vegetarian discrimination?

[Guest guest]

Carina--Yes, this IS discrimination. Do you REALLY want your son to continue

in this hostile environment, or is pulling him out the better option? If

keeping him in there is important to you, maybe it's time to ask them if you

need to consult a lawyer to insure he gets what he needs. What is so difficult

about nuking a hot luch that you go to the trouble of providing, even when hot

lunches are provided for the other kids? Or of serving a simple PB & J

sandwich--how difficult is buying the supplies for that and keeping them in

school?

 

Why are they being so resisitant? Maybe someone with a little " authority "

(like a lawyer) just making a phone call to the director of the school, would

help them see they're not doing anyone any favors by being so difficult, where

they don't even need to be! If that fails, how about an article in the local

newspaper " Local preschool hostile to vegetarian children " --with accompanying

information about how groups such as the ADA, PCRM, and AAP consider

vegetarian diets to be healthful and nutritious for growing children?

 

Marilyn

 

 

 

**************Ideas to please picky eaters. Watch video on AOL Living.

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[Guest guest]

Hi all,

I'm having a problem which I would like your input on. My son has

been attending a Pre-K program where they serve breakfast and lunch.

My son has been vegetarian from birth, and when I enrolled him in

this program I thought he could just bring his own vegetarian lunch.

Well, first day of school I found out he couldn't because the food

program there is federally/state-funded and it's against the rules to

bring your own food. So I'm like, " well, what's he going to eat; most

of the lunches you serve are meat-based? " I was told they would have

some vegetarian options, like PB & J sandwiches, cheese pizza,

grilled cheese sandwiches and yogurt. Not the healthful kind, mind

you, but for a few months I went along with this, until I found out

my son was being served pizza almost every day. He told me he was

getting sick of eating pizza for lunch (who wouldn't!) so I

complained. Again, I'm being told they're going to have some more

vegetarian options. Two weeks later nothing has changed so I

complained again and this time I got permission for him to bring his

own home-made (and much healthier)vegetarian lunch, however, it

couldn't be anything that had to be heated up because they didn't

have a microwave. So he's pretty much stuck with sandwiches, while

the meat-eating kids get hot lunches. Fortunately, the food serving

person was very accommodating and told me there was a microwave in

another part of the buidling in which she could heat his vegetarian

lunch. She managed to do this a few times until they found out and

now she can't do this anymore. I feel he's being discriminated

against for being a vegetarian, and I'm really P...ed with the

administrators. Sure, we got permission for him to bring in his own

vegetarian lunch, but it can't be anything that has to be heated

while the meat-eating kids can have hot lunches! What do you think?

Is this discrimination or what?

Carina

[Guest guest]

Its state/federally funded that receives monies from organizations such as USDA

that do not want our children eating healthy. They want our children to learn

to eat crap that they will continue to eat as they become adult consumers.

You'll be hard-pressed to get them to change. It is why so many elementary

schools do not offer vegetarian options (the USDA makes it nearly impossible).

The only thing you can really do is pack the healthiest lunches that you can -

you can use a thermos to include warm meals (soup, chili, etc).

Renee

 

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

I was in a similar situation when I had my daughter in daycare at a Kindercare

facility. I actually investigated prior to enrolling, as I had my daughter on a

vegan diet. I was told that I could bring in unopened packages which they would

prepare. This lasted less than a week. Then they made a " special

consideration " basically because it was too much work. After this I was allowed

to send my daughter's lunch. I prepared the lunch every morning and if it was

something needing to be warm, would put it in a insulated bowl or thermos. They

also told me they could not warm it. I was actually okay with this as long as

my daughter was not eating their idea of a balanced meal...I did try to make my

meals similar to what they were serving, but my daughter preferred different

foods. They served too much junk even for her!

 

Laura Ballinger Morales

 

 

 

 

Carina <cdwl

 

Friday, February 22, 2008 11:24:43 AM

vegetarian discrimination?

 

Hi all,

I'm having a problem which I would like your input on. My son has

been attending a Pre-K program where they serve breakfast and lunch.

My son has been vegetarian from birth, and when I enrolled him in

this program I thought he could just bring his own vegetarian lunch.

