In public schools, $1 meals all day, every day

by Sachpreet Chandhoke,Medill Reports: Chicago - Imagine having a $1 per meal budget. Now think about how you decide what to eat on a daily basis – breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner.   

You probably don’t just count calories, nor do you just eat separate regimented portions of certain foods.  Within the means available, you eat for flavor, energy and nourishment.  And nothing rivals a home-cooked meal.

For school lunch program providers, and unfortunately for students, taste and flavor are not mandated.  But nutrition requirements and a specified number of servings of fruits, vegetables, proteins and grains must be met – all within a $1 budget.

The result is a national school lunch and breakfast program dominated by processed foods, where nachos, pizza and chicken nuggets count as protein, and grains and French fries count as vegetables, served with an apple or an orange, carrot sticks and milk on the side for a balanced meal.