Lake County considers 'trash-cams' at school cafeterias

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From WKMG TV:
Lake County School Board officials are considering attaching cameras to school cafeteria trash cans to study what students are tossing after officials found that most of the vegetables on the school menu end up in the trash can.

New federal laws require students to take a healthy produce at lunchtime, but last year in Lake County, students tossed $75,000 worth of produce in the garbage.

“It’s a big issue, and it’s very hard to get our hands around it,” said School Board member Todd Howard, who suggested “trash-cams.” “They have to take (the vegetable), and then it ends up in the trash can, and that’s a waste of taxpayer money. It’s also not giving students the nutrition that they need.”
It has been many, many, many, many years since I’ve had to endure a school lunch, so things may have changed. But if memory serves correctly, school cafeterias used to get the meats that were “grade b” – that would be unsaleable to grocery stores and restaurants. The bread was unsuitable to be sold at a “day old” store. And the veggies…the veggies were generally so old that I wouldn’t feed them to a rabbit, much less eat them myself.

I am NOT debating whether or not kids should eat a healthy lunch. That much should be obvious.

The bigger issue is why is the federal government involved in any way, shape, or form in what a local school decides to put on their school lunch menus in the first place. This is a clear violation of the principle of subsidiarity and is a grave evil (according to Pius XI). It makes me wonder when the USDA are going to start putting cameras in peoples’ kitchens to ensure they eat a healthy meal at home. Or make restaurants and home kitchens illegal and require people to report to feeding centers to take their meals…just to make sure they are healthy.

The nanny state. Blech.
 
If they already know that $75,000 of produce went into the garbage can, what do they need the camera for? 😛

How about a simple survey of the students to see which vegetables they will eat? How about asking the students if the recipe is an issue (student is used to ethnic preparations with lots of spices), or if the problem is the method of preparation (roasting verses boiling)?

Hypothetical: maybe the real problem is that the government also feels that the veggies ought to be prepared without fat or salt or sugar, must be served raw or half-cooked, and must support some agriculture segment that is failing to unload its product elsewhere? No doubt they also feel you must serve whatever it is year-round, so most of the time it is out of season and un-delicous (like raw tomatoes).

I don’t suppose the school is smart enough to puree a vegetable and hide it in the mystery meat. Perhaps they need to learn to make vegetarian soup. I find that delicious, if made well. Simply neglect to tell the students there is no meat broth in there or maybe throw in nice chucks of meat to throw them off.
 
Pug said:
If they already know that $75,000 of produce went into the garbage can, what do they need the camera for? 😛
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I know, right? They said the camera won’t capture the students faces. So it seems the intent is just to gauge what is thrown away, not reprimand particular students for not eating their veggies. But they already have an estimate. 🤷

It’s just a consideration at this point, though.
 
markomalley said:
From WKMG TV:
Lake County School Board officials are considering attaching cameras to school cafeteria trash cans to study what students are tossing after officials found that most of the vegetables on the school menu end up in the trash can.

New federal laws require students to take a healthy produce at lunchtime, but last year in Lake County, students tossed $75,000 worth of produce in the garbage.

“It’s a big issue, and it’s very hard to get our hands around it,” said School Board member Todd Howard, who suggested “trash-cams.” “They have to take (the vegetable), and then it ends up in the trash can, and that’s a waste of taxpayer money. It’s also not giving students the nutrition that they need.”
It has been many, many, many, many years since I’ve had to endure a school lunch, so things may have changed. But if memory serves correctly, school cafeterias used to get the meats that were “grade b” – that would be unsaleable to grocery stores and restaurants. The bread was unsuitable to be sold at a “day old” store. And the veggies…the veggies were generally so old that I wouldn’t feed them to a rabbit, much less eat them myself.

I am NOT debating whether or not kids should eat a healthy lunch. That much should be obvious.

The bigger issue is why is the federal government involved in any way, shape, or form in what a local school decides to put on their school lunch menus in the first place. This is a clear violation of the principle of subsidiarity and is a grave evil (according to Pius XI). It makes me wonder when the USDA are going to start putting cameras in peoples’ kitchens to ensure they eat a healthy meal at home. Or make restaurants and home kitchens illegal and require people to report to feeding centers to take their meals…just to make sure they are healthy.

The nanny state. Blech.
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A grave evil? Seriously? Is the local school board growing its own food? Armchair theology might appear funny but it can dull the sensibilities.

That’s how grave evil can look us in the face and smile still go unrecognized by many…😦
 
seekerz said:
A grave evil? Seriously? Is the local school board growing its own food? Armchair theology might appear funny but it can dull the sensibilities.

That’s how grave evil can look us in the face and smile still go unrecognized by many…😦
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Still, that most weighty principle, which cannot be set aside or changed, remains fixed and unshaken in social philosophy: Just as it is gravely wrong to take from individuals what they can accomplish by their own initiative and industry and give it to the community, so also it is an injustice and at the same time **a grave evil **and disturbance of right order to assign to a greater and higher association what lesser and subordinate organizations can do.

Pius XI, Quadragesimo Anno, 79​

I didn’t make it up. The federal government getting involved in an obviously local issue like this is patently evil. You may call it armchair theology. Others may call it the proper application of Catholic Social Teaching.
 
