Yes, and ban recess and physical education. Some poor child might get bullied or break an ankle playing tag.

Potatoes supported the Irsh and they're still here. How about potato pancakes, mashed, fried with rice and egg. You can also mix them in with pasta.

And if they're so worried about obesity then they can get these kids to exercise and get them away from the video games. You never see kids on ball courts or fields anymore. It's not the potatoes fault and I like them with almost every meal.

Jack, you need to update your knowledge base on this one.

Let's start with the fact that there are roughly 1000 different varieties of rice. Let's add that there are hundreds of varieties of potatoes. And, lest we forget, there re 5 major types of sugars. No two varieties of potatoes, of rice, or of sugar, have nutrition profiles that are identical to each other. Even among the sugars, some have longer chain hydrocarbon molecules than do others. And the length of those chains of molecules determines how long it take the GI tract to break up the molecule in order to digest it. The longer that it takes to digest such a molecule, the lower the glycemic index of that particular food. And by sticking to foods with lower rather than higher GI numbers, you eat more healthily. In fact, the plain white substance that most of us refer to as sugar (sucrose) actually has a GI number than do some of the fruits and vegetables that you, Jack, probably think of being healthy to eat.

It's not that any one food is healthy or unhealthy. Much has to do with how it's prepared, and I'm referring simply to whether you serve potatoes with lots of dairy products or topped only by, perhaps, a bit of salsa. The closer that you keep ANY food to being whole as you prepare and serve it, the healthier it is for you. A baked potato is healthier than taking the same size potato, cutting it into chunks or strips, and baking those pieces without adding anything. Again, that because the GI number stays lower if you keep the food whole.

In other words, serving a small baked potato as part of a balanced school lunch isn't a problem. But serving the same amount of "tater tots", etc, potatoes that have been cut into small pieces, no matter how they are prepared from that point on, is the much, much poorer choice.

Potato growers and potato marketers have nothing to worry about when the situation is seen in this manner.

The same thing is true of rices and, in act, of all grains. The closer that they are kept to their natural state, the more nutrition they retain and the lower the GI number. And again, the growers and marketers have nothing to worry about when the situation is seen in this manner.

Jack, you made a blanket statement that holds no truth. I hope that you've learned something here, and that you can then alter your point of view.

The folks who are revved up and ready to regulate our calorie intake seriously scare me.

It starts here where does it end? Banning anyone that might have a genetically inherited disease from reproducing?

This stuff needs to be nipped in the bud.

i didnt know they were serving that junk in the schools. I never ate at the school my parents wouldnt allow it. I do remember not wanting either. Of course when it came to our bodies my parents knew that our health was the most important thing we had and now that Im older I understand why.

I cant believe theyre serving tater tots! I cant even eat them I tried and theyre full of freeze dreid potatos and grease. What a horrible thing to serve a growing body. And recess? Sports who cares people should only go to school to learn academics and physcial activity should be done on their own time. Also kids should be in school less hours with more guided up to date training and by eliminating physical playtime they do it anyway at home. Funding should stop going to football fields cheerleaders prom queens and princes there is way to much focus on popularity my heavens IN LA the new school down the street is one half of the block long and 6 stories high. The football field take up multi millions of dollars worth of city property and demolished blocks and blocks of housing. How much money did this thing cost? I dont understand why physical education cant take a back seat to academia. If people want to play football then they should form afterschool leagues where more than one school can use the facilities so the rest of the students dont have to suffer How many kids are on a football team and why are these very few students being provided with a gazillion dollars of education funding. Its so sick

#1.3 Did I say ban? LIMIT! My simple statement at least produced some controversy. As far as your knowledge of potatoes, I doubt you would know a Russet Burbank from a Yukon Gold. The skins ARE more nutritious. I'm talking about fried starch. You are also presumptuous about my knowledge base. Are you a dietitian or just a diatribian?

Geez Lloyd, were you born in the 20s or something? Tater tots is probably one of the most well-known and fundamental bases in school lunches. Even if you never ate school lunch because you were sheltered, your surprise at learning this alleged "new fact" is astounding in itself.

As far as physical education goes, you're wrong. If there's one way to turn your kids into fat blobs, it's forcing them to sit on their ass for more than 2/3 of their day. School needs to be a learning experience, but it also needs to be a fun experience. If you don't have any extracurricular activities and sports, then you shouldn't expect your children to show ANY interest in school whatsoever. Recess lasts, at most, 30 minutes a day, and physical education lasts one period of the day...so I don't see how you can say that academics takes a "back seat" to physical activity and sports.

