TLT readers may remember an early blog feature called the “Kids’ Snack Hall of Shame,” in which fed-up parents submitted stories and photos of the unnecessary junk food served to their kids at camps, art lessons, tennis clinics, bowling leagues, and more. I haven’t posted a “Hall of Shame” in a while, but this one might just take the cake.
Or the brownie and Coke, that is.
This summer day camp’s literature, submitted to me by a reader, actually requires parents to send with their children four liters of soda per week, along with two dozen cookies or brownies:
As indicated, the soda and baked goods are served with lunch, which might be fine with some parents if that lunch is otherwise nutritious.
Well, here’s the camp’s lunch menu:
Ay yai yai!
When the parent gently voiced her concerns to this camp’s director in an email, the director replied that she was “red faced” but offered no apologies or indication that she’d improve the food offered. Instead the parent was told, “if you disapprove, please send your child with some more nutritious choices.”
People, will we ever get to the point when nutritious, wholesome food is the baseline fare for kids, and camp directors have to tell parents, “If you disapprove of your child drinking water and eating fruit, vegetables and whole grain snacks, feel free to send him with a bottle of Coke?”
I’m not holding my breath.
Do you have a TLT Hall of Shame submission? Send the info my way using the Contact tab and it may show up as my next installment in the series.
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Barbara M says
I’m speechless.
Veggievangelist says
I’m not speechless. My son and nieces showed up at the local YMCA camp as day campers three summers ago. We picked them up that afternoon and my son’s comment about how camp was, wasn’t about how camp was, but what they served him for snack (a pre-pack of Fruit Loops), lunch (pizza, a 12 oz. can of Coke and a Snickers bar). The “excuse” was that the food ordered for the camp was delayed, so they just basically emptied out the canteen for the campers. My niece is going there soon as a resident camper, so I’ll be curious to know if they’ve cleaned up their act one iota in the intervening three years.
Jinni says
Wow, when I went to camp back in the day, they partnered with a local farm and all the food was cooked in the huge kitchen. I wonder what they serve these days . . . . Maybe it helped that it was sleep away camp and the parents could only send food via care packages.
Library Dave says
I wish you wouldn’t redact the name of the camp. These things won’t change until we parents refuse to send our kids to these places.
Bettina Elias Siegel says
Library Dave: I know you found and tried to post the camp name on line and I understand your view that disclosure/shaming is a good thing. However, I do feel committed to protecting the privacy of those who submit “Hall of Shame” information and am willing to let the camp remain anonymous for that reason.
bw1 says
Does Consumer Reports redact the name of manufacturers who produce defective goods? The free market runs on information – information in the hands of consumers. If you have that information and won’t share it, then the system can’t work.
Or would you, as seems the pattern here, rather simply have Big Brother coerce all camps into complying with your preferences, thus removing the need for consumers to have the information by relieving them of choices?
Bettina Elias Siegel says
Bw1 – as I already explained above, I, too, might want to “name names” but I respect my readers’ requests for anonymity. Moreover, I’ve never held this blog out as some sort of kid/food “Consumer Reports.” Rather, I report and comment on general trends.
Lisa says
Just want to brag about Camp Champions in Marble Falls, TX. Several years ago they replaced treat time with “Fruit Frenzy”; the stopped serving soda at treat time (never did with meals); they added gluten free as an option if needed; they offer a salad bar!!!
Bettina Elias Siegel says
Love the idea of a “Fruit Frenzy!” Did it go over well with campers?
Lisa says
Have not heard any complaints about Fruit Frenzy – they are really good at finding a positive spin on things. They also built an outdoor kitchen and they do cooking – its called the OCP (outdoor cooking pavilion) – not sure what they cook except for homemade pizzas in a pizza oven.
Karen Frenchy says
Oh my! It feels like there’s no hope…
pink slimer says
I have been trying to teach my son to enjoy fruits and vegetables more than i do, when i went to school i don’t think iever once saw apiece of fruit with lunch, my mom always choked everything from scratch, and had to hide the vegatables in the main courses, i still only like fruit with cream and sugar, and vegatables with butter or fatback,but i really hope that when he starts school that they give alittle better choices to the kids,i always trashed my lunch and or traded it for candy and cookies or donuts, and only got into getting healthy in jr collage, it’s amazing i want fat,but my kid loves fruit, but don’t really like vegatables
pink slimer says
Cooked from scratch, not choked,lol
anton's mom says
This is very sad. When I went to camp, everything was cooked from scratch. I now try and volunteer in the camp kitchen and keep that home cooking tradition going.
I had a proud mommy moment last week when I went over my son’s upcoming day camp schedule at a family resort. When I asked him if he wanted me to pay extra so he can have the daily camp lunch offering, he refused and asked that I make his lunch instead.
bw1 says
So pull your kid out of the camp! It’s not rocket science. If consumers want something badly enough to pay what it takes to make delivering that something profitable, someone will deliver it.
“if you disapprove, please send your child with some more nutritious choices.”
Better yet, if you disapprove, find another camp, or better yet, stop contracting out raising your kid,
Bettina Elias Siegel says
bw1:
Really? We have no right as consumers to voice our concerns to the providers of goods and services? Isn’t it useful to the provider to receive consumer feedback, thus gaining an better understanding of what the market wants, rather than having its customers disappear with no explanation?
And your attitude toward camp seems surprisingly hostile. I don’t think many parents would regard camp as “outsourcing child rearing.”
mommm!!! says
My son recently was invited to a “bbq” at his school as an end of year little party of sorts for all the kids enrolled in the after school enrichment programs. The menu was a hot dog, a soda, a bag of chips, and a cupcake. ugh. In the line for the “food” were three parents of normal weight, I being one of those three and there were some 50 parents there. Everyone else was obese. I kept thinking about what I was seeing and thought….I should have brought a camera to take pictures for Bettina. :/ Incidentally, I overheard several complaints from obese parents that they were only allowed one hot dog. more :/
Christina Cruz says
My son is obsessed with fruit snacks and every time we go to the store he throws a fit. I found a happy medium that I am definitely more comfortable giving him. They are called Mots Medleys. They have less sugar and it is a fruit and vegetable mix. With carrots being the vegetable. Now I would prefer him to not eat fruit snacks at all but because of these I am able to slowly get him to eat them only with meals. They are his desert. He gets them if he eats all his food.