Chicago Public School Bans Home-Made School Lunches, Says Students Must Eat Lunches Prepared in Cafeteria

Home-made school lunches is a no-no at one public school in Chicago, Little Village Academy on the city's West Side, to be exact. According to the Chicago Tribune, students are not allowed to pack lunches from home unless they have a medical excuse. They must eat the food served in the cafeteria. We all know how nasty school lunches are, so it is ridiculous to make the assertion that the food served in schools is healthier than that served at home, unless of course, you are dealing with parents who dine regularly at fast food restaurants instead of preparing healthy meals at home for their children.

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

"Nutrition wise, it is better for the children to eat at the school," Carmona said. "It's about the nutrition and the excellent quality food that they are able to serve (in the lunchroom). It's milk versus a Coke. But with allergies and any medical issue, of course, we would make an exception."

Carmona said she created the policy six years ago after watching students bring "bottles of soda and flaming hot chips" on field trips for their lunch. Although she would not name any other schools that employ such practices, she said it was fairly common. Source

It would seem that the decision to ban home-packed lunches is being left up to principals by the school district. Well, I can see a lawsuit coming. I can hear the people on the right saying this is the result of First Lady Michelle Obama's "Let's Move" childhood obesity initiative. In my opinion, when the schools can prove beyond reasonable doubt that the food they are serving is fresh and meets the highest standards, then forcing students to eat the lunch isn't in their best interest, now is it?