So my kids, a family friend, and I were coming back home after my daughter’s sports physical when my 5-year-old said something about having eaten a Twix bar for breakfast. Since he’s five, I thought he might have been a bit confused about the details. I started to question him when my friend spoke up. “Yeah,”, she said. “He said that he had a Twix bar for breakfast and I didn’t think that sounded right.”
Then my daughter spoke up. “No, he’s right, Mom. We got Twix bars and string cheese for breakfast.”
I was absolutely stunned! My jaw nearly hit the ground. “You had a TWIX BAR for breakfast?” Surely, they hadn’t gotten it quite right.
“Yeah,”, says Kevin. “And my teacher was VERY sad.”
“Of COURSE she was, Kevin,”, I told him. I wouldn’t expect my kindergartener to understand why candy for breakfast would be a bad thing, but it certainly wasn’t lost on the teacher. In fact, when we came to the kindergarten open house, the teachers stressed the importance of a good breakfast. I’m certain that candy doesn’t qualify.
So of course I had to explain to my kids WHY I was upset. And it true form, my 8-year-old chimes in, “I had cereal, Mommy. That was my only choice. But even if I could choose Twix bars, I would have gotten cereal.”
So many thoughts were racing through my head. I couldn’t wait to share the news with my husband, and I couldn’t wait to share the news on Facebook. I thought most folks would share in my dismay. Not everyone was appalled as Fred and I were though. And to be honest, I was surprised by that.
If you’re a long-time reader of my blog, you know that, among other things, I’m controlling my diabetes and losing weight with a low-carb, high-fat, moderate-protein diet. My husband also eats a relatively low-carb diet to manage some of his long-standing health issues. The kids, however, don’t eat the way that Fred and I do. I’d love for them to be grain-free at the very least. My middle child in particular does WAY better on a diet that’s free of grain and refined sugar. But for now, for financial reasons, it’s not happening. They eat what Fred and I eat for supper and weekend meals, but during the school year, the kids eat breakfast and lunch at school. (Don’t judge! :D)
So here’s the reason we do it that way (for now). We qualify for “reduced lunch” at school. This means that our kids’ lunch trays cost $.40 and their breakfasts cost $.30. At the beginning of each month, the kids bring home a menu, and we have the chance to review the food they’ll be offered that month. The lunch options are usually well-balanced (according to the government’s definition anyway — not mine.) They’re offered WAY more sugar than I think they should have, but it’s clear that the trays follow the federal guidelines. My two older kids can even choose to eat from a well-stocked salad bar.
Breakfasts are always sugary and lacking in protein, but they’re the kinds of foods that many Americans would view as “breakfast food” — things like cereal, breakfast bars, pancakes, French toast, and even the occasional donut. They also get a carton of milk and a four-ounce juice box with their breakfast.
So I fully get the fact that my kids eat the crappy “party line” at school, and for now, I’ve made peace with that as I try to get my own health issues under control. Monthly doctor visits along with medication (and of course that unexpected ER visit when my kidneys were in big trouble) stretches even the most flexible budgets. It’s not that I don’t care about the health of my kids. Anyone who knows me KNOWS that’s not true. However, right now, my kids are really healthy and much more resilient than I. Their bodies can handle sub-optimal food for a time while we do our best to keep all the other balls in the air. It won’t be like this forever, but it is what it is right now.
So maybe some of you might be wondering, “If she’s letting them eat cereal or donuts for breakfast at school, why does share care about a Twix bar?” The answer to that is really simple. It’s not hard to meet the minimum standards of the federal school lunch program. The day that my kids got Twix bars, they were SUPPOSED to get graham crackers instead. Not much falls below those minimum standards, but a candy bar certainly does. I don’t think that even the government’s twisted ideas of what’s “nutritious” would be satisfied by candy for breakfast.
And imagine this for a second. Picture me, an obese, diabetic mother feeding my kids candy bars for breakfast and then sending them off to school. Then imagine that one of my kids said something about it to someone like a teacher or the principal. Can you imagine the judgement that would take place? In fact, I’ll bet I’d get calls from folks at school trying to “educate” me about “healthy” eating. And I’m sure they’d be thinking, “Well no wonder she’s a fat diabetic if she thinks it’s OK to feed her kids candy bars for breakfast.” But the federal program can abide candy bars for breakfast? It just doesn’t seem right to me.
Now, to be fair, I tried to call the school yesterday to talk with the cafeteria manager. I’m still waiting to talk to her, and I’ll certainly update you all when I do get to speak with her. Depending on what she says, I’ll also be speaking with the principal and the school board.
We also have a plan in place to feed our kids breakfast at home. For now, anyway, I snagged some coupons on eBay that’ll allow me to purchase Larabars for $.50 each. My kids love them, they’re easy to grab and go, and they don’t cost much more than the $.30 I’d be paying to let my kids eat breakfast at school. I’m still stuck with school lunch for the most part, and I’m OK with that for now since there are always plenty of options, but the kids are definitely done eating breakfast at school. It’s a joke!
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