In Defense of School Food

I wish to take exception to Carol Haaz’s condemning school food as “the worst” and “abominable” (Reflections, July 12).

With all respect to Ms. Haaz’s accomplishments in controlling what appears to be a familial overweight problem, and her help to teen groups with similar situations, I find her criticism to be without foundation and wholly untrue and unjustified.

As an employee of the Los Angeles Unified School District for 12 years, serving in both elementary and secondary level cafeteria in her area, and a grandmother with two grandchildren in elementary grades, food and menus are of utmost interest to me and my family.

In our system the cafeteria managers select the menus on a two- and three-week rotating basis, and her aim is to provide food that appeals to the children of their district and adheres to the government’s five-essential-component guideline for each meal: protein, vegetable, fruit, grain and dairy. Hot meals are served hot, and the vegetable may be a salad as a choice. (Some smaller schools have pre-packed meals, delivered from a central facility and heated at the serving school.)

A hot-dog meal is served on a bun, with french fries or potato wedges, fruit and milk. (We do not serve chips or other junk food.) In elementary school fruit might be juice (100% whole fruit) because many children have loose teeth, missing front teeth or wear braces. Sample entrees are chicken, hamburgers, hot dogs, tacos, pizza and spaghetti.

The plate waste is alarming. The fault lies in the neglect of parents who fail to teach their children to recognize and eat balanced meals when offered to them. This applies to the affluent as well as those who receive meals at reduced cost or free of charge.

I suggest dissatisfied parents confer with their cafeteria managers if they are certain their child is being short-changed as opposed to being coddled and spoiled. I am tired of hearing that school food is “worst” and “abominable” by people who never visit their schools and discuss their complaints with the hard-working people who are trying to provide decent food to growing children. Vending machines, incidentally, are not part of the cafeterias.

B. J. TURNER

Chatsworth