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Random Fri Sep 14 2007
How much should we pay for our kids' health?
Chicago Tribune's Julie Deardorff blogged earlier this week about a company offering "healthy, eco-friendly school lunches" to kids for five bucks a lunch. The company, Green Bag Lunch offers a meal containing "whole grains, lean protein, fresh organic fruits and veggies, and a delicious treat for dessert," which, according to Deardorff's blog, offers a lesson in portion control. All of the packaging is made of "re-usable, recyclable and biodegradable materials" and meals are delivered right to students' lunch rooms.
In theory, this a great idea, right? Well, that is until you discover that each school lunch costs five dollars, and that parents have to order a minimum of 20 lunches. If my math is correct, that's about $100 a month on school lunches for one kid.
Deardorff writes, "Weber acknowledges that a $5 lunch isn't for everyone, every day." Isn't that like acknowledging that healthy food isn't for everyone, every day? Who is it for then?
It should come as no surprise then that Green Bag Lunch is testing out their program in Evanston, Highland Park and Wilmette.
At least the goal is to get the lunches down to $3 each. It's more reasonable, but still pretty unattainable for many parents.
