NY Father Shares Photos Of His Son's Ridiculous School Lunches, Gets Other Parents Concerned
Are these servings enough for high schoolers?
Some school lunches are so small, they end up becoming the main topic of conversation. That is exactly what happened after a father in upstate New York posted photos of his son's meals online and people could not believe what they were seeing.
Chris Vangellow said the lunches his son was getting at school were not enough, especially since his son is an athlete and needs more to get through the day. The photos quickly drew attention, and the debate grew beyond one family’s complaint into a bigger conversation about school meals and how well they actually feed students.
Then the school district responded, and the situation got even more interesting. Read on.
Christopher's deleted post on Facebook about his son's lunches.
Vangellow stated that all of his children attend the Parishville-Hopkinton Central School District. At that time, he posted about his 16-year-old son's meal, which consisted of four chicken nuggets, a side of carrots, a side of rice, and a carton of fat-free chocolate milk; however, one of his other children was unable to get any of those carrots when he arrived during his lunch break.
Christopher Vangellow / FacebookChicken nuggets, a lump of rice, and a handful of carrots for lunch in a school under USDA guidelines.
Christopher Vangellow / FacebookA slice of pizza with three slices of oranges and milk.
"The problem is that not all families can do that. We don't live in a very affluent area," Vangellow emphasized, noting that not every child can buy additional lunch or bring something from home.
Christopher Vangellow / Facebook
Egg and a bread roll, with three orange slices.
Christopher Vangellow / Facebook
Another free lunch provided by the school.
Christopher Vangellow / Facebook
That post got the district's attention fast.
This feels similar to the tech worker refusing lunch swaps and getting backlash for a homemade salad.
The school's reply to the viral Facebook post.
In response to Vangellow's viral Facebook post, Superintendent William E. Collins posted a public message on the Parishville-Hopkinton Central School District's website. He mentioned how they are addressing the problem and forming groups of students, parents, and representatives from the Wellness Committee, including himself and the Cafeteria Manager, to work on meal preparations.
"The concerns expressed clearly resonated with students and parents, as evidenced by the number of comments and shares. In fairness to the cafeteria, students are allowed one additional serving of fruits or vegetables and one extra nugget than appeared in the photograph; however, this doesn't change the fact that many students and parents are dissatisfied with school lunches."Parents and schools should work hand in hand to provide children with the education and health they need. This event will serve as a reminder for everyone to keep in mind that proper nutrition for the body is equally important as nutrition for the mind.
Have you also experienced unappetizing school meals? Like and share this story to spread awareness with your family and friends!
School lunch complaints can spread quickly when the photos do the talking.
Concerned about lunch policing too? See what happened when a coworker demanded tastes of “rabbit food” lunches.