I agree. My husband and I eat low carb, no rice, potatoes, corn, high fructose corn syrup, no pasta, and only low-carb bread, and very little of that. He lost 30 pounds and no longer needs statins. I lost 28 pounds and dropped my triglycerides from over 200 to 67. Eat more protein, especially animal protein and lots of green veggies, plus some fruit. Better for you!

Potatoes are great sources of potassium...an essential of the brain. These fools don't know what they are talking about.

At least kids will eat tater tots. They're going to scrape spinach or beets right into the trash can b4 returning their tray. The idea here is not gourmet cuisine for the kdg set, but to ensure their tummies are full so they can concentrate on learning, which is why they're in schl to begin w/.

Maybe I'm expecting too much of the govt when I mention actual veggies. That square in the tray where the tater tots used to be will likely now have a scoop of ketchup in it. Republicans think that's a vegetable.

They should bring back recess and PE. And ,make them do some sort of exercise. We did when I was a kid and so did my children. They ate whatever and are both grown now. One wear a 4 and one wears a 6. When I was in school we had well balanced meals. Don't offer anything else. We also had potatoes and rice.

Schools should bring back smoking areas for students and teachers, and murderball should be a PE requirement. Bunch of fat asses.

Is anything on a school lunch menu NOT freeze dried?

Seriously, tater tots were one of the best things about grade school.

Way back when I was in school...they served small meals for lunch, which included meat, potatoes, noodles or rice, vegetables, fruit and milk. No tater tots or chicken tenders. There is no valid reason for anyone (especially schools) to serve children junk food on a daily basis. Throw in a daily session of 20 minutes of aerobics in the morning and you will have healthier kids. No, I am not a nutrition expert or a doctor; I am a mother who raised four healthy, normal weight children.

llyod - what??

Also kids should be in school less hours with more guided up to date training and by eliminating physical playtime they do it anyway at home

Actually, I believe that one would find that recesses and PE would be of more help in developing face to face social skills and interaction rather than texting or playing games at home.

There is a reason why the US doesn't rank near the top in education despite the massive $$$ spent. We have become complacent in how we look at education and have allowed our children to also become complacent in what they wish to become latter in life.

Seems that teachers and the school boards have been stripped of the ability to discipline unruly students who constantly disrupt classes to the detriment of those who want to learn.

While it has been quite awhile since I attended grade school the focus was always on the mastery of the fundamentals (reading, writing and arithmetic) with a weekly dose of the arts and twice a week PE. Once in jr and senior high students were given the options of expanding their knowledge in other areas.

Why would one consider less school hours? How will more cell phone time or game playing on a computer help develop interactive skills that future employers want to see.

The government has issued their guidelines on a healthy diet, let the school boards decide on how to implement it. Government control has not given us better students, just as their control of what foods to give our children will result in better health.

Potatoes ARE GOOD for you.

Tater Tots are processed potatoes with LOADS OF OIL.

Bad fats like the fat in Tater Tots IS SUPER BAD FOR YOU. It leads to obesity and other types of diseases.

Switching to baked potatoes (or even homemade mashed, not the box type) would do a world of good.

Potatoes have potassium which is necessary for good mental health.

I never ate school lunches. My mother prepared our NUTRITIOUS lunches for us every day.

Now, my mother who is 75, does not take medications and appears to be in her 50s.

I'm 50 and most people think I'm in my 30s.

We don't eat Tater Tots. We eat natural food with loads of vitamins.

I've had the same thing happen. I'm 40 and people think I'm in my mid 20's. My Mom is in her 60's and people think she's my age...

Too many schools have eliminated PE and that has been a disaster for the kids. They NEED to stretch their legs and be kids for an hour. Our recess was often in the gym, but we were lucky enough to have a park across the street, as well as monkey bars in the school grounds. The park had teeter-totters, swings, a merry-go-round, a slide, baseball diamonds. I recall that there was only a few kids who were chunky.

I am unsure of all the reasons, but many schools also forbid playing tag or running of any sort on school property; I guess they are afraid of skinned knees and elbows.

