My Article on School Lunch

Interesting (4.00 / 4)

When I was reading that list I was thinking to myself that that actually sounds pretty good... beef, cheese, chicken anc cheese.. but then when you think about the pyramid, ya... nowhere near.

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by: Curtis Abbey @ Fri Feb 26, 2010 at 07:27:17 AM UTC

Link to list (4.00 / 3)

It's a PDF. I could do well living off the list myself, but why are the CA schools ordering too much crap off the list?

I saw (along with all the meat) frozen apricots, raisins, orange juice, canned fruits which I wouldn't be surprised came in heavy syrup, frozen strawberries, fresh apples, oranges and pears. Lots of canned beans inclusing refried, garbanzo, green. Canned and frozen carrots, corn, peas and diced tomatoes. They have fresh russet potatoes. They have roasted peanuts and peanut butter and sunflower butter. They have brown rice and regular rice, corn masa for tortillas, both whole wheat and refined flour for bread and all purpose. Whole wheat and refined pasta. Vegetable oil.

I couldn't find any prices for those commodities. I wonder if the reason the schools are mostly buying the crappy meats are because they're very subsidized compared to the open market? I don't know if schools can buy more than $0.19 worth of USDA commodities per child per meal or if they can pony up their own school funds to buy more of their food from the USDA.

Also, maybe it's the labor-is-bad common wisdom that encourages schools to forgo in-house breadmaking and other food preparation activities that in the long run have the potential to produce much healthier for le$$ meals for the kids?

When I was a school kid in the 60s, they made bread each day -- they expanded their commodity ground beef into sloppy joes, hamburgers (they added rolled oats to extend the meat), the infamous chipped beef and gravy over mashed potatoes, meat loaf, and spaghetti.

I was thinking about back then the Catholic church still had their 'no meat on fridays' rule and there would be either fish like tunaburgers or something like macaroni and cheese (made from scratch) on friday. I find myself wishing the church would reintroduce that rule.

Yah, they made everything from scratch. Today it seems they would rather hire a non-skilled person to operate a deep fryer and later empty trash cans of all that disposable dinnerware.

One more thing. On that USDA site, there was a link to the Defense Logistics Agency division that is "the worldwide provider of choice for fresh fruits and vegetables to the Military Services, Military Exchanges and MWR Facilities, Job Corps Centers, VA Hospitals, Federal Prisons, as well as Schools and Native American Reservations in partnership with the US Department of Agriculture, National School Lunch Program and related Food and Nutrition Services Programs."

It looks like the Feds already know the logistics of getting fresh produce to our schools.

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by: Crider @ Fri Feb 26, 2010 at 19:15:26 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

why (4.00 / 2)

The RWJF report gives several reasons, one of which is that USDA commodity meat is cheaper than meat from other sources, as you say. Another is that, because meat and cheese are expensive compared to some other commodities, buying meat and cheese helps administrators use their full entitlement easily.

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by: count @ Fri Feb 26, 2010 at 19:31:18 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

school meal prices (4.00 / 2)

What prices are paid for school meals, breakfast and lunch, by students are not eligible for reduced prices? Are these prices the same for all school districts, or do they vary?

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by: count @ Fri Feb 26, 2010 at 14:01:08 PM UTC

prices (4.00 / 2)

From Greenville County, South Carolina

The School Board determines the prices for paid breakfast and lunch. The price of reduced price meals are established by the federal government. To meet all students with reduced price meals eligibility, Food and Nutrition Services has reduced these prices to 40 cents for lunch and 30 cents for breakfast. They are subsidizing these meals from other food sales and a la carte. Here is more information from the USDA on Free and Reduced Price Meals - FAQ.

Lunch full paid student $2.00
Reduced $0.40
Breakfast $1.00
Reduced Breakfast $0.30
Extra Milk $0.65

So, prices would vary by school district, and in at least this one district, the full price charged does not cover the cost of the meal.

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by: count @ Fri Feb 26, 2010 at 16:10:23 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

more pricing (4.00 / 1)

The Food Research and Action Center publishes an annual survey of food and nutrition programs. From State of the States: 2008 (November 2008)

(page 10 of 130)

o Reduced-Price: Children from families with incomes between 130 and 185 percent of poverty can be charged no more than 30 cents per meal for breakfast and 40 cents for lunch, and federal reimbursement is the maximum minus these amounts.

o Paid: Children from family with incomes above 185 percent of poverty pay for their meals, but schools are reimbursed by USDA 24 cents per meal for breakfast and 23 cents for lunch.

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by: count @ Fri Feb 26, 2010 at 17:32:20 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

The amount is set by the school board (4.00 / 1)

and I would add that it is my understanding that for most schools, the USDA funding does not cover the entire cost of the program, even the most meagerly run program - that is, school districts usually have to add in some of their unrestricted general fund money.


