Do you know what your child is eating for lunch today?

It seems that all of the sudden, school lunches are in the spotlight. Whether because of Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, First Lady Michelle Obama's campaign against childhood obesity, or the legislation that is before the Senate, school lunches are the hot topic of the day!

Personally, I welcome the examination of what is being served to our children. Before I started my career in education over fifteen years ago, I had no idea what a typical school lunch consisted of. Because I was teaching at an inner city school where many of the students came from lower income families, a large number of students qualified for both free breakfast and free lunch and were having two meals plus a snack provided by the school. The quality of the food was shameful. The meals were monochromatic, carb and fat laden, and full of processed junk. I wasn't the least bit surprised that the school in Food Revolution served pizza for breakfast - my school did at least once a week.

We all need to be concerned about the foods that are being served to our children. In the documentary,Two Angry Moms, one mom sends her daughter off to school with healthy lunches each day only to find out that she is being undermined by the school who is selling her daughter fries, rice krispie treats, and other unhealthy foods. (What I particularly like about this film is that it does not just show the negatives of school lunches, but also showcases schools that are making healthy lunch programs work.)

There are a number of school districts who are working toward providing healthy real food for their students. Unfortunately, they face many obstacles as showcase by Oliver's program. You may remember seeing a partnership between the Appleton, Wisconsin school district and Natural Ovens in the 2003 film Super Size Me. The program was funded for five years and then was not continued despite the clear benefits cited by those working with the students. I spoke with several people both at Natural Ovens and at the Appleton School District. No one was able to speak to why the program was not continued and I was continually directed to call the company currently providing the districts food which is located in VA.

This futile quest for information only served to demonstrate how difficult it is for parents to get any kind of relevant information about their child's school lunch. The district defers to the district's food provider. Once you get a live local person representing that company, they say that they cannot tell you anything and that you need to call corporate.

So what is a concerned parent to do?

First, educate yourself. Find out what is being served at your child's school - stop in and have lunch with your child if you are able. Take advantage of the information that is out there. Here are some great resources:

Two Angry Moms DVD

Join Two Angry Moms on Facebook to find like-minded parents and local events

Learn more at REAP's website

Check out http://www.schoolfoodfocus.org/

There are a ton of great resources at Natural Press including an information kit that details the Natural Ovens/Appleton program I spoke of above.

One brave teacher and blogger is publishing daily photos of the lunches her school is serving.

Once you have information, make your voice heard. Find other parents who are also concerned and let your local school district know your thoughts. Write your congress members and let them know as well.

And until the schools make healthy food a priority, I will be sending Little J's lunch from home. If this is something you are considering as well, you definitely will want to check out my Easy Lunchboxes review and giveaway!