No exercise and junky food on a regular basis does nothing for kids. Limit the number of times they get this sort of thing in a month. Yes, my grade school had pizza and tater tots when I was growing up, but most of the time we had meat and mashed potatoes; corn and peas were served, and sometimes green beans. The kids who ate school lunches also had their choice of regular milk or chocolate (2%) and orange juice. Junk food was limited to "treat" status, served perhaps once a month or less. But the cooks also prepared fresh meats and the veggies and fruits did come out of those humongous cans. I don't believe today's schools do this.

With all the things the Gov. wants us to stay away from we will all die healthy.

bklynj - no we will all spend the last years of our life wasting away in diapers in some nursing home, bankrupting our families and spending any inheritance that might have gone to our kids. When they figure out how much these decisions impact health care costs, do they consider the impact of languishing for years as opposed to dying of a heart attack?

I like the way you think!

DanH, LOL!!! Good one!

@Shawn

I don't think there are too many parts of the world that would like those potato waste products. It is not suitable for starving populations. The nutritional value is just not enough. Why do you think the FAO, Red Cross and other organizations are not distributing them? I am sure they would be cheaper than rice and wheat.

We are healthy, why? That is a joke, right? Every health report, be it governmental or NGO, attests us that we are NOT healthy. Unhealthy eating habits are formed in childhood. So let's teach our children a healthy eating habit.

Can it really hurt, NOT to feed waste to our children?

juergen - May I assume that you are referring to parents teaching their children how to eat healthy as I put no faith in wishy-washy bureaucrats and politicians telling us or legislating us on the finer points of healthcare.

Shawn, my dear, "...for food. We are healthy, why?" We are not healthy. Have you not been paying attention? we are obese, diabetic, and riddled with heart disease. Now, is this because of potatoes? no, no in and of the item. But tater tots? with all the transfats? a baked potato with all the trimmings would be a great lunch choice for children. Especially if we insist that there be recess, physical education, and physical activity.

Well let's see Ma, mostly elderly are diabetic, and have some form of heart disease, considering our life expectancy is well into the 80's and 90's. Our bodies will shut down sooner or later.

Our children are a bit obese because parents purchase video games, TV's, and cell Phones at an earlier age, and thus they think this is how they are suppose to live. Guess what it's up to the parents to regulate how long they use these items, and when to get out of the house and do something like ride a bike, or play a game with the neighbor kids. Video games, and tv are ok longer on bad weather days.

Your statement didn't make sense to me, no tater tots- transfats, then increase the recess and physical education, and physical activity if they eat a baked potato with all the trimmings, - - how much transfats in butter? Sour Cream? Cheese? Bacon Bits? and the actual potato vs just serving what the children will eat, and increasing recess time?

I worked the lunchroom for many years, and guess what if the children don't like it, they won't eat it, it will end up in the garbage can as does most of the cartons of white milk. Children are mostly picky eaters, I only found a few over all the years in the lunch room that preferred healthy over non-healthy in our adult words.

Parents need to start the change at home, feed healthier foods there, not have the government come up with some silly stastics that are not correct to scare us all into submission. Health care is expensive but I don't see anyone moving in on the drug companies to cap what they can charge for their drugs, nor do I see a cap in companies who supply doctors offices with their equipment, nor any medical equipment needed to do a physical in an office, and yes lets not get into the hospitals charging you 100.00 for a box of kleenex that costs them .40. This is where we need to evaluate health care! What extremely unsettling charges they charge patients for things they don't even need or use.

But it's all in what we eat, sorry I don't buy that! Bacon is bad for you, now it's not, Eggs were bad for you now they are not, it's a scam, let children be children and parents take the control.

Bring back PhysEd as a daily school requirement, from pre-school up through college senior. Make it a vigorous 45 to 60 minutes each day.

And what subjects do we cut to make up for the increase in p.e. time?

We somehow managed to fit in in our hectic days when I was in school. And on top of that, we even got RECESS, where we went outside, yes even when it was cold, and played. And somehow I manage to breathe, type, spell, add, subtract....the list goes on. Lets go back to focusing on things we need to focus on and not on the latest buzz (currently political correctness and self-esteem).

Maybe if they weren't let loose at 2 or 230 pm they'd have the time.

Maybe we need to cut some of the PC crap that's being shoved down their throats.

We always had a full hour for recess and I too, managed to get through all of my subjects. No need to cut back on what is taught.

