Chicago school bans some lunches brought from home By Monica Eng and Joel Hood
growing up, i wasn't allowed to pack my own lunch, my school didn't have a ban on homemade lunches, my parents simply didn't allow it. they're thoughts were that i had to be in solidarity with my peers and suffer through the horrible lunches. not everyone could afford to pack a lunch from home, and they firmly believed that it would be unfair for me to bring outside food into school when others couldn't.
while i understand the reasoning for the principal of the Little Village Academy's ban on home lunches, I don't think that its the best approach. instead of focusing so much attention on this ban, they might consider providing healthy food workshops to the parents and students. just because they keep soda and chips out of the school doesn't mean that kids are not getting it at home or after school. nutrition and food education should be the focus, otherwise they will never really make a long term impact. besides, the lunches provided by CPS are not necessarily a healthier option, its just supporting their food vendor. to really make an impact, the school should consider a more holistic approach integrate workshops and activities that promote a healthy lifestyle, especially given that diabetes and heart disease are major health issues that plague many members of the community.
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