What if Our Preschool Serves Fast Food?

from Carla in Pennsylvania...

My daughter's preschool does a "Fast Food Friday" one day a month where the kids are served a meal from a fast food restaurant. I know it's just one day a month but I don't like the idea of the school endorsing fast food AT ALL. Many of the parent's have this idea that it's great because it's a "special treat" for them and that if you don't want your kid to eat it you can pack their own lunch that day. Of course I can but I don't think it's right that my child should have to watch the other kids eat their "treat" without her. I don't want her to even think of fast food as a treat.

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Carla,

I'm sorry to hear of your predicament (and astonished that this is happening at preschool). Serving fast food at preschool doesn't set a good example of healthy eating. But I completely understand the difficulties with changing the status quo, especially when it comes to food.

Learn About the School Nutrition Policy

A good approach is to speak directly with the director/principal of the school. The school probably has a nutrition policy (if it's a public school it has to) and you can ask to see the policy. The fast food meal meal may not meet the standards set in the nutrition policy.

Give Examples of Other Schools Offering Healthier Foods

Talk to the director/principal about trends in school meals - many schools are serving healthier, fresher options that are less processed and include whole, natural local and/or organic foods. A great resource for background information is Chef Ann Cooper's website - http://www.chefann.com/blog/. She is well-known for improving food programs at public schools in California. She offers current news articles and tips for improving school meals.

Offer Fun and Healthy Alternatives

Then, let the director/principal know that you are in favor of offering healthy meals and snacks at your child's preschool. One part of making your school's meals healthier is to end the fast food lunch 'treat.' Have alternatives for a monthly treat in mind - some ideas:

A picnic (inside or outside) where the kids get to eat on blankets

Do a monthly food theme where a certain food or food group is the focus of circle time or other preschool activities. Then, center the monthly meal on the food of the month.

Let the kids help with lunch preparation once a month. Assign jobs such as kneading pizza dough, washing berries, etc.

Start a school garden and use produce from it (of course this won't be available right away!)

The point is to make the meal fun for the kids but still centered on the fundamentals of a high quality diet.

Good Luck!

by Kati Chevaux

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