I agree with Gail and the Goat Rancher. As a child, we had potatoes with every meal and no one in the family was fat; matter of fact, by the time I was 12, I was "too skinny." Then again, we ate lots of vegetables, had no TV, drank no soft drinks, had cake or pastries only on special days, had vigorous PE in school, and played outside whenever possible. It's not the potatoes, it's the life style.

I'll go along with longer recess and more parental involvement.. but daily PE?? Maybe it's changed but it was sure a joke when I was growing up. That's part of the problem, Phys Ed and good nutrition shouldn't be school mandates, they should be a way of life.. for families.. run, walk, swim, go to the park, get a stationery bike or treadmill if you can't get outside due to weather... or crime.. :(

No tots???? I don't wanna live in that America!

Susi-Oh, I'm going to guess as a child you had potatoes, not fried, potato powder little pieces that pretend to be vegetables. Do you know that a lot of school don't actually cook foods? They only have microwaves and oven to reheat foods like corn dogs, chicken nuggets, pre-made burritos. Children don't have to eat that way. They often want to because that's what they are used to. The reason our children are fat and failing to think well is because we don't feed them well. It's very, very sad.

Absolutely crazy! the problem is that the entire school lunch menu is non-nutricious. The only fruits & veggies my kids are served are pathetic looking apple & orange pieces & carrots & celery. Which is why my kids take lunch from home.

I remember when I was in school they served green beans, corn, broccoli, mashed potatoes & gravy, spaghetti... Now it's chicken nuggets, corn dogs, nachos, cheese zombies, pizza: and some government idiot thinks we can fix the problem by eliminating potatoes from the menu? Crazy!

And what subjects do we cut to make up for the increase in p.e. time?

Here's an idea. Increase the time they stay in school. US schools are far behind other developed nations in both the length of the school day and the number of school days (i.e. year round school). Not to mention, behind academically too.

Not only do I remember having PE classes throughout elementary school, junior high, and high school - but I went to a college that required students to take a certain number of PE credits in order to graduate. Most of the classes lasted one quarter, and they ranged from running to archery to horseback riding to athletic training (I remember that last as I was the only female in the class and got the best grades, much to the disgust of the coach teaching the class.) There were almost NO overweight people at my college, either.

As for those asking "what do we cut to make room for PE" - for three of the four years I was in high school, my school was on double sessions. Upperclassmen went from 7:00 to 12:30 - and we still managed to fit in a full day of classes. Might be because back then (yes, I'm playing the "in MY day" card) teachers were actually able to TEACH without students disrupting their classes.

I remember when I was in school they served green beans, corn, broccoli, mashed potatoes & gravy, spaghetti... Now it's chicken nuggets, corn dogs, nachos, cheese zombies, pizza: and some government idiot thinks we can fix the problem by eliminating potatoes from the menu? Crazy!

Yknow you're right....about the only "junk" foods we ever got buying a schl lunch back in the 70s were French fries on Sloppy Joe Day (man I lived for Sloppy Joe Day LOL), Pizza Day, & when I was a junior we got a milkshake machine whoo-hoo. But everything else wasn't covered in batter (unless it was Fish Stick Day) & there was a rotating menu, so we didn't get Pizza Day or whatever more than a cpl x/mo. We heard tell one of the classier HSs had a salad bar & were happy we got the milkshake machine instead.

No wait, I think corn is a junk food, too (also part of Sloppy Joe Day), judging by its re-appearance in the toilet bowl, it's a non-nutritional veg.

They'll give this notion up when they realize how much more expensive adding arugula to the little tykes' lunches will be as opposed to tater tots. That's why schl lunches are now full of junk food. Junk food got cheaper than regular food. Much less $ to get a gross of chicken nuggets than the actual chicken breasts we were served w/ our mashed potatoes, gravy, & peas in the 70s.

If you cut classes to increase PE time, you'll get complaints from hoverparents who will screech that you're diminishing their chances to get into a good college (yes, some parents indeed think about this when the kids are in second grade, not that there's anything wrong with that). If you increase the length of the school day, kids will complain that you're cutting into their videogame time, and self-indulgent parents will flip out over that too. And if parental involvement were possible to attain, we wouldn't have parents treating school like a babysitter. Indeed, we probably wouldn't have as many fat, unhealthy kids that we do.

tater tots must stay im 13 i know this as a fact and Physical activities actually help your brain especially dodgeball the 5 times a year we actually get to play it... i wish we played it more

But not flash frozen and deep fried.

