4th Grader Shows Reality of School Lunch

“Yuck” is a short documentary about school lunches in New York Public Schools.  Zachary Maxell decided to show the food that was on the menu compared to what was being offered in his lunch room.  He spent 75 days filming undercover. The result is a short, but informative documentary about school lunch.

His pictures were enlightening.  He gave a quick rundown about calories and what kids need to stay healthy.  He talked about additives and fresh food. The reality of what school kids are being fed is shocking to some, but probably not most fourth graders.

Here are some facts about what was advertised on the menu versus what was being served.

• “Two or more advertised items” were served only 51 percent of the time
• “All advertised items” were served only 16 percent of the time
• Pizza or cheese sticks were served 28 percent of the time, regardless of what the menu advertised

He did acknowledge that the school lunch program does have a big job. Some of the meals were good, but overall the food was disappointing.

The bottom line is: if you want your kids to eat healthy, you’re going to have to make their lunches yourself. What do you think about your kid’s school lunch? With school starting back soon, how do you decide what to do about your kid’s lunch?

Yuck: A 4th Grader’s Short Documentary About School Lunch from Maxwell Project on Vimeo.