This is some of the fruits and vegetables that is on my son’s school lunch menu this month. Some appeal to be, but try to get an elementary kid to eat:

Spinach Salad - gag
Cauilflower (without ranch dip, there’s no way I would eat it)
Edamame Succotash - gag
Steamed broccoli - gag
Zucchini Sticks - gag
Cucumber Slices (without ranch dip, there’s no way I would eat it)
Green Peppper sticks (without ranch dip, there’s no way I would eat it)
Apricots - gag
 
markomalley said:
Still, that most weighty principle, which cannot be set aside or changed, remains fixed and unshaken in social philosophy: Just as it is gravely wrong to take from individuals what they can accomplish by their own initiative and industry and give it to the community, so also it is an injustice and at the same time **a grave evil **and disturbance of right order to assign to a greater and higher association what lesser and subordinate organizations can do.

Pius XI, Quadragesimo Anno, 79​

I didn’t make it up. The federal government getting involved in an obviously local issue like this is patently evil. You may call it armchair theology. Others may call it the proper application of Catholic Social Teaching.
Click to expand...
Huh, so, basically the US Government is one gigantic grave evil… … who know :rolleyes:
 
when I was in grade school, my catholic school always had CANNED veggetables…not sure if that has changed…but the canned peas were gross…and there were Always wasted vegetables when people would dump what was left on their trays. How expensive would it be for schools to buy frozen vegetables in BULK and then serve them?

Oh, and healthy habits begin at home…if parents don’t serve vegetables at home…I would not expect they would be eaten at school, either.
 
garn9173 said:
This is some of the fruits and vegetables that is on my son’s school lunch menu this month. Some appeal to be, but try to get an elementary kid to eat:

Spinach Salad - gag
Cauilflower (without ranch dip, there’s no way I would eat it)
Edamame Succotash - gag
Steamed broccoli - gag
Zucchini Sticks - gag
Cucumber Slices (without ranch dip, there’s no way I would eat it)
Green Peppper sticks (without ranch dip, there’s no way I would eat it)
Apricots - gag
Click to expand...
Exactly as I suspected. Raw and or barely cooked with absolutely no nice fat, salt, sugar, msg, or other deliciousness. (I assume the ranch dip is out because ranch is full of msg).

Are they actively trying to make kids hate vegetables? What a waste. They’d be a lot better off trying to replace 40% of a meatball with soy products, whole wheat, and chopped veggies if they want to make kids eat soy (the edamame).
 
markomalley said:
Still, that most weighty principle, which cannot be set aside or changed, remains fixed and unshaken in social philosophy: Just as it is gravely wrong to take from individuals what they can accomplish by their own initiative and industry and give it to the community, so also it is an injustice and at the same time **a grave evil **and disturbance of right order to assign to a greater and higher association what lesser and subordinate organizations can do.

Pius XI, Quadragesimo Anno, 79​

I didn’t make it up. The federal government getting involved in an obviously local issue like this is patently evil. You may call it armchair theology. Others may call it the proper application of Catholic Social Teaching.
Click to expand...
Properly applied, it would mean that providing school lunches is also ‘gravely evil’. I mean what prevents parents from packing it themselves? No, wait…nobody is taking any right away here - actually, nothing prevents parents from preparing their kids’ lunches themselves.
 
seekerz said:
Properly applied, it would mean that providing school lunches is also ‘gravely evil’. I mean what prevents parents from packing it themselves? No, wait…nobody is taking any right away here - actually, nothing prevents parents from preparing their kids’ lunches themselves.
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There is a world of difference between a local school board and the Federal Government.
 
garn9173 said:
This is some of the fruits and vegetables that is on my son’s school lunch menu this month. Some appeal to be, but try to get an elementary kid to eat:

Spinach Salad - gag
Cauilflower (without ranch dip, there’s no way I would eat it)
Edamame Succotash - gag
Steamed broccoli - gag
Zucchini Sticks - gag
Cucumber Slices (without ranch dip, there’s no way I would eat it)
Green Peppper sticks (without ranch dip, there’s no way I would eat it)
Apricots - gag
Click to expand...
LOL! My 11 year old grandson will eat any of that, but he refuses to touch raw tomatoes and claims to gag on mashed potatoes. He’ll eat mushrooms as long as he doesn’t think he’s eating mushrooms. Have to slip them into omelets and into spaghetti sauce! Whatever works. 😃
 
Seriously, who couldn’t see that coming? 🤷

Here’s an idea…get (name removed by moderator)ut from the people expected to eat the food.
 
Here is another idea:
The FFA (formerly Future Farmers of America) chapters in many communities maintain greenhouses, some even have their own farm ground and raise food they contribute to the school lunch program. These kids learn economic realities as they have to pay for their seed stock, breeding livestock and equipment. They work hard in addition to sports and their chores at home and are seldom obese.
This works as long as Big Brother or Big Sis Michelle do not find out about it and shut it down as being too “dangerous” for children.
 
57classic said:
Here is another idea:
The FFA (formerly Future Farmers of America) chapters in many communities maintain greenhouses, some even have their own farm ground and raise food they contribute to the school lunch program. These kids learn economic realities as they have to pay for their seed stock, breeding livestock and equipment. They work hard in addition to sports and their chores at home and are seldom obese.
This works as long as Big Brother or Big Sis Michelle do not find out about it and shut it down as being too “dangerous” for children.
Click to expand...
FFA is awesome. It was our largest organization in high school. Not surprising, I guess, considering my Ohio roots.
 
markomalley said:
This is a clear violation of the principle of subsidiarity and is a grave evil (according to Pius XI).
Click to expand...
I don’t believe that the principle of subsidiarity is absolute. It can only be applicable when the least common denominator is both capable and willing to provide what would otherwise have to be provided by the Federal government. Instead we should be focussing on why the quality of ‘school food’ is so poor and what can be done to change that. For one thing, I don’t think the school can justify paying x number of dollars into football while its feeding the students half-rotten produce.
 
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