The Lunch box fiasco--my apologies

When my husband told me about the story he'd heard on Rush Limbaugh about the 4 year old's lunch box and the school inspector not approving her home made lunch of turkey sandwich, banana, potato chips and apple juice, so she instead ate 3 chicken nuggets the school provided I told him someone was pulling Rush's chain. That no school was THAT stupid. Sorry Rush, sorry hubby--it's apparently true.

Carolina Journal

RAEFORD — A preschooler at West Hoke Elementary School ate three chicken nuggets for lunch Jan. 30 because a state employee told her the lunch her mother packed was not nutritious.

The girl’s turkey and cheese sandwich, banana, potato chips, and apple juice did not meet U.S. Department of Agriculture guidelines, according to the interpretation of the agent who was inspecting all lunch boxes in her More at Four classroom that day.

The Division of Child Development and Early Education at the Department of Health and Human Services requires all lunches served in pre-kindergarten programs — including in-home day care centers — to meet USDA guidelines. That means lunches must consist of one serving of meat, one serving of milk, one serving of grain, and two servings of fruit or vegetables, even if the lunches are brought from home.

When home-packed lunches do not include all of the required items, child care providers must supplement them with the missing ones.

So I poked around a bit, and it's almost impossible wading through state documents and USDA regulations for pre-schools how far back this goes--but I'm quite sure it pre-dates the Obama administration (see below for 2010 HHFKA). I was horrified to see the length of documents regulating pre-schools, however.

Also, if "inspectors" can declare a lunch of a turkey sandwich, banana, potato chips and apple juice is not suitable, then charge the family for a replacement lunch (which the child didn't eat), it really does sound a lot like health care rules, doesn't it?

From the Federal Register: The Healthy and Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA) of 2010, a reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act, provides funding for federal school meal and child
nutrition programs, increases access to healthy food, and promotes overall student wellness. By supporting school and community efforts that provide nutritious meals for children and promote overall wellness, the HHFKA is a major step forward in the fight to end childhood hunger, improve nutrition, and fight our country’s epidemic of obesity.

The origins of this bill date to the National School Lunch Act (NSLA), signed into law by Harry S. Truman in 1946. In 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the first Child Nutrition Act (CNA). The CNA of 1966 expanded the School Lunch Program, established the School Breakfast Program, extended the Special Milk Program, and provided Federal funding towards non-food school equipment purchases.

The HHFKA of 2010 includes $4.5 billion in new funding for its programs and provisions over a 10 year period. The bill gives the USDA the authority to set new nutrition standards for food sold and served in schools, and requires training and certification for all food service personnel.

Are food subsidies making our kids fat?