Revisiting high school cafs

It's really no wonder America's children are growing out faster than they're growing up. As a poor, lowly TA these past too many months, I spent quite a few meals reliving the high school lunch experience.

I usually got the main meal. It was a entree, fruit and vegetable and some kind of side. Sometimes they'd give me a bun. It was all edible, but not much more than that. Though I didn't eat with the students, I did go through the line with them. Very few went for the same thing I did.

I only went for the main meal because it was healthier than the alternatives. The alternatives to my mushy broccoli, hard bananas (seriously...) under-fried shrimp poppers and healthy whole wheat bun were soft pretzels, fries, pizza, cheese sticks, s'mores and all manner of convenience store sub-dollar snacks. All alternatives were far more popular despite their greater expense.

The food in our schools should probably be better. Not that I'd expect even meals made from better-than-army-surplus stock to fare much better against the junky alternatives, but it would be a start. The problem is that schools have to go with the lowest bidder. So, currently, the kids are stuffing themselves with shit regardless of what they buy from the school.

I don't see anything changing.

When I have kids, they're taking bagged lunches.