What are we really teaching our kids in their school lunch hour?
JAMES COLQUHOUN
When our children go to school, we expect them to get a good education. But what we’re educating them about food during their lunch hour could end up being disastrous to their health….
Here in Australia, parents typically organise their children’s lunch for them to bring to school. In the United States however, children are relying solely on the school to provide a nutritious lunchtime meal. Unfortunately this system is failing.
Our June FMTV Film Club documentary, Lunch Hour, details the disturbingly unhealthy National School Lunch System in the United States. A system that’s exposing children to unhealthy, but culturally acceptable foods at a young age. Instead of green vegetables, balanced meals and quality food, children are being fed hamburgers, fries, chicken nuggets and sugary beverages, some of which aren’t even fast-food grade quality! While this has changed somewhat over the past few years due to government regulations and grass roots change, so much more can still be done.
Thankfully the film also showcases organisations, companies and individuals that are making changes to improve the quality and nutritional value of food at certain schools. Implementing both fun and sustainable ways to get the children involved, educated and excited about eating well. I have such admiration and support for those organisations and individuals who are working so hard to feed our children good quality, nourishing food at school. It’s really inspiring to watch!
When it comes to the obesity crisis, there are many more factors at play than just school lunches. But such perfect opportunities to teach kids about eating well and nourishing their bodies are being completely overlooked due to a faulty, under-funded system that is more hung up on saving a dollar than looking after our children.
As a father, it pains me to think that Hugo would be sent to school and told to eat this kind of food in the US, as if it’s the normal thing to do. What are we telling our children when they are being fed this kind of food each and every day? We’re missing a vital opportunity to nourish and educate our kids that healthy food really does matter!
Whether you have kids or not, this film provides a fascinating insight into one of the most powerful ways we’re conditioning the next generations to eat.
Watch Lunch Hour on FMTV today!
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James Colquhoun is the filmmaker behind Food Matters, Hungry For Change, and Transcendence Seasons 1 & 2 and founder of Food Matters and FMTV. Along with Laurentine ten Bosch, James founded the Food Matters community following the release of the 2008 documentary, giving people the tools (films, books, articles, and guided programs) to take charge of their own health. From here, FMTV was born! It was designed as a place where you can access vital information by watching all of your favorite inspiring documentaries, expert interviews, & recipe videos in one place, and in early 2020 FMTV found it's new home on Gaia.