As it was, he did a deal with a blancmange, and the blancmange ate his wife.

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by: elfling @ Mon Mar 01, 2010 at 21:59:15 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

whole grains (4.00 / 2)

According to Jill's AlterNet article, only 19% of grain offered via the USDA commodity program is whole grain, which is a problem in itself, but at least the statement indicates that whole grain is available.

The zinger is that, according to the report's policy highlight pdf, California school districts spend less than 1% of their commodity funds on all grains. 82% of the money goes for meat and cheese.

Question: How many calories does $1 of commodity money buy if it is spent for meat, and how many calories does $1 of commodity money buy if it is spent for brown rice?

This report, like pretty much every report on the same topic, recommends more fruit and vegetables. This report, like pretty much every other report on the same topic, fails to note the obvious corollary - buy less meat.

Would we hear outraged howls if any report on school nutrition programs ever dared recommend shifting commodity expenditures away from meat? Sure we would, but why bother to do massive survey and analysis projects if the authors are too timid to tell the truth?

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by: count @ Fri Feb 26, 2010 at 15:11:02 PM UTC

commodity expenditures. (4.00 / 3)

after watching HC on teevee, can't help but feeling everythings become about $$. And feeding our kids RIGHT should never be $$$. And there seems to be a lot of agreement these days about the shit we feed our kids and obesity.

Good job Jill. Hope this gets a LOT of eyeballs

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by: LeeN @ Fri Feb 26, 2010 at 16:13:33 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

$$$ (4.00 / 2)

This entire discussion is a little strange. Last year, Parade Magazine published an article by Sally Jenkins,, a WaPo sports columnist who went to a Cowboys football game.

...a chicken sandwich $8, french fries $5, and a soda $6. However, I opted to skip the $14 margarita (called a Cowboyrita) and $10 bucket of popcorn.

A beer was $8. There was no public transportation from Dallas to the stadium, and parking in a lot a quarter of a mile from the stadium was $50.

Still, we can't afford quality school food.

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by: count @ Fri Feb 26, 2010 at 16:33:24 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

HC on TV (4.00 / 1)

I gained the impression that John McCain, recent candidate for President of the United States of America, must suffer from a mental version of osteoporosis. He must wake up every morning with fewer functioning brain cells than he had the previous day.

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by: count @ Fri Feb 26, 2010 at 16:40:57 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

ok its a toss up between who is more moronic (4.00 / 2)

McMcain or Marsha Blackburn

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by: LeeN @ Fri Feb 26, 2010 at 18:06:50 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

updated numbers (4.00 / 1)

What might the additional billion dollars per year accomplish?

The Food Research and Action Center publishes an annual survey of food and nutrition programs. From State of the States: 2008 (November 2008)

(page 17 of 130)

School Breakfast Program (School Year 2006-2007)
Average Daily Student Participation 10,118,793
Free and Reduced-Price Students 8,130,457
Paid Students 1,988,336
Number of Schools Participating 84,627
Federal Funding for School Breakfast $2,163,309,165
School Breakfast Mandate in Law (Yes/No) No

National School Lunch Program (School Year 2006-2007
Average Daily Student Participation 30,563,783
Free and Reduced-Price Students 17,966,115
Paid Students 12,597,668
Number of Schools Participating 99,839
Federal Funding for School Lunch $7,704,270,028

In SY 2006-2007, approx. 30,563,783 x 180 = 5,501,480,940 (5.5 billion) school lunches were served. (Don't know where Jill found the 5.1 billion number.)

In SY 2006-2007, approx. (30,563,783 + 10,118,793) x 180 = 7,322,863,680 (7.3 billion) school breakfasts and lunches were served.

If 100% of the additional billion dollars went to school nutrition programs, and if 100% of the money went to improved food quality, and if school enrolment remained unchanged from SY 2006-2007, the maximum benefit would be less than $0.14 per meal.

(page 129 of 130)

School Breakfast Program and National School Lunch Program.

Numbers of participating students are reported for the 2006-2007 school year (September 2006 to May 2007) and are estimates generated by the USDA from states' reports of meals served. Because these numbers are estimates, they may not total due to rounding. Numbers of participating schools were reported by states to USDA in October 2006 for the 2006-2007 school year. Federal funding levels are preliminary data for the 2006-2007 school year. Federal funding amounts for the breakfast and lunch programs consist of reimbursements to states for meals. These numbers do not include commodities given to states for use in school meals or any state funding provided for these programs.

So, based on preliminary data, federal reimbursements for breakfast and lunch programs were almost $9.9 billion in SY 2006-2007.

