Some parents don’t have the option to dress their children for school- they wear uniforms. Some Chicago parents don’t have the option to make their children’s lunches- they must eat what the school provides.

According to the Chicago Tribune, this new rule instilled by Little Valley Academy, a public school in Chicago, is intended to eliminate all possible ways a child could eat something unhealthy during lunchtime.

I’d sure want a medical excuse to bring a lunch. That’s allowed by the way. Allergies to food and other dietary restrictions gets you a free pass for homemade lunches. The kid with food allergies is going to become a lot more popular at the lunch table. There’s no word on whether there’s some “inspection” on the lunches for children with dietary restrictions. I know I’d want to sneak in a brownie for my friend, deprived choice.

The Chicago Tribune continues,

Principal Elsa Carmona said her intention is to protect students from their own unhealthful food choices.

Carmona, wake up and smell the Burger King. There are a lot of unintended consequences to this seemingly “great” plan on paper:

1. School lunches are roughly $2.25 for those who aren’t on a reduced lunch plan. That’s more than the cost of a kids homemade lunch
2. Parents are already outraged by the deletion of choice
3. Children are going to be hungry, want more food, and feel deprived. Chances are when they get home, they’ll eat more cookies than they should. Ever heard of binge eating

Ray Rahman wrote about Sarah Palin who, in 2010,  made a strong, clear point,

“Palin asked at a fundraising event at a Bucks County, PA, Christian school, a clear shot at First Lady Michelle Obama’s nutrition guidelines. “Should it be government or should it be parents? It should be the parents.”

Many are asking the same question. The government and schools must be aligned to reduce obesity in children, but what happens at school isn’t necessarily going to happen at home. Healthy habits are taught from a young age, not forced at a school lunch.

Although this is specifically a school issue, there’s plenty of government involvement in lunch programs. I’ll let David Roland close this one up today,

“The government is taking away choice. That is just fundamentally un-American.”