Occasionally my husband and I have Tater rounds (generic name for Tater Tots) and we bake ours.

Nothing like a nice turkey brat and tater rounds with a good bar-b-que sauce!

Read the fat content of those Tater Tots, Tater "rounds", or any other frozen tater products and you'll see that the fat/grease is already IN them so baking is not really making them more nutritious.

Try making these for the kids - a healthier alternative to traditional fries and tater tots:

MoJo Potatoes (Shakey's Pizza came up with the deep-fried, breaded version of these)

Ingredients:
3 Potatoes
1/2 crushed chicken bouillon cube
3/4 teaspoon of salt
pinch of pepper
1/8 teaspoon of cayenne
1/4 teaspoon of thyme
1/4 teaspoon of paprika
½ teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions:
1. Press potatoes using potato press.
2. Place potatoes on plate and microwave on high for 3 minutes.
3. Salt and allow to sit for 5 minutes
4. In a bowl mix cayenne, paprika, pepper, thyme, garlic, bouillon & oil.
5. Add fries, and mix with tongs.
6. Place on baking sheet.
7. Bake in preheated oven at 425F for 8 minutes.
8. Turn over and bake for an additional 8 minutes.

What people don't seem to take into account is HOW potatoes are served. Deep fried, full of preservatives, covered with salt, and served in larger portions than they were a decade ago. Or sliced ultra thin, flavored, salted, baked or friend, and served in bags or tubes.

Tater tots are probably slightly healthier than fries and chips, but not by much, and it should be all the pizza and candy and sodas that should be monitored more than anything, but parents and students will just complain about prices or quality, or anything that can think of to badger their way back into cheap, unhealthy, junk food.

actually a potato all by itself is a 55 on the glycemic index...not a good food choice

Michelle G-575006 But they're not a bad choice, either, even at 55. That's a mid-range food, for GI purposes. IF you want to put something down, then look at the highly processes crap that passes as potato and is called tater tots. Or perhaps you'd rather look at a plain piece of white bread as a comparison. That one comes in at 100.

For the record, before anyone starts sniping at me as being a potato farmer, a marketer, etc, put those notions away now. I'm neither, never have been and never will be. I am, however, a Type II diabetic who has made a point of reading what I find about the glycemic index, and about healthy food choices. I had to - because my life is on the line if I don't pay attention to these things.

Bean counters make me sick.

Nah, it's the tater tots that made you sick.

Don't fry them or put salt on them. When I was n school we had good food but that was before we let children tell us what to do. We also had PE which was required and I managed to get 4 years of math, science English and social studies. Plus electives. We went to school from 8:20 to 3:45. Somehow back in the dark ages we managed. I only knew one person that was overweight.

That's nothing; I bet Eric-2189088 had at least 6 years of high school! (Vide Infra #6)

as a diabetic one has to realize that potatoes start turning into sugars just from the saliva in your mouth. Other starchy foods take longer to be converted into sugars. Regardless, I still like potatoes mashed, boiled, fried or baked!

I'm not saying leave off all carbs. Just potatoes and rice. They are higher on the glycemic index than plain old sugar. They rot teeth, probably contribute to what is labeled a.d.d., cause diabetes and obesity. This is not Dr. Adkins. There are fruits (but not the juices) and lots of other complex carbs. that are released more slowly and don't cause a child to become "wired" the first hour after the meal.

Eric, the carbs being cut in the Atkins diet come from refined sugars and starches. Dark green veggies are where the allowed carbs come from and, along with plenty of fiber, are excellent for the body. A lot of low-carbers replace potatoes and rice with cauliflower. If educated first, a person is not going to be eating just meat, cheese, and eggs all day, every day! Last I checked, a lot of the veggies on the Atkins diet contain the nutrients/minerals found in potatoes, such as potassium and Vitamin C. I can tell you that eliminating potatoes, flour, and sugar from my diet brought my cholesterol down from a plateau of 232 (down from 362 on a statin for 5 years) to 168 within 6 months and now I am off of my statin altogether. I was skinny, so it was genetics causing it to be that high, just like my father's was. I introduced complex carbs, like whole grains, back into my diet - there's an organic, whole grain, flourless bread that is fantastic!

That whole kids bouncing off the walls thing on certain foods or drink has been totally disproven. It doesn't happen. No "wired" going on. And juice & fruit are more likely to rot your teeth than potatoes b/c sugar is sticky & sticks to teeth & invites everything else consumed along w/ it to stick there as well, but there's no dental hygiene time in the schl schedules after meals to prevent that.

