Most students at Mukwonago (WI) High School recently went on strike over their school lunches. Not because they were bad tasting, though they aren't crazy about the taste. Not because they are bad for you, in fact, they're healthier. Not because they're healthier, though they don't like that part. No, the students were on strike because there isn't enough food.
The kids in Mukwonago are protesting because the new school lunches are capped at 850 calories.
In a world where 2,000 calories should be is the norm, 850 calories for lunch seems very reasonable. The amount would be enough to get you to after school and a snack. A decent breakfast, a 850-calorie lunch, snacks, a good-sized dinner, and dessert can easily be around 2,000 calories.
For some kids — athletes — they don't feel like 850 calories is enough. And on the first day of the strike, 70% of the high schoolers and 50% of the middle schoolers reportedly boycotted the lunches.
Now we don't know how many calories the kids were getting before the changes, but assuming a sharp enough drop that kids would protest over a reduction to 850 calories, we can conclude that these kids are used to a much larger lunch.
When you start to eat better or a diet, you are going to feel hungry, especially at the start of your weight loss. You have to give your body time to adjust to fewer calories at mealtime. If you didn't feel hungry, something would be seriously wrong.
After a summertime of having presumably more than 850 calories for lunch, the kids barely allowed time for a transition. As for what they ate in the last school year, 3 months of summer vacation erases those past patterns pretty quickly.
Even in a city with fewer than 10,000 people just southwest of Milwaukee, 70% of the high school students can't be athletes "starving" for extra calories. The needs of a football lineman aren't the same as a cross country runner or a wrestler trying to make weight.
Meanwhile the large kid who isn't an athlete — the target of the help — is being told to protest because the lunch is "only" 850 calories.
By having a sensible meal served at school, kids who are struggling with their weight can learn from that and hopefully adapt their families to eating better outside of school as well.
If certain athletes can't get by on 850 calories, they can pack snacks, such as nuts, which are high in calories, fiber, and protein. Maybe the school can supply nuts or some other food to help out the athletes who need more calories.
The fact that the students protested the new policy isn't that bad of an event. They are learning that people are trying to make a difference in their lives, and that change is hard. Kids go to school after all to learn lessons, and they are certainly getting an education.
"The sub sandwich line at Mukwonago High used to let students pile veggies on a six-inch French bread bun. Options now include a fist-sized whole wheat roll or multigrain wrap, and the once popular line is now mostly empty."
Adding veggies doesn't add that many calories but does add fiber that should make kids feel more full. You might question the use of the French bread but if that got kids to eat more veggies, you could have a trade-off.
There can be some breathing room in making a transition. 8 tortilla chips on a super nacho plate sounds pretty low, but they don't have to go back to a diet of "chicken nuggets and mini corn dogs."
Learning to eat healthier is a period of adjustment for students, parents, and administrators alike. All sides need to be cooperative and communicative. Students who eat better learn better in school, and that is the ultimate goal that matters.
At least these kids are not afraid to tell big brother that enough is enough. Hopefully through this rather innocent event they learned that just because somebody is trying to make a difference in their lives doesn’t mean it’s always good, and neither should you accept it. Maybe this will inspire them to bring their own lunch, and be independent, rather that tolerate the vile socialism that is being shoved down their throats.
Posted by: Thomas | October 01, 2012 at 12:43 AM