Well, first day of school I found out he couldn't because the food

program there is federally/state- funded and it's against the rules to

bring your own food. So I'm like, " well, what's he going to eat; most

of the lunches you serve are meat-based? " I was told they would have

some vegetarian options, like PB & J sandwiches, cheese pizza,

grilled cheese sandwiches and yogurt. Not the healthful kind, mind

you, but for a few months I went along with this, until I found out

my son was being served pizza almost every day. He told me he was

getting sick of eating pizza for lunch (who wouldn't!) so I

complained. Again, I'm being told they're going to have some more

vegetarian options. Two weeks later nothing has changed so I

complained again and this time I got permission for him to bring his

own home-made (and much healthier)vegetaria n lunch, however, it

couldn't be anything that had to be heated up because they didn't

have a microwave. So he's pretty much stuck with sandwiches, while

the meat-eating kids get hot lunches. Fortunately, the food serving

person was very accommodating and told me there was a microwave in

another part of the buidling in which she could heat his vegetarian

lunch. She managed to do this a few times until they found out and

now she can't do this anymore. I feel he's being discriminated

against for being a vegetarian, and I'm really P...ed with the

administrators. Sure, we got permission for him to bring in his own

vegetarian lunch, but it can't be anything that has to be heated

while the meat-eating kids can have hot lunches! What do you think?

Is this discrimination or what?

Carina

 

 

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

In our schools, if you brought it from home it was meant to be served cold -

unless you put something in a thermos. We weren't vegetarian at the time - so

it's not really discrimination. Honestly -in the schools mind, if they took

the time to heat up every kids lunch from home there would be no time for lunch.

School hot lunches aren't healthy anyway - meat eaters or not.

 

Chances are your Pre-K is like my son's (before I took both children out of

school) - it is a head start program - (even in the public school) which is why

the meals are funded and they have all these crazy rules about what you can or

can't bring in. (and just crazy ideas period) The older kids' meals are

subsidized as well but a child in Kinder on up is free to bring their own lunch.

 

Go figure...

 

Jennifer

 

 

Carina <cdwl wrote:

Hi all,

I'm having a problem which I would like your input on. My son has

been attending a Pre-K program where they serve breakfast and lunch.

My son has been vegetarian from birth, and when I enrolled him in

this program I thought he could just bring his own vegetarian lunch.

Well, first day of school I found out he couldn't because the food

program there is federally/state-funded and it's against the rules to

bring your own food. So I'm like, " well, what's he going to eat; most

of the lunches you serve are meat-based? " I was told they would have

some vegetarian options, like PB & J sandwiches, cheese pizza,

grilled cheese sandwiches and yogurt. Not the healthful kind, mind

you, but for a few months I went along with this, until I found out

my son was being served pizza almost every day. He told me he was

getting sick of eating pizza for lunch (who wouldn't!) so I

complained. Again, I'm being told they're going to have some more

vegetarian options. Two weeks later nothing has changed so I

complained again and this time I got permission for him to bring his

own home-made (and much healthier)vegetarian lunch, however, it

couldn't be anything that had to be heated up because they didn't

have a microwave. So he's pretty much stuck with sandwiches, while

the meat-eating kids get hot lunches. Fortunately, the food serving

person was very accommodating and told me there was a microwave in

another part of the buidling in which she could heat his vegetarian

lunch. She managed to do this a few times until they found out and

now she can't do this anymore. I feel he's being discriminated

against for being a vegetarian, and I'm really P...ed with the

administrators. Sure, we got permission for him to bring in his own

vegetarian lunch, but it can't be anything that has to be heated

while the meat-eating kids can have hot lunches! What do you think?

Is this discrimination or what?

Carina

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Mobile. Try it now.

 

 

[Guest guest]

I used to work for Head Start (federally funded). A program with government

funding usually has standards for accomadating lifestyle/culture choices.

It was actually part of our federal review. We had a survey which asked

about meal preferences, then we provided food based on those preferences.

If we could not accomadate, the parent was asked to send food.

 

 

 

 

On

Behalf Of Carina

Friday, February 22, 2008 11:25 AM

 

vegetarian discrimination?

 

 

 

Hi all,

I'm having a problem which I would like your input on. My son has

been attending a Pre-K program where they serve breakfast and lunch.

My son has been vegetarian from birth, and when I enrolled him in

this program I thought he could just bring his own vegetarian lunch.

