Chicken rings

For the first two months of kindergarten, Ben asked me almost daily when he would get to buy his lunch.  I was happy to make lunch every day and tried my best not to give in to his request.  But Ben is all about food, and is always quite interested in what everybody else is eating (no idea where he got that trait) and I started to feel bad for the kid.

I went on-line and signed up both kids for school lunch accounts.  Susanna was vaguely interested in the food being served, but if it was just her, I probably could have continued to avoid school lunches for the next 6 years.  Because, really, they're just not that good, and she knows I can do better.

One of my concerns about them buying lunch is, of course, the (seemingly) low quality of the food.  I had seen some trays during my cafeteria visits and I was not impressed.  My other concern was that, once I started, I would sort of like not having to make two lunches at 6:50 a.m.

The plan was to go through the menu each month and pick two days a week for each child to buy lunch.  This is plenty for Susanna; Ben would buy everyday if I let him.  If we have a morning when I was planning to make lunches but suggest at the last minute that they buy instead, Ben is thrilled and doesn't mind not knowing the choices in advance.  Susanna, on the other hand, becomes concerned and needs to know whether she will like one of the three meals on offer.  Often, it turns out, she probably won't.

I know there are nutritional guidelines for school lunches, and there are limits to the amount of fat and calories they can contain.  However, that doesn't mean they are particularly nutritious.  Or tasty.  Some things they serve: chicken rings (???), yogurt combo (which my kids tell me is a Trix yogurt and animal crackers - as the entree), Uncrustables (I admit to occasionally enjoying the crispy, frozen peanut butter they contain, but if I'm paying for school lunch, I want something a bit more labor intensive), and Crispitos (again, straight from the freezer section.)  They serve jello several times a week, and list it by color, not flavor.  Are they worried a parent might think "lime jello" counts as a serving of fruit?

Overall my kids enjoy most of their school lunches, and I enjoy not always having to pack.