So you're saying, along w/ vaccinations, kids should have cholesterol checked b4 being allowed into schl so that their lunches can be planned for their special dietary needs? I'm thinking your avg 5 yo doesn't have to fret about carb intake or GI etc unless they do have special needs, in which case, hello parents, step up & parent & don't expect the schls to adjust the menu just for your special precious darling.

You have obviously never seen a 2 year old after 2 Little Debbie cakes. To steal a quote, "It takes a child to raze a village".

Why in the world would you give a two year old two little debbie cakes to begin with??? Its pretty obvious that the child would be bouncing off the walls.

That's what the guys wife asked him after he left the child for her to manage. She used slightly colorful language (not in front of the baby). Now, ask scar #6.3 why he has never seen this happen.

Kids will eat healthy lunches. I've seen it. The problem is that school food is cheap and processed.

Witchrunner, check out the renegade lunch lady. Children do eat & enjoy healthy food. For real! http://www.chefann.com/

They will eat it when they get hungry. If the kids and parents do not like what is served then make the kid bring his own lunch. Oh, I forgot there are too many parents too damn lazy to fix a lunch. sorry, my bad.

CO-Mama: I hope you are referring to the fact that you live in Colorado. Given that, you seem to agree that government is in fact, co-mama. I have no doubt that some children do eat what you would consider "healthy food". The question is do you want the government deciding for you, because you are too dumb to make the decision for yourself, what "healthy food" is? The fact is that kids eat only approximately 1/2 of their lunches at school. That is hardly enough to damage the kids if they eat something that the government determines to be "unhealthy".

liz: So, what is your suggestion to force schools to serve what you would call "healthy" and "good tasting" food to kids? Should the government go through a bunch of taste tests with each and every child to determine what the child will eat that is "healthy?" Just asking, because you seem to think that all this is easy and that all kids will love to eat the healthy food that you would prepare.

Sorry Mary, but you have to realize the reality that has hit the families with kids at school now. 1) NO peanut/nut products, nothing made that might have touched peanuts, 2) No refrigeration, 3) No place allowed to store food brought from home, even with ice packs 4) Even if your child is of normal weight even they are not allowed to bring anything "unhealthy". So, what is a good lunch that doesn't take up much space, doesn't have to be cooled/heated, and doesn't violate the no candy, no nut, "healthy" requirements?

This is why I simply gave in and had the kids eat at school. At least our school serves reasonable (tiny) portions and is very conscious that the offerings are quite healthy. It's a public school, but one of the best in the area.

And, just for good measure relating to the article: I will NEVER, EVER give up my potatoes!! I was raised on a potato in some form (pretty much exclusively baked or mashed) with every meal as a child and can't imagine any other way. Nor will I, unless they are banned altogether, and I will protest harshly the attempt to do that!

Let's keep our ears cocked for the parents screaming that their schl taxes have gone up to pay for that more expensive dietary choice.

When my son was growing up, I used to do as Tina suggested and made oven baked fries. We experimented with a variety of seasonings for them, and my son really enjoyed helping me make them - and enjoyed eating them even more. I still prefer a more or less plain baked potato over any other type - but even so, once in awhile I want some french fries!

BTW - Even if you bake the tater tots or french fries at home, 99% of the time before they were put in that bag and frozen they were deep fried first :-)

I believe this story was specifically about limiting the number of fried potatoes in favor of more leafy greens and fresh fruits... the headline is misleading as it is from the quote of a 2nd grader.

Wonder how much those school lunches are going to cost when they throw out tons of fresh fruit and greens. There is a reason they serve processed foods at school cafeterias, they are cheap and frozen so they will last. Maybe parents should take responsibility for their own kids and send a healthy lunch to school with them. Get rid of all school lunches as far as I care.

Maybe parents should take responsibility for their own kids and send a healthy lunch to school with them. Get rid of all school lunches as far as I care.

Easy to say if you have the money to provide decent meals for your children. For many children living at or below poverty level, their school lunches are the only decent meal they get all day.

Even hungry kids are not going to eat spinach, kale, collard greens, Brussels sprouts, etc. Even I wouldn't. Um, yuck. The wretched stench of those Brussels sprouts alone ugh. I have splendid cholesterol w/o that stuff.

