When you think of a typical school lunch…you might imagine a tray similar to the one pictured below.
Students usually get a choice of meal, a side, a carton of milk and a dessert. In some cases across the country, it appears that some school meals have not lived up to the standard and parents, students and school administrators are not happy.
Students in New Jersey have started to post pictures of their not-so-edible school lunches.
Due to the staff shortages from the pandemic, some schools needed to outsource their school lunches. Unfortunately, some of the food that was sent to schools was expired, moldy, and at times, a health concern.
This is supposed to be a chicken cheesesteak but the photo is open to interpretation.
After students shared some of the images online, a trend called ‘lunch shaming’ started to pick up speed across the nation.
We are pretty sure that a moldy hamburger isn’t going to be too popular with anyone. It’s obvious that some food health and safety requirements have been overlooked.
Paterson New Jersey School Board member, Kenneth Simmons, spoke out in response to the pictures being posted online.
“It’s disgusting and I definitely wouldn’t feed that to my children…you know I’m not sure I would feed it to my pet.” – Simmons
One photo of expired chocolate milk left many feeling a little green.
The student posted the message, “Bro look at what they’re giving us at lunch.” Hopefully, the image will help to spur some action so the issue doesn’t happen again.
Another student posted a video showing a plate of mystery applesauce.
The applesauce seems to be mixed with an oily substance that doesn’t look very appetizing.
These might be peas but the student isn’t quite sure what has been poured on top.
Another expired chocolate milk post doesn’t go down very well with students or parents.
It’s not easy to look at these images but hopefully, schools across the country can eliminate these less than desirable meals.
The vendor who provided the food to the school in New Jersey gave a statement regarding the situation. “We recognize there have been a few instances where we didn’t meet the expectations of all of our students and families and have carefully investigated each situation. There’s nothing we take more seriously than the health and safety of our students.” – The food vendor told Inside Edition
Some of the food being served to their kids left parents in shock.
A parent in Woodbridge, NJ responded to the situation on Inside Edition. “There’s enough that us as parents have to worry about…raw, uncooked, inedible food should definitely not be one of those things.” – Kristie Salzano.
Dietician, Amy Shapiro, was asked by Inside Edition to give her opinion on the food images uploaded by students.
“First of all…is that hamburger even cooked?” She told Inside Edition. When asked what a chicken cheesesteak should look and taste like, she responded with, “The meat should be filling up the bun and there should be fruits and vegetables on the side.”
This image of a chicken cheesesteak definitely looks appetizing and healthy…something our students and families deserve.
The right nourishment for our school students should be a top priority. Thanks to the school boards, parents and student’s speaking out, change can start to happen.
Now watch the video to see the shocking school lunches that have been served to kids.
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