I am a first grade teacher at a public elementary school in Los Angeles, CA. We are a low-income, title one school and we provide free breakfast and lunch to our students. I just want to document our daily lunches, because sometimes it is interesting, sometimes puzzling, and sometimes it is just not very appetizing. I was rather horrified a while back when our school cafeteria served nachos to the students, but it seems they were out of chips to go with it, so they just served bowls of liquid cheese! It was crazy! I can remember my kids looking at their lunch and wondering “What do I do with this???!!!” I mean, can you imagine, just a bowl of liquid cheese? Yikes!! So, please let me know if there is anything school lunch related you would like to see and I will try my best to post what I can! omnomnom!
The Daily Lunch Tray Blog
Just another WordPress.com site about our daily school lunches
The Daily Lunch Tray Blog 
Just found you named as a blog of the month via Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution http://bit.ly/f6iMWn! Woo-Hoo! Congrats on that! Your blog is terrific, and I’m so happy to be able to share it with my readers. Any info and pics that will inspire parents to feed their children better, get involved in helping the school lunch programs improve, and of course, pack a healthy lunch is what I like to share.
Thanks Kelly!
I will add in a link for your cool lunchbox site! We do have some kids that do bring their lunch, but since we offer free a lunch program, most just eat the daily tray lunch! Sad but true, a lot of the kids (at least the little ones, K-2) just pick at the food and don’t really eat much at all!! The kids that do bring their lunch are usually supplementing in addition to what they get on the tray, and it’s not always that nutritious! Hopefully more parents will begin to pack healthier lunches for their children if they know what they are being served!
Happy Holidays!
Many thanks for adding my EasyLunchboxes link! We live in the LAUSD district (Woodland Hills) and my middle school daughter took a field trip to exactly that ‘nutrition center’ you wrote about. Her reaction? “UG!” She was pretty horrified by all the processed and pre-packaged food ‘labeled’ as nutritious. Her classmates agreed. She stopped eating school lunches long before I even started my lunch box company. She simply preferred home made lunch. My 2 other daughters as well. Do you have a Facebook page or Twitter handle so I can follow you there?
Hi Kelly,
I have yet to visit the “Nutrition Center”, but I hear that they give tours, so maybe I can take my class there!! Our school also participates in the Harvest of the Month Program, in which participating classes receive different fruits and vegetables each month.
I am new to all of this blogging and posting….still trying to figure out how to do a Facebook page for this site! Will definitely let you know when that is done! Thanks for viewing and commenting…I really appreciate it….any feedback and suggestions are always welcome!!
I’m pretty good at all this stuff and actually helped Bettina of http://www.thelunchtray.com/ with a few setup things when she first launched her blog. Feel free to call me or email me anytime and I can walk you through some easy set up ideas. It’s my passion (besides lunchboxes, of course, LOL) http://www.easylunchboxes.com/contact/address.htm – 🙂 K.
Cool!
Thanks, Kelly!
Thanks so much for sharing what “food” is actually being served to kids in schools. As much as I am concerned with the nutritional value of the meals, I am also surprised at the amount of disposable and packaged items on the trays. Doesn’t the cafeteria have a dishwasher? Why are the kids eating off of plastic cutlery and paper bowls?
Hi Stephanie,
I know, it’s crazy the amount of waste in the food packaging! I have been teaching there for a while and I have never seen any type of re-usable trays….we have always used the styrofoam trays:-( I know we have a full, working kitchen, but I never really noticed a dishwasher. I will have to investigate! More food used to be prepared in the kitchen, but now it all comes from a local “Nutrition Center!”
Hi, congrats on getting picked for Jamie Oliver’s blog list. Its a good idea. I’m all the way across the country in Upstate NY. I’m really surprised that there aren’t more fresh fruits and Veg. offered. It is possible to partner with local farmers to get stuff sent to the schools. we have that here (Brockport Central School District). Also because of allergies we’re not allowed to bring in home-baked goods to share they have to be store bought or purchased through the schools. My youngest is in first grade 🙂 I also have 2 older children 16, and 12. they preferred bringing in their lunches most days. Although the salad bar was appreciated by my eldest. My youngest brings in a bag with about three different fruits and veg. 1 banana, 2 apples and 2 carrots (organic is available in carrots and sometimes apples) . Good luck, and always be nice to the lunch ladies 🙂 Anna
P.S. Enjoy the long break, we’re back to school on the 3rd.
Thanks Anna!!
It sounds like a great program, being able to partner up with local farmers!! Sounds like your kids are healthy eaters and are making the right choices….and that all starts at home! One good thing is that our school also participates in the Harvest of the Month Program, in which participating classes receive different fruits and vegetables each month.
We are trying to make positive changes….we shall see! By the way, all of our lunch ladies are really wonderful 🙂 I think they are overworked and underpaid and I’m sure a bit frustrated that they aren’t able to really cook any real meals!!
Happy Holidays!!
These pictures are so scary!
I have a daughter starting public school this fall (next door in glendale). Looks like I need to warm up my bento making skills!
Hi Scott!
My daughter goes to school in Glendale as well and when she was in elementary school she brought her lunch to school most of the time. She would want to buy lunch when they were serving pizza, which they had supplied by Domino’s. Even now in middle school, the lunches are far from stellar and she usually will bring her lunch. I love the Bento Box lunch ideas!
Nice site ….)
Thanks!
What’s up with the new school year? Improvements? No styrofoam trays?
Hi! My name is Casey Rackham and I work over at BuzzFeed.com. I’m currently working on a post about school lunches and I have a question about your photos! My email is casey.rackham@buzzfeed.com and I would love to hear from you!
All the best,
Casey