family qualifies for free/reduced lunch based on our income, and I wear A&F and Hollister clothes...you're exaggerating price a bit. First, Ross has name-brand clothes like the ones that those brands sell for waaaay cheaper (Roxy, Vanilla Star, even A&F sometimes), not to mention Salvation Army, Goodwill, etc. And most of my clothes I get during huge Memorial Day and back-to-school sales for 40-70% off, meaning I pay about half of the prices you listed. It is not impossible to wear nice clothes and still qualify for free lunch. It's a little disingenuous to imply that the two are exclusive and incompatible. I and my siblings are living proof that they aren't.

It also comes down to priorities. Many parents would rather their kids fit in than buy them secondhand clothes and make them pay full-price for meals, and who can blame them? Kids can get really mean about what kind of clothes people wear.

However, my mom never let me buy school lunches. They're incredibly high in sodium (even the ones that taste and look good) and hideously overpriced for the portion size and nutritional value. My mom works at Carneros Elementary, and she found out that any fresh fruit that is uneaten must be thrown away, because regulations state it can't be donated to any kind of food bank or charity. My mom has found, though, that the kids love the fruit! When she's working as a yard duty, she asks the kids who don't want theirs to give it up to someone who will, and she ends up with tons of kids eating two or three oranges, apples, and even celery and hummus. "

" Fresh fruit from the "breakfast" is often sitting in the classroom and kids will help themselves sometimes, especially the ones who really need it. But the Power Bar or the "whole wheat Honey Bun" (which are both sugar bombs) eaten first, in my experience. I have also seen fruit taken to the staff room. A lot ends up thrown away, though. I don't know about the fruit from lunch.

Maya, I am glad your child chooses the hummus. Mine always chooses the pizza (the plastic, frozen one). So I only let him buy one day a week. Like i said, when I have eaten there the meals are dried-up sandwiches, and like pharper said, overpriced for portion and nutrition. And I watched the kids go through the salad bar. Very few kids chose veggies.

When he makes his lunch (under my oversight), he has a sandwich on 100% whole wheat, carrots or fruit, sometimes chips, a cheese stick or yogurt. I would really love to have more ideas for the lunchbox, so any ideas out there? "

" pharper-
Seriously? You do? That's odd... I remember from BM#2 that you had a really nice cell phone, and I think that the free/reduced lunches should DEFINITELY be given to those who can't even afford to give a cell to their kids, let alone have one themselves. I also googled "Chico State tuition" and got around $17,000/year. That isn't cheap. Did you get a scholarship? I consider this further proof that the Lunch Program needs to be drastically revised.

I would think that the parents of kids that NEED to be under the Free Lunch Program would be shopping at places like WalMart, where shirts average under $7 and jeans under $15. For most people (my family included) the "shopping sprees" are the first to go when you are financially insecure. Then goes the unnecessary cell phones, then the cable, you get the picture.

Besides, most of the Hollister and A&F I see is brand new. I can tell because I:
A. Just saw the same shirt at the store/online.

OR

B. The shirt/jacket/pants look brand new and smell really good like the store.

Where did you find the Ross A&F? I can NEVER find any at Ross, TJ Maxx (I found a $30 Roxy jacket there, though. Still not cheap, but better than $60), or even Marshalls.

Personally, I don't do Salvation Army stuff. It smells, well used. It bugs me. Besides, I think that should be reserved for people who wouldn't have anything otherwise.

I know you are a good person even though I disagree with you, and I know that YOU wouldn't abuse the system, but there are PLENTY of people who would. And they do.

~DieHard :) =D :D =) "

" I like to grill chicken legs (there's barely any fat and still moist) and pack them cold for lunch with carrots and ranch.

My 10 year old likes soups, so I pack it in a thermos and it stays warm until lunch time.

Prosciutto rolls stuffed with arugula or spinach and parmesan cheese.

Dates stuffed with blue, feta or goat cheese.

Peeled cucumber with lime and salt on the side.

Cherry tomatoes and mozarella balls (TJ's) with olive oil, balsamic, salt and pepper, they hold Ok until lunch time, or you can always send the dressing on the side.

