PUSD Lunches - How Do They Compare?

The Pasadena Unified School District’s Food and Nutrition website is a wonderful tool for parents that boasts the headline that they “Support learning by promoting Healthy Habits for Lifelong Nutrition and Fitness”.  That’s a big claim.  They also say that all of the meals, foods and beverages sold or served at schools meet state and federal requirements based on the USDA Dietary Guidelines.  All meals, foods and beverages are prepared and served by qualified child nutrition professionals.  They provide students with access to a variety of affordable and appealing foods that meet the health and nutrition needs of students.  How can I get my child to actually eat it - that’s the question.

Every evening I pack my daughters lunch for school so I don’t have to do it during the morning rush.  I sneak in all the nutritional food I can here and there and when she goes to school I feel good about what I’ve put in her lunch box.  Fast forward a few years when she’ll be able to choose what she eats for lunch and possibly have the option to buy her lunch at school.  Will they provide enough fruits and vegetables?  Will they offer healthy options such as whole grain and whole wheat?  Will they serve nuts and granola as an alternative to chips and candy bars?  Will I be able to afford it?

Let me take some of the guesswork out and answer some of these questions for you.   The PUSD website offers a monthly downloadable and printable menu which provides a daily meal plan available for the children.  It is available in English and in Spanish. This Menu is only available for K- 5th grade.  When I contacted PUSD and spoke to the person in charge of their “Food Services” department they told me that there is no online menu currently available for the high school children.  When I asked why, he said that he didn’t really know but it was a good idea to start doing that.  The only difference he mentioned for the high school children was that they also had a salad bar and 8 other options per day for their food choices.  When I was in high school I ate a candy bar and Coca Cola out of a vending machine for lunch but hey, that’s just me.
   
There are also some pretty cool things on the site such as a Wellness Policy which basically states that the district has developed a policy that is focused on improving the health of students. The policy was developed with a health and wellness advisory council that includes teachers, parents, students, administrators, guidance counselors, and the school nurse.  There are meal applications for free lunch programs, pre-payment options if you wish to pay monthly or in advance for your meals and nutrition and fitness links which provide an array of information such as calories requirements.  Overall, I have to say I am pretty impressed.  It does take some of the guesswork out of lunch preparation for our children and gives us a whole month to plan.  With things like whole grain mini pancakes, cereal & graham crackers, Fresh fruit or juice, rib-b-que on wheat bread and chicken alfredo pasta I might even go there for lunch some day.         

So let me ask you.  If your school provided healthy lunches for your children would be more willing to purchase food every day instead of packing their lunches?  Do you think your child will actually eat the healthy food provided for them or are they stuck on the PB & J five days a week like my 6 year old?  It’s a definite step in the right direction and makes me very happy as a mom.  We have so many things to worry about when it comes to our children.  Nutrition shouldn’t be one of them.