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Did You Know #7: School Lunch

CafeMom Team
posted to General Discussion in CafeMom Back to School
on Aug. 21, 2008 at 4:39 PM

25 Replies
437 Total Views

In 1981 the United States Congress cut $1 billion from child-nutrition funding and gave the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) just 90 days to develop new standards for school lunches that would cut costs but not nutritional value. At the time, the FDA required that lunches consist of milk, bread, meat, and two servings of fruits or vegetables.

However, most kids didn't eat the vegetables; they'd just end up in the trash. It was suggested that by reclassifying ketchup--which was served with most lunches--as a vegetable, the administration could eliminate waste and cut costs without affecting what the kids actually ate. While the idea made sense to someone at the time, the new rules were widely ridiculed and caused an outcry from parents, who accused the government of trying to take food away from children. The proposal was withdrawn, but President Ronald Reagan and the FDA had a hard time removing the ketchup stain.

/// The CafeMom Team

Written by

CafeMom Team

on Aug. 21, 2008 at 4:39 PM

Replies:

1-10 of 25 replies

12 3 next last

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- jranddebsmommie
on Aug. 21, 2008 at 4:42 PM
Wow, You really do learn something new every day

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- LadySaphira
on Aug. 21, 2008 at 4:44 PM
I remember this! I to thought that classifying catsup as a veggie was ridiculous.

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- mdmom
on Aug. 21, 2008 at 4:44 PM
lol I didnt know that, but it was cool to learn it!

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- FIVEHAPPYHEARTS
on Aug. 21, 2008 at 4:45 PM
Quoting jranddebsmommie:

Wow, You really do learn something new every day

ya that is why cafe mom is so cool they give us free history lessons

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- EaStBaYgUrL
on Aug. 21, 2008 at 4:46 PM
My kids SOOO wish they could get away with Ketchup as a veggie...LOL...but that does suck...Where I used to live all kids got free lunch and breakfast no matter what their income was...It was pretty cool...

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- amybuddy45
on Aug. 21, 2008 at 5:01 PM
That's all I have to say is WOW!

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- 1GRANDMA
on Aug. 21, 2008 at 5:07 PM
Very interesting WOW!

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- butterfli4201
on Aug. 21, 2008 at 5:10 PM
Interesting fact. But if you think about it, what is ketchup really? A squished and boiled TOMATO!! It is a veggie(or fruit depending on who you ask). But I can make any food healthy sounding.LOL.

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- nutymom06
on Aug. 21, 2008 at 5:20 PM
cool!!!!!!!!!!!

----- Visit my CafeMom homepage at http://www.cafemom.com/home/nutymom06

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- lvns2my1
on Aug. 21, 2008 at 6:15 PM
Wow - I didn't know that! That happened the same year I was born.... You really can learn something new every day. :)