Focus Paper Response

One of the more depressing moments in American nutrition occurred in the 1980s, when the Reagan appointed officials at the USDA declared that ketchup, along with dill relish and other tasty condiments, would be considered as vegetables in the meals served to children in public schools. Although these measures were intended to give more leeway to individual states in crafting their own nutritional guidelines and menus, activists and protesters emphasized the shortsightedness (and hilarity) of these proposals. Somehow, the phrase 'ketchup is a vegetable' became part of my own backtalk repertoire from an early age, and I even think I heard Jimmy Carter mock it on an NPR interview once.

A Vegetable?

I chose to read Michael Gallagher's focus paper on the history and purpose of school lunch, even though my own experiences with school lunch probably deviated from the norm. From kindergarten through twelfth grade, I brought my own lunch to school- the standard sandwich on un-chewable whole grain bread favored by health-conscious parents, carrots and celery, an apple, maybe a cookie or two. Most of my friends brought their lunches as well; our school did not have a very large lunch program, and what they did have was none too wholesome- pizza, Chocotacos, nachos, and a salad bar featuring that malum malorum (evil of evils), iceberg lettuce.

Mr. Gallagher's point that nutrition affects the learning environment is certainly a statement that everyone can agree on. Students and teachers know the effects of skipping breakfast- an unwelcome dizzy spell, lack of concentration,  general fuzziness and/or unpredictable mood swings. Regular meals and proper nutrition help keep the learning environment, brain chemistry, and even basic motor skills on an even keel. Case in point: this morning, the first day of summer school, I skipped breakfast to pace nervously around our classroom. I barely made it to lunch; by second period, I had already been tempted by the large array of scented markers.

There were two sections of Mr. Gallagher's paper that I found particularly interesting. His research regarding the history of school lunch and its modern transition to confronting obesity intrigued me for a variety of reasons. In the school where I taught last year, lunch (and dinner) were treated as an integral part of the school day. The dining hall served fresh vegetables, homemade bread, and offered many options for vegetarians and even vegans. The emphasis was on nutritive value, both in terms of time spent together and in the quality of food served.

Also, it saddens me that there are students in our schools who cannot identify a cucumber, let alone an artichoke or cauliflower. In the age of federal and state budget cuts, I don't really know how this situation might be remedied. The planting of school gardens or an increased reliance on produce from local farms? Increased awareness? I feel that there are many people, elected officials among them, who view nutrition in schools as a side issue, one to be dealt with after test scores are improved and grounds and facilities are updated. The reality is that these goals concerning student achievement could be more easily accomplished by incorporating basic principles of nutrition and putting them into practice.