Well, this is ridiculous.
A Chicago public school has banned students from bringing lunches from home in hopes of making sure that kids don’t eat the potentially unhealthy things their parents pack for them.
While this school’s heart is in the right place, this policy is not well-though-out.
What if a student is particularly picky about food, but still eats healthy packed lunches? What if a parent packs healthier lunches than what is available at the cafeteria?
Said J. Justin Wilson, a senior researcher at the Washington-based Center for Consumer Freedom:
“This is such a fundamental infringement on parental responsibility. Would the school balk if the parent wanted to prepare a healthier meal? This is the perfect illustration of how the government’s one-size-fits-all mandate on nutrition fails time and time again. Some parents may want to pack a gluten-free meal for a child, and others may have no problem with a child enjoying soda.”
The other problem is that cafeteria lunches can be more expensive than lunches brought from home, straining the pockets of many familiies.
We can’t imagine this policy will last very long.
[Image via AP Images.]