Tomorrow is the day!
I hate making lunches in the morning but I hate more to see the 'junk' they would eat at school if I don't, so there! "

" I do have a nice cell phone. My family has been a loyal AT&T customer for nearly ten years, and I got my phone for $25 because of a discount we received - not that I think you have any right to question my financial situation.

Second, it's not like I'll be paying Chico tuition out of pocket, that's for sure. I've got a whole lot of student loans coming for me. I got a scholarship for a small amount, but government loans will be taking care of most of the rest. State schools are pretty cheap if you do the right things to get financial aid and student loans...which I did.

Ross had a huge collection of Roxy jackets a while back that were marked down from the regular price of almost $80 to about $20-$25. I once found a pair of A&F jeans there, and I got a pair of Hollister jeans (from Hollister!) the other day marked down from $50 to $18! Like I said, you can't judge people based on how much their clothes may have cost. You don't know the situation - my mom always made it a priority to see that we were wearing what the other kids were wearing. If that had meant going on reduced lunch, she would have done it.

Just because someone isn't living in a shack doesn't mean they don't deserve a free lunch. You're right, I'm not dirt poor, but if the situation had called for me to buy lunch every day, it would have broken the bank for me to be buying lunches at full price.

You're right, I wouldn't abuse the system, and neither would most people. I'm sure some do, but I'd be willing to bet most don't. :) "

" Thanks, funny me! My 5th grader would eat most of that, although not my fussier 7th grader. They both love soups, though. They also both like hummus so I should make a big batch for veggies. We also make homemade "lunchables" sometimes. Crackers and meat and cheese, or English muffins and pizza sauce and cheese, so they can assemble it at school. "

" winemd - PB&Js were always popular at my house, but the problem was that by lunch time the jelly had soaked into the bread and was kind of unpleasant, so we started putting bread in our lunchbags and the peanut butter and jelly in small separate tupperware containers so we could assemble it ourselves. If there's leftover peanut butter it can be eaten with celery or apple slices too. We'd also bring low-fat yogurt and granola, grapenuts, or cheerios to sprinkle into it, which was always really good.

Fresh seasonal fruit cut up and made into a mini-fruit salad is great too. :) "

" In today's lunch, my 10 year old 5th grade daughter is having homemade chicken soup (sometimes I don't have time to make soups and I 'have' to rely on the canned versions), a small ziplock bag with green grapes (yesterday Lucky had them for $0.79lb), a 'tube' of strawberry yogurt (TJ's), a banana and a bottle of water...I am not entirely certain but I think if you added all up it would be less than $2.00.

Angelina, in the other hand didn't bring lunch (short day) and I just finished making a tuna salad (tuna, celery, avocado cilantro, lime and mayo) and it will be ready for her when she comes home in a few minutes.

We should get together sometime since our kids seem to be of similar ages, though I don't know if yours are boys or girls?

Anyway, got to go, I'm late already! "

" manxkat:
On the first day of school each student receives a packet which includes an application for free or reduced lunches. This is a federal program. The applications must be filled in every year. The information on the application is private and not verified. (The only verification that is made is to determine that the child lives in the address stated in the admission application. For example: P.G.&E. bill or water bill proves residence.)
The information given on the application for free or reduced lunch is not verified per government regulation.

I taught 6th grade before they were moved to the Middle School. I had a microwave oven in my class. Many students would use it to warm up soup or other leftovers. We had to go over safety issues first. It was great during the rainy season. Used to bring in popcorn for a treat. Not recommended for younger children however.
Manxkat: I recommend you go to a school during lunch time, visit the office first so they know who you are, and observe the cafeteria procedures. It's "public" school. I'm sure the menu for each week is in the newspaper, too.

pharper: You're too nice. Tell people when their questions are inappropriate. That good old MYOB isn't rude. It's deserved.

When my kids were in school we watched the school menu to see when they'd like to buy lunch. Otherwise it was good old PB&J, cheese sticks, graham crackers with jam, carrot sticks, fruit, and the like. Had to be careful with perishables. Lunches sit out for hours before eaten. And, of course, sometimes a note with a special message! "

" funny me I have a 12 yo daughter, a 10 yo son, and a 2 yo son. Keeps me busy (and hopefully young). First day of school was crazy. I would like to get together; maybe meet somewhere?

