Last week I introduced to TLT readers an anonymous school food professional named “Wilma” who let me share a frank email regarding the difficulties she faces in trying improve school food. In that email, she noted that parents hold a wide range of views about what school food should look like and expect her to somehow please all of them — on a severely limited budget, no less.
After I ran the post, Chef Ann Cooper contacted me to ask if she could repost Wilma’s email on her Lunch Box blog and the Lunch Box’s Facebook page. I of course agreed (the blog link is here) but I also wanted to share Chef Ann’s message to me (with her permission):
. . .Wilma’s story feels so similar to mine – even here in Boulder. From a parent’s point of view – we’re either not organic/vegan/dairy free/wheat free, etc. enough, OR, where are the chocolate milk & chicken nuggets, and who am I to tell kids what to eat?
It’s disheartening to realize that a leading school food reformer like Chef Ann faces the same problem, even in a place like Boulder, which has shown clear community-wide support for reform.
I’m not sure what the answer is — if there even is an answer. But I can report that it made Wilma feel better to know that someone like Chef Ann is in the exact same boat.
Maggie says
Thanks for passing this on. I appreciate it too. I guess it’s good to know that it seems that most are in that same boat…some small bit of comfort in that.