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by: count @ Fri Feb 26, 2010 at 20:28:43 PM UTC

commodity entitlement (4.00 / 1)

Soapblox wouldn't accept the entire comment, I had to break it up. This part contained a non-printing code from the cut-and-paste.

From the RWJF report

(page 12 of 67)

A school district's commodity entitlement is calculated per student lunch served, and during the 2007-08 school year, the student rate is slightly more than 20 cents for each lunch.

(page 13 of 67)

USDA does not provide a commodity food entitlement directly to the School Breakfast Program, but commodity foods provided to schools may be used for breakfast.

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by: count @ Fri Feb 26, 2010 at 20:34:56 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

dumb dumb dumb (4.00 / 1)

While listening to Vilsack's speech at the National Press Club, I wondered if I might have been led to take a wrong turn by a meritricious NYT reporter.

Sure enough.

From the original press release

$10 billion over 10 years for a strong Child Nutrition and WIC reauthorization.

Even if none of this money goes to WIC, it will not all go to school lunch and breakfast. USDA runs several child nutrition programs, so all these speculations about the amount of possible increase in reimbursement rates for school meals is ridiculous.

The calculation of a realistic ceiling amount still is relevant, I guess, so the exercise wasn't worthless. Nevertheless, the actual amount going to school meals will be less than a billion dollars.

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by: count @ Sat Feb 27, 2010 at 12:19:12 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

$8.7 billion (4.00 / 1)

Jill, I haven't been able to determine where your figure of $8.7 billion came from, and for that matter, I couldn't figure out, from context, what it meant, exactly.

Also, I have not yet been able to locate the max reimbursement for school breakfast. Do you have that number?

Also, the dividing line between free or reduced price meals previously was 130% of the poverty level, according to the FRAC quote above. Was the FRAC report in error, or has the criterion been moved to 135% now?

One more thing - according to the same FRAC quote, USDA reimburses something for all meals served, even when students do not qualify for free or reduced price meals.

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by: count @ Fri Feb 26, 2010 at 20:53:15 PM UTC

I think I got those #s from the Robert Wood Johnson (4.00 / 2)

foundation report. If not, I got them off the USDA site. I did a LOT of digging around on this.

"I can understand someone from Iowa promoting corn and soy, but we are not feeding the world, we are feeding animals and soft drink companies." - Jim Goodman

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by: Jill Richardson @ Sat Feb 27, 2010 at 05:08:30 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Not from RWJF report (4.00 / 1)

Must be from USDA. I'd like to know the answer, because $8.7 billion might possibly be federal reimbusement for lunches (lunches alone, not breakfast and lunches) for SY 2007-2008. If so, that number would have increased $1 billion over SY 2006-2007.

You would do me a benevolent grace if you could provide a link.

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by: count @ Sat Feb 27, 2010 at 05:20:48 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

fruit (4.00 / 2)

Is a strawberry Poptart a fruit?

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by: count @ Fri Feb 26, 2010 at 21:14:13 PM UTC

god I hope not (4.00 / 2)

cuz I doubt it has much fruit in it, even if it's fruit flavored and all.

"I can understand someone from Iowa promoting corn and soy, but we are not feeding the world, we are feeding animals and soft drink companies." - Jim Goodman

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by: Jill Richardson @ Sat Feb 27, 2010 at 05:08:05 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Strawberry flavoring... (4.00 / 1)

Actually, isn't strawberry one of the easiest flavors to replicate completely artificially?  I remember hearing / reading that somewhere once.

Maybe I'll head up to the Safeway a few blocks up the street later or tomorrow just to read the ingredients on a strawberry pop tart box...

"The essence of the independent mind lies not in what it thinks, but in how it thinks." - Christopher Hitchens

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by: JayinPortland @ Sat Feb 27, 2010 at 06:01:39 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Unnecessary... (4.00 / 2)

Ingredients -

ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMIN MONONITRATE VITAMIN B1, RIBOFLAVIN VITAMIN B2, FOLIC ACID), CORN SYRUP, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, DEXTROSE, SOYBEAN AND PALM OIL (WITH TBHQ FOR FRESHNESS), SUGAR, CONTAINS TWO PERCENT OR LESS OF CRACKER MEAL, WHEAT STARCH, SALT, DRIED STRAWBERRIES, DRIED PEARS, DRIED APPLES, CORNSTARCH, LEAVENING (BAKING SODA, SODIUM ACID PYROPHOSPHATE, MONOCALCIUM PHOSPHATE), MILLED CORN, CITRIC ACID, GELATIN, CARAMEL COLOR, SOY LECITHIN, PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED SOYBEAN AND/OR COTTONSEED OIL, MODIFIED CORN STARCH, XANTHAN GUM, MODIFIED WHEAT STARCH, COLOR ADDED, VITAMIN A PALMITATE, RED #40, NIACINAMIDE, REDUCED IRON, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMIN B6), YELLOW #6, RIBOFLAVIN (VITAMIN B2), TRICALCIUM PHOSPHATE, THIAMIN HYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMIN B1), TURMERIC COLOR, FOLIC ACID, BLUE #1.