Well, first day of school I found out he couldn't because the food

program there is federally/state-funded and it's against the rules to

bring your own food. So I'm like, " well, what's he going to eat; most

of the lunches you serve are meat-based? " I was told they would have

some vegetarian options, like PB & J sandwiches, cheese pizza,

grilled cheese sandwiches and yogurt. Not the healthful kind, mind

you, but for a few months I went along with this, until I found out

my son was being served pizza almost every day. He told me he was

getting sick of eating pizza for lunch (who wouldn't!) so I

complained. Again, I'm being told they're going to have some more

vegetarian options. Two weeks later nothing has changed so I

complained again and this time I got permission for him to bring his

own home-made (and much healthier)vegetarian lunch, however, it

couldn't be anything that had to be heated up because they didn't

have a microwave. So he's pretty much stuck with sandwiches, while

the meat-eating kids get hot lunches. Fortunately, the food serving

person was very accommodating and told me there was a microwave in

another part of the buidling in which she could heat his vegetarian

lunch. She managed to do this a few times until they found out and

now she can't do this anymore. I feel he's being discriminated

against for being a vegetarian, and I'm really P...ed with the

administrators. Sure, we got permission for him to bring in his own

vegetarian lunch, but it can't be anything that has to be heated

while the meat-eating kids can have hot lunches! What do you think?

Is this discrimination or what?

Carina

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

If your diet was for religious reasons (Hindu, Jewish, etc.), I am certain that

you would be accomodated; spirtual/environmental reasons should be treated with

the same respect! Do you know have a local ACLU office?

 

Mary <jmkable wrote: I used to work for Head Start

(federally funded). A program with government

funding usually has standards for accomadating lifestyle/culture choices.

It was actually part of our federal review. We had a survey which asked

about meal preferences, then we provided food based on those preferences.

If we could not accomadate, the parent was asked to send food.

 

 

On

Behalf Of Carina

Friday, February 22, 2008 11:25 AM

 

vegetarian discrimination?

 

Hi all,

I'm having a problem which I would like your input on. My son has

been attending a Pre-K program where they serve breakfast and lunch.

My son has been vegetarian from birth, and when I enrolled him in

this program I thought he could just bring his own vegetarian lunch.

Well, first day of school I found out he couldn't because the food

program there is federally/state-funded and it's against the rules to

bring your own food. So I'm like, " well, what's he going to eat; most

of the lunches you serve are meat-based? " I was told they would have

some vegetarian options, like PB & J sandwiches, cheese pizza,

grilled cheese sandwiches and yogurt. Not the healthful kind, mind

you, but for a few months I went along with this, until I found out

my son was being served pizza almost every day. He told me he was

getting sick of eating pizza for lunch (who wouldn't!) so I

complained. Again, I'm being told they're going to have some more

vegetarian options. Two weeks later nothing has changed so I

complained again and this time I got permission for him to bring his

own home-made (and much healthier)vegetarian lunch, however, it

couldn't be anything that had to be heated up because they didn't

have a microwave. So he's pretty much stuck with sandwiches, while

the meat-eating kids get hot lunches. Fortunately, the food serving

person was very accommodating and told me there was a microwave in

another part of the buidling in which she could heat his vegetarian

lunch. She managed to do this a few times until they found out and

now she can't do this anymore. I feel he's being discriminated

against for being a vegetarian, and I'm really P...ed with the

administrators. Sure, we got permission for him to bring in his own

vegetarian lunch, but it can't be anything that has to be heated

while the meat-eating kids can have hot lunches! What do you think?

Is this discrimination or what?

Carina

 

 

[Guest guest]

Putting aside all reasons as to why serving vegetarian is harder than

serving animals....try veganlunchbox.com. She has the most amazing

list and photographs of her childs vegetarian school lunch box. She,

of course, must be superwoman...and her child will obviously eat

anything, but she certainly has plenty of great ideas of what to send

with your child other than sandwich after sandwich. Who knows, maybe

it will give the lunch ladies some new ideas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

, " Carina " <cdwl wrote:

>

> Hi all,

> I'm having a problem which I would like your input on. My son has

> been attending a Pre-K program where they serve breakfast and

lunch.

> My son has been vegetarian from birth, and when I enrolled him in

> this program I thought he could just bring his own vegetarian

lunch.