And I stocked up on Blue Ice packs for the perishables in the lunch boxes :-).

Man, lately, they have been going through food at mach speed. The cantaloupe I cut up for lunches this morning is almost gone. I made a batch of pancakes for breakfasts and froze them in packets of 6 - halfway through those. After school snacks, you know.

And I made a pot of soup today.

I love the notes, but they pack their own lunch, so I will have to sneak those in.

Wraps are good for lunches, too. "

" There is no "free lunch", never was. We all pay for it. But all in all it is the only program that gives away OUR money that I agree with. Yes some abuse it, and we should tighten up on the abuse. But many years ago, carneros was the armpit of napa schools. Kids would dig into trashcans for food before the hot lunch program. Miss LaBarge our yard duty teacher would make PB@J sandwich's for many of the poor. This was the only meal some of the "warf-rats" as they were called, would get all day. The look in the eyes of those hungry and abused kids still haunt me today. Lets have a heart. And diehard4ever... your aug. 17 post was somewhat disturbing. You are not a "half-breed mexican" You are an American. Let's not divide by race.( also, I had always thought you were a guy because you seem to think with your head and don't let emotion cloud your judgment like many young girls, and today many guys) "

" Diehard says to Pharper, "...you had a really nice cell phone, and I think that the free/reduced lunches should DEFINITELY be given to those who can't even afford to give a cell to their kids, let alone have one themselves." Then she says, "I also googled "Chico State tuition" and got around $17,000/year. That isn't cheap. Did you get a scholarship?" And finally, "I consider this further proof that the Lunch Program needs to be drastically revised."

So many issues here I don't know where to start. First of all, Pharper does not say that her family took advantage of the free/reduced lunch program, only that she qualified.

Next, sometimes the only phone people have is a cell phone; not everyone has a landline these days. I would not ever consider a cell phone a luxury if it's a family's only phone.

Finally, what business is it of yours how much someone spends on a college education? To interrogate someone on their means of paying for college is just rude. It is not your business if someone is paying with loans, grants, financial aid, grandma's help and so on. Furthermore, your assumptions on who should be able to afford "whatever" are wrong. Some people rarely go out for meals yet others spend hundreds of dollars a month; some people pay for manicures and pedicures and hair coloring, others do it theirselves. The list could go on and on and on. "

" winemd,
We would love to get together with you and your kids. Would you like to meet at Alston park for a walk and chat, perhaps this weekend?
We usually take our dog there and walk a couple of loops. Do you have a dog? "

" This weekend is not good. My daughter is off to a rodeo in Calgary (and my husband - who will be the rodeo clown), my son has a swim team picnic, and I have to get bird nets on my vines (all 240 of them :-). We do have a dog, but, even at 14, she still is not reliable for coming when she is called, so I don't take her to Alston. She also hates it when other dogs run up to her, since she was attacked at least 10 years ago. She doesn't react well. but we would love to meet at Alston anyway without her. Maybe next weekend woudl be better. "

" Looks like you have a very busy weekend!

A rodeo? Wow! Good luck!

If the swim team picnic you are talking about is from NVST, we will be there for a couple of hours (Angelina is the swimmer), so maybe we'll see you there (I'm bringing 'couscous salad', and if not, perhaps next weekend we could do Alston.

Do you make your own wine, what kind? "

" Phil (10 yo son) did Wine Country Aquatics this summer to train for a triathlon.

Next weekend sounds good to me.

I have mostly syrah and a little mourvedre. We make between 50 and 80 cases usually. "

" OK, we'll touch bases again prior to next weekend.

My kids did a couple triathlons years ago, they were so much fun!

I've never had mourvedre and the syrahs I've loved (so far) are Viader and Darioush...I have to try yours sometime.

Have a fun -and busy- weekend! "

" Found a fun site with some new ideas - www.laptoplunches.com. "

" Designer name clothing can be purchased at garage sales, thrift stores and consignment shops starting at about $1 a piece; so don’t judge income on one’s clothing labels. All of my ‘expensive’ clothes are from thrift stores. "