By Terrell Brown Staff Writer
It’s lunch time at Douglass, but where’s the meat?
Four years ago, the Frederick Douglass lunch program started to have something called Meatless Monday, and now every Detroit Public School participates.
DPS was the first district in the nation to have Meatless Mondays, according to DPS nutrition director Betti Wiggins. Wiggins and the DPS Office of School Nutrition are housed on the Douglass campus.
Every Monday at lunch, no meat options are served. Instead, students can eat meat alternatives like grilled cheese, beans and yogurt. It all started because of first lady Michelle Obama.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s website, “the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act [was] championed by the First Lady and signed by President Obama.”
The act requires that a meat or meat alternative be offered at each meal. Though Meatless Monday meets mandatory provisions for protein, the growing young men at Douglass are not all happy about it.
“I don’t like Meatless Mondays. That’s why every time it’s Monday, I bring my own lunch,” said Douglass junior Christian Baker. “I really wish they would get rid of Meatless Mondays for good.”
Some students have mixed feelings, like Douglass junior Kamar Graves.
“It’s very healthy and good. I look forward to Meatless Mondays,” he said at first. Then, “I really think Meatless Mondays isn’t that good, maybe because I don’t really like the stuff they give you that don’t have meat. The chili they have still seems like it has no meat.”
The dissatisfaction with the chili may be because it doesn’t have any meat, just beans. The program is designed to acclimate students to lower fat, lower sodium protein sources, like beans.
“It’s a very good opportunity to introduce a healthy entree to kids that’s not necessarily a meat protein, but delivers the same nutritional value,” Wiggins said.
Since the inception of Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, students across the country have been tweeting at #ThanksMichelleObama and posting shots of school meals with their comments, mostly negative or sarcastic.
“Had a yummy lunch today, guys. Salami and mold,” tweeted @my_neeshaa this month.
“Can you say, ‘cat food for lunch’? #ThanksMichelleObama Wish your spoiled children could eat this,” tweeted @trivolutiongame this year.
“Yeah for school lunch? Meatless Mondays. What is this crap?” tweeted @conservRachel at the beginning of the school year.