Bring on those tater tots if those are the alternatives. At least they're eating something. Otherwise, it's going into the trash & you know it is. A schl lunchrm is no place for expensive experimentation. I'm getting mighty sick of all this nonsense lately (the WIC thing, the NYC FS experiment thing) where po' folk are seen as guinea pigs simply b/c they qualify for assistance. I'm starting to think Third Reich w/ all this BS. Experiment on those who can afford to make good nutritional choices but don't, not those who wish they could & can't.

Well said, knowman.

Yeah, they're acting like kids are on a solid diet of naught but tater tots. Please.

Change that to CAUSES cancer!

Recent studies have shown that SOY products (now found in almost all processed foods), and CANOLA OIL (canola oil being a light machine oil mad in Canada) does cause cancers.

This is one reason I've personally quite purchasing foods made by Kraft.

Your solution solves nothing. They're ALREADY deep fried. That's how they're cooked before they're flash frozen and packaged. Unfortunately, the same is true for most of the foods that tend to be used in school lunch programs. You and the school lunch programs may as well be giving kids bottles of vegetable oil to drink as the only part of their lunch as give them any of that processed, oversalted garbage that supposedly passes for food.

I know lots of mothers who are on WIC and most, but not all, appreciate being able to buy something fresh. One mother I know used the program and always had fresh milk and cheese in the refrigerator for her 3 kids. I agree, Mickey, it is ridiculous to eliminate such a basic staple as potatoes. They are sticking their noses into places they don't belong.

I agree, Mickey. If they're so concerned about health, why not eliminate things such as potato chips or foods loaded with HFCS??? Baked potatoes provide plenty of nutrients, and people need carbs. What about bread??? Just about all bread has HFCS in it, which is WAY more harmful to a person than a POTATOE!!! The more I think about it, the more ridiculous I realize it is.

The very next paragraph continues: "The WIC program is a supplemental food program, and the determination was made that consumption of white potatoes was already adequate, said Christine Stencel, spokeswoman for the Institute of Medicine."

I was initially surprised too, but then I kept reading. They're not being denied potatoes, don't worry.

I'm confused; if someone is using food stamps, and they are not allowed to get anything with potatoes in the ingredients (banned). How is the consumption going to be "adequate" anymore?? Typical government thinking process....

WIC is not the same as food stamps. WIC is SUPPLEMENTAL, meaning it's added to whatever foods you can get with food stamps, regular salary, or whatnot. I'm sure you can buy potatoes on food stamps.

Don't put ALL of the blame on schools for not letting kids do things like play tag at recess. The main reason this is happening is because parents were suing schools if their little darling was hurt in any way while playing at recess. When I was in elementary school, I fell on the playground and tore ligaments in my knee - and my parents would never have even THOUGHT of blaming the school. Nowadays, if a kid scrapes his knee, the parents are up in arms.

No, actually it's due to NCLB & teachers being so busy being forced to teach to the test that there's no space left in the day for any spontenaity or movement.

Thinking out loud - tater tots are not fried they are baked in the oven.

The FINAL step in making tater tots is baking them in an oven - but before they go in the bag, they are definitely fried. All you're doing with the baking is warming them up.

Mmmm bacon....yeah....wrapped around a tater tot....that's good eatin'.

Good for you, trader. On my nightly runs I always am appalled to see the throngs of minivans parked in the drive-thru at the McDonald's, Burger King, Jack In The Box, etc. on my route (in a 3 mile stretch there are TWO JITBs!) picking up "dinner." I don't have the healthiest habits in the world, but to me it seems like junk fast food should only be eaten in two scenarios: 1) in college, at 2 am when you're drunk, and 2) moving day when you haven't unpacked your cookware yet. It doesn't even taste like food to me, just chemicals.

People justify letting their kids eat whatever they want by saying they don't like healthy foods. Well guess what? When I was a kid, I didn't like cleaning my room or doing my homework or going to bed at a certain time. But I was the kid and there were punishments if I didn't do what my parents told me to do. I'm not one of those "good old days" people, I'm just saying that if parents took a more active role in their kids' lives, those kids would make better choices.

oh my gosh.!!! I thought I was the only one who saw that movie!! THANKS I needed that!! LOL!!!!!!

No way!! I loved that movie!

You're not worthy of a response.

Your kids aren't worthy of a healthy, nutritious meal?

Get a life dude.