> Well, first day of school I found out he couldn't because the food

> program there is federally/state-funded and it's against the rules

to

> bring your own food. So I'm like, " well, what's he going to eat;

most

> of the lunches you serve are meat-based? " I was told they would

have

> some vegetarian options, like PB & J sandwiches, cheese pizza,

> grilled cheese sandwiches and yogurt. Not the healthful kind, mind

> you, but for a few months I went along with this, until I found out

> my son was being served pizza almost every day. He told me he was

> getting sick of eating pizza for lunch (who wouldn't!) so I

> complained. Again, I'm being told they're going to have some more

> vegetarian options. Two weeks later nothing has changed so I

> complained again and this time I got permission for him to bring

his

> own home-made (and much healthier)vegetarian lunch, however, it

> couldn't be anything that had to be heated up because they didn't

> have a microwave. So he's pretty much stuck with sandwiches, while

> the meat-eating kids get hot lunches. Fortunately, the food serving

> person was very accommodating and told me there was a microwave in

> another part of the buidling in which she could heat his vegetarian

> lunch. She managed to do this a few times until they found out and

> now she can't do this anymore. I feel he's being discriminated

> against for being a vegetarian, and I'm really P...ed with the

> administrators. Sure, we got permission for him to bring in his own

> vegetarian lunch, but it can't be anything that has to be heated

> while the meat-eating kids can have hot lunches! What do you

think?

> Is this discrimination or what?

> Carina

>

[Guest guest]

i am starting to realize how lucky i have it at my daycare center.? they let us

bring in whatever we need and they will use a microwave to heat things up.? they

have a microwave in dd's classroom, she is an infant, and i noticed a note on it

the other day, " for staff use only " so of coarse i asked one of the teachers if

they were worried about the infant using the microwave or something, i am a

really smarty-pants.? she explained to me that the folks who do there license do

not allow for them to microwave the children's food so they have to put the sign

up for when the auditors come.? so in this case it seems that it is more to do

with the auditors than with the facility.? it is funny how we want everyone to

be licensed and have special accreditation, our school has a NAYCE

accreditation, but in the long run it seems like the rules and expectations that

go along with those things are what cause some of the barriers.? I have

experienced and heard some negative effects of schools having to go through

those so called special accreditations.?

 

i guess my point is that the school may not have a choice if they want to stay

in business.? it sounds like the staff want to help, lunch person was willing to

microwave stuff, but they are held to weird standards so that they can stay in

business so the administrators probably made her stop.? the real culprit might

be the laws.?

 

good luck,

lisa

 

 

 

Inga McFadden <ingamcfadden

 

Fri, 22 Feb 2008 9:32 pm

Re: vegetarian discrimination?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Putting aside all reasons as to why serving vegetarian is harder than

serving animals....try veganlunchbox.com. She has the most amazing

list and photographs of her childs vegetarian school lunch box. She,

of course, must be superwoman...and her child will obviously eat

anything, but she certainly has plenty of great ideas of what to send

with your child other than sandwich after sandwich. Who knows, maybe

it will give the lunch ladies some new ideas.

 

, " Carina " <cdwl wrote:

>

> Hi all,

> I'm having a problem which I would like your input on. My son has

> been attending a Pre-K program where they serve breakfast and

lunch.

> My son has been vegetarian from birth, and when I enrolled him in

> this program I thought he could just bring his own vegetarian

lunch.

> Well, first day of school I found out he couldn't because the food

> program there is federally/state-funded and it's against the rules

to

> bring your own food. So I'm like, " well, what's he going to eat;

most

> of the lunches you serve are meat-based? " I was told they would

have

> some vegetarian options, like PB & J sandwiches, cheese pizza,

> grilled cheese sandwiches and yogurt. Not the healthful kind, mind

> you, but for a few months I went along with this, until I found out

> my son was being served pizza almost every day. He told me he was

> getting sick of eating pizza for lunch (who wouldn't!) so I

> complained. Again, I'm being told they're going to have some more

> vegetarian options. Two weeks later nothing has changed so I

> complained again and this time I got permission for him to bring

his

> own home-made (and much healthier)vegetarian lunch, however, it

> couldn't be anything that had to be heated up because they didn't

> have a microwave. So he's pretty much stuck with sandwiches, while

> the meat-eating kids get hot lunches. Fortunately, the food serving

> person was very accommodating and told me there was a microwave in

> another part of the buidling in which she could heat his vegetarian

> lunch. She managed to do this a few times until they found out and

> now she can't do this anymore. I feel he's being discriminated

> against for being a vegetarian, and I'm really P...ed with the

> administrators. Sure, we got permission for him to bring in his own

> vegetarian lunch, but it can't be anything that has to be heated

> while the meat-eating kids can have hot lunches! What do you

think?

> Is this discrimination or what?

> Carina

>

 

 

 

 

 

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