The sad truth when it comes to school lunch is, you can put as much healthy food as you want in front of a child, but you can't make him or her eat it. The importance of healthy eating starts in the home. You can't expect a student to eat cheeseburgers, french fries and candy at home and then come to school and eat a salad and an orange just because it's on the child's lunch tray. But, it's a nice try.

The new school year is underway, and school menus are changing. For the first time in 15 years, the Department of Agriculture revamped the nutritional standards for food served in schools. The new guidelines set limits on calories, phase in whole grains, and require at least one vegetable or fruit per meal.

In New York City, nearly 900,000 meals are served daily in 1,700 schools. There are also 1,000 all-you-can-eat salad bars and "new and exciting menus" posted on the Department of Education's website. The effort to make students healthier coincides with Mayor Bloomberg's anti-obesity initiative, which now bans the sale of sugary drinks larger than 16 ounces at restaurants, delis, and concession stands.

What grade would you give school breakfasts and lunches? Is the ongoing effort to make students healthier working? Do students need more education about healthy eating habits or should the City continue to restrict access to unhealthy foods?

Send your thoughts using the link above.

Minus ZERO=Where has this Mayor been for o so many years. That food that they serve these kids is as disgusting as his commercials.

What is the obsession with this Mayor? My god change the record please please.

Of this is not going to work. Dream on Mayor.

maxxiee
mp

And did u know that if the kids r still hungry.....NO SECONDS ALLOWED!!!!!

ree

I like the idea of healthier food for school kids. I hope they can pull it off! The schools also need to monitor whether the children are actually eating, and report back to the parents. "healthy food" might not be ad palatable for some kids!!

Barri
Jackson Heights

Forcing children to take a fruit and/or vegetable on their tray, even when they insist they will not eat it, is not making children healthier or cost efficient. You should spend 5 minutes inside a school's student cafeteria and see how many of these items are flying into the trash because the kitchen staff forces them to put it on their tray.

We need to let kids eat what they like. It's up to the parents to set their eating habits, not the schools.

Jessica Arden Heights

I don't believe in government schools. They all should be privately operated, free from union thuggery and heavily involve the parents in all decisions. If the parents want to pay for health classes, that's fine. It's not fine when the government, federal, state or local, seeks to dictate what is taught and what is eaten in school.

Joe
Port Richmond, SI

Schools need to make healthy food that kids like. Food that looks fun to eat, if nothing else, especially if they are not used to eating healthy.

My mom is a lunch lady and lunch room waste is nothing new. Schools throw away food due to mismanagement and over cooking all the time. Today they served a tomato and onion salad that was nearly all thrown away after not making it to lunch trays, and many who did choose the salad as a mandatory healthy choice ended up throwing it away anyway because they are told that they don't have to eat it but they have to make a choice.

Like most issues when dealing with children, adults have to be creative. You cant just throw onions and brussel sprouts on a tray and expect kids to change years of conditioning and eat healthy.

Jose

I think that if they are going to make school lunches healthier they should make them edible!Some kids don't like school like lunch and just bring in a chocolate bar or something.And pink slime ,how about that.The DOE should have more gym time also.

Sydney

Government SHOULD continue to restrict unhealthy foods.

Teachers should NOT hand out lollipops and cookies to reward good behavior!

AND children should be educated on healthy eating habits!

Mom of 3

When I used to volunteer for lunchroom duty at my kid's school (P.S 127 Brooklyn ) , the kids NEVER ate the apples or bananas, they only ate the burgers, franks and mac and cheese, parents, you need to train your kids to eat healthy, education starts at home, not at school

p.s I bagged my kids lunch, just to make sure they ate healthy

Carmen McDonald
Bay Ridge

I believe that the children need to be reminded how important it is to eat healthy food. So, its the schools job to provide healthy food such as more fruits and veggies than greasy and fried food.

They also, need to exercise alot in school. At home, parents must do the same...

Fatima, Queens, NY

I'm very concerned with the choice of foods being served. My daughter said they are serving peaches and that her classmates are trying to break open the very large pit to reveal a small one inside. I believe this a is a choking hazard ! doesn't anyone else agree with me?

Anna Marie
Brooklyn, NY

Assign children a set amount per day simaler to a food stamp debit card and allow them to "purchase" items from a healthy food menu but not to exceed the amount allotted.

Jimmy from the Bronx

Hello......I like to add that my daughters high school has on several occasions served pizza everyday for two weeks in addition to warm milk. I'm told the pizza has a terrible taste. Also the school is now selling bottle water for $2.50 whereas earlier this year it sold for 1.00.

Beginning next week the school is granting Seniors a permission slip to exit the school to purchase lunch.

Richard from Brooklyn

as a teacher in a brooklyn middle school i could not agree more with the others reporting the waste that goes on with the kid's lunches.

the need for more gym is a point i'd like to support as well - i teach in a very poor area where it is just not safe for kids outside so many of our student's don't get the normal activity that comes from healthy play. for too many of the kids the only social experiences they have with other children outside of family is in the classroom because they get so few chances to just be kids and play outside. more gym time at school would be a big plus for the children's overall health and social development.

thanks for the show,
tom

HOW HARD IS YOGURT? OR SMOOTHIES FOR THAT MATTER?

DENNIS NYC

A solution to this problem would be a vast increase in home economics classes. Once kids learn how to make their own meals they would have the ability to make clearer decisions about what they eat.

jquote