Fed Up with Lunch

October 10, 2011
When schoolteacher "Mrs. Q" forgot her lunch one day, she swung by the cafeteria and was appalled by what constituted a school lunch: a hot dog encased in soggy dough, a Jell-O cup, six tater tots, and chocolate milk. Disgusted and outraged at this lack of nutrition for studentsâmany of whom depended on school lunches for their only real meal of the dayâshe decided to eat school lunch every day for a year and post photos as well as her experience on her blog, Fed Up with Lunch. Here she summarizes her experiences, painting a compelling and occasionally disgusting portrait of what sometimes passes for lunch: the random insertion of salty pretzels to satisfy the government's daily grain requirements, "sandwiches" made with an unidentifiable stand-in for bread, and the ubiquitous chicken nuggets. Designed to inform and empower parents and administrators, the book offers a litany of resources to learn more about what kids are eating and get involved. While the book won't surprise followers of Michael Pollan, Jamie Oliver, or Alice Waters, readers who haven't paid much attention to what American children eat at school will likely get a rude awakening.