Should schools ban home-packed lunches?

There was an article published in the Chicago Tribune about one school banning all home-packed lunches except for medical conditions or food allergies (which itself is a medical condition, but I digress), and allowing only school-served meals.

The local morning show talked about it as well, and polled viewers if this should be the case. At last check, the results were 80% to 20% against. And the story has launched a debate across the Internet – The article’s link on Fark.com was a multiple choice question, stating “Chicago school bans a) soda in school, b) peanuts, or c) bagged lunches from home”, and sporting an “asinine” tag to launch its comments.

One morning that I was home I caught an episode of Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, which focuses on the unhealthy choices offered to children through over-regulated school meal programs. It was appalling, to say the least, and the school involved in the episode didn’t like the attention. It seems par for the course, as Jamie Oliver hit a similar snag with the Los Angeles Unified School District – reported here by Fox News.

So what do you think? Is the whole thing a good idea or not?

Comfort Food

As I write this, my wife and I are both home … sick.

The heat in the house has been bumped up about 5 degrees, Krystyne is cuddled into her blanket, and I am sporting my “sick sweater” … when I’m not burning up, that is.

And in the midst of tissues, orange juice, chicken noodle soup, and tea, my histamine-laden mind wanders to thoughts of things we do for comfort when we are sick.

Is there a particular food that you enjoyed as a child? One that when you eat it, your memories come flooding back? Maybe there’s one that you used to eat, but now due to food allergies – either in yourself or in family – are on a “naughty list”, or even banned outright?