Losing Fast Food, Maybe Not So fast

The LAUSD (Los Angeles Unified School District) has reported that since they have changed cafeteria food fare from less healthy offerings to healthy offerings students have been staying away from it in droves. There are an unprecedented number of trays of food thrown away and thousands are even fleeing the free food program! Students are still bring sodas and a bag of Hot Cheetos for lunch and ignoring the salads and more nutritious fare the district is offering. Are we surprised?

I truly admire those who would like to see our children eating better and healthier food, but let's face it, once they've had an oreo and nutter butters, they probably won't settle for nutritious Thai food. In fact, they will stubbornly hold on to what they know. This is an axiom that most parents already know: Children like what they know. They don't like what they don't know. So as long as they know that there's fast food and junk food within reach, they probably never will turn to the healthy side of eating unless they get it from home starting on day 1.

I appreciate those who have made an attempt to bring better nutrition into the schools. There are definitely too many kids with poor eating habits and weight problems. But like just about anything else, the problem will probably only be solved at home. Yes, there will be a few students who will be game and come over to the healthy side and be fine with that, but most of them will probably still smuggle the chips, sodas and candy from home.

So now, in light of unpredictable school budgets, thousands of dollars of food is being wasted and thrown away. So does the district stay the course and hope to eventually convert the students? Do they try to re-educate parents and students in nutrition? Does the state legislate laws further forbidding students to even BRING junk food on campus? It kind of boggles my mind as to which direction LAUSD and other districts will go next!