Two years ago I posted about how frugal people supposedly "hurt the economy" by brown-bagging lunches. But this is a different slant on how what I eat (or what my children eat) will come under someone else's scrutiny in the near future:
"At the provincial level, nutrition standards that eliminate trans fats and reduce sugar and sodium in foods sold in schools are a patchwork effort. Food guidelines are mandatory in British Columbia, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Quebec has prohibited the sale of deep-fried foods and soft drinks on high-school grounds. In Ontario, schools face a deadline of September, 2011, to comply with the province’s new school food and beverage policy."--Globe and Mail, October 4, 2010This particular storm has been threatening for quite awhile now.
Basically, we soon won't be able to send any lunches to public elementary or secondary schools that don't meet government nutritional standards. (The quote above mentions foods sold in schools, but most elementary schools around here don't have cafeterias or serve hot lunches; kids bring their own if they're lucky enough to actually have a lunch hour (many have shorter "nutrition breaks" instead). As I understand it, the standards will apply to food brought from home as well as food sold at school.) Pay attention: that's government nutritional standards. I may fervently believe in butter and coconut oil, but if the government dictates low-fat margarine, that's what counts as "nutritious." White bread, processed cheese, cold pizza, cookies, anything not on the okay list--will go in the garbage. Only 1-cup portions of chocolate milk will be permitted. There will be no microwaves for high school students to heat frozen dinners. Even once-a-month french fry days will disappear.
Mr. Fixit was listening to a talk radio show about this today, and mentioned it to one of his co-workers, a slightly younger man whose immediate reaction was, "Great! More nutrition! Thinner children!"
When Mr. Fixit told me that, I said he should have responded with, "How'd you like your boss to check what YOU have for lunch today?"
It's a question of my homemade wholewheat carrot cookies vs. your double chocolate fudge, and/or the fact that I bought white rolls on the weekend and that's what I have this morning to make sandwiches with, and/or my vegan soy cheese vs. your 100% Cheddar.
It's a question of my Asian or European or Caribbean leftovers vs. your tuna salad with sprouts on whole wheat. Or is tuna bad? Or are sprouts bad? What kind of sprouts? If you don't recognize the name of what I brought, do I get to eat it? How does horse-meat salami stack up beside tofu salad?
It's a question of what I can afford and what I have in the cupboard vs. what somebody else would force me to buy or not buy.
It's not a question of nutrition. It's a question of rights. Rights that are systemically being...eaten away.
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