The lean, green, healthier school lunches being served under new federal standards are being boycotted.
The new federal guidelines dictating what is to be served at school cafeterias have sent school districts everywhere reworking their menus to obey the new rules.
These changes include serving more whole grains, daily servings of fruits and vegetables, less sugar and salt, and only low- or non-fat milk.
There is also calorie maximums, so, the amount of calories high school students eat is around 850 calories.
These new restrictions all come from the updated Dietary Guidelines for Americans from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and are funded by the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 – legislation promoted by Michelle Obama.
While the changes may seem like a good idea, many students (70%) last Monday, boycotted the school’s lunch.
It's not only are students upset with this lunch, but Mukwonago officials are on board as well. Many say the new lunch guidelines are too abrupt and don’t take students’ unique lifestyles into account.
"I could not be more passionate about this," Pam Harris, the Mukwonago district food service supervisor and a registered dietitian, said.
"I want to solve this problem. But limiting calories in school lunch is not going to help the overweight kid. What happens at home is a major piece of that puzzle."
Mukwonago had students fill out cards about what they did and didn’t like about the new lunch.
Maybe the lunch just sucks, we're just saying.
Below, is our thought and suggestion for a school lunch.