Oh okay, it does have a bit of "dried fruit" in it.  Although it looks like it has about 3 times as many corn-based ingredients as "dried fruit" ingredients.

LESS THAN 0.5g TRANS FAT PER SERVING

Oh, so I guess that makes them "trans-fat free", eh?

Here's some of that odd language count found on a different product the other day -

Country of Origin:
Distributed in USA

What the hell does that mean?  Isn't everything sold in supermarkets here "distributed" in USA?  This is helpful information how, exactly?  What are they hiding?  And this is the same company that Eddie C just reported is viewed as trustworthy for NYC school fundraisers?

"The essence of the independent mind lies not in what it thinks, but in how it thinks." - Christopher Hitchens

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by: JayinPortland @ Sat Feb 27, 2010 at 06:14:02 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Waterboarding language... (4.00 / 1)

or·i·gin  (ôr-jn, r-)
n.
1. The point at which something comes into existence or from which it derives or is derived.
2. Ancestry: "We cannot escape our origins, however hard we try" (James Baldwin).
3. The fact of originating; rise or derivation: The rumor had its origin in an impulsive remark.
4. Anatomy The point of attachment of a muscle that remains relatively fixed during contraction.
5. Mathematics The point of intersection of coordinate axes, as in the Cartesian coordinate system.

The definition of 'origin' seems clear to me.  A processed food product does not "come into existence", nor is it "derived", from its distribution facilities.

So...

Country of Origin:
Distributed in USA

Doesn't this make about as much sense as if I were to say "jogging", in response to being asked "what's for dinner"?

"The essence of the independent mind lies not in what it thinks, but in how it thinks." - Christopher Hitchens

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by: JayinPortland @ Sat Feb 27, 2010 at 06:25:36 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Distributed in U.S.A. (4.00 / 1)

I followed up on that at a grocery store. "Distributed in USA" is a phrase that existed only online, not on the product package. The story does not stop there.

The product in question was a Kellog's cereal. Turns out, the only cereals in this grocery store that explicity say "manufactured by" are from Hodgson Mill, Inc. Bob's Red Mill cereals don't say either "manufactured by" or "distributed by," we just assume that they're manufactured by Bob's Red Mill, Inc. (and we can resort to the inet to verify it.)

For the rest, all cereal packages say "Distributed by" some company or other. For all we know, Kellog's cereals might be manufactured in Canada, Mexico, or China. There is no way of determining the country of origin from the package, nor do the packages give any indication of what company manufactured the products.

Directly responding to your point: yeah. If the company wants to hide the country of origin, why is the space even on the website?

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by: count @ Sat Feb 27, 2010 at 06:42:57 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

COOL preemption? (4.00 / 1)

Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling was just expanded to fresh fruits, vegetables and nuts back in 2008.  Is this maybe a preemptive strike on the part of food processors, in case Congress one day in the future considers requiring COOL for food processors such as Kellogg's?  They can say, "Look, we already voluntarily provide information on our websites!"

Of course, the 'information' they provide really just pretty much confirms that it's not a product of the USA for anybody who thinks about it for more than two seconds.  But under our current "regulatory" system, I think that just might be enough to fend off any consideration of mandatory labeling for these companies forever.

Hell, I'm wondering why meat industry lobbyists didn't think of this prior to 2002?  "We can tell you without a doubt, all of our products are distributed in the USA!"

Kellogg's new slogan?

Weasel Words, they're grrrrrreat!

"The essence of the independent mind lies not in what it thinks, but in how it thinks." - Christopher Hitchens

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by: JayinPortland @ Sat Feb 27, 2010 at 07:00:08 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Jill was correct. (4.00 / 1)

DRIED STRAWBERRIES, DRIED PEARS, DRIED APPLES

It isn't "a" fruit, it's 3 fruits for the price of one!

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by: count @ Sat Feb 27, 2010 at 06:45:14 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Love, at long last love (4.00 / 2)

Or at least, satisfaction. I've been asking for quite a while about the fat content of ground beef in school nutrition programs.

In USDA Foods Available for School Year 2010

The first item is Ground Beef, frozen (A608)

commodity code A608

Fine ground beef, vacuum packaged or packaged in casings and sealed. The average fat content is 15%, but may not be higher than 18% fat.

I am happily impressed by this. Nice to see.

As Jill noted in the AlterNet article, lean beef in the program has even less fat.

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by: count @ Fri Feb 26, 2010 at 22:08:16 PM UTC