Michelle Obama's attempt to enforce healthier lunches in cafeterias nationwide isn't working out as planned.
According to the guidelines implemented in 2012, the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act must ensure that students' dietary needs are met, and meals must be properly portioned. It is required that students receive one serving of either fresh fruits or vegetables, the Watertown Daily Times reported.
The problem is that most of the fruits and vegetables are landing in garbage cans.
Many students are opting to bring bagged lunches to school, and those who buy lunch aren't satisfied with the selections. Children who do not eat fruits or veggies at home aren't going to eat them at school either, which means that many kids will continue the day with empty bellies and feeling sluggish.
This can particularly affect athletes who remain on school grounds for approximately 3 hours after school lets out to participate in their practices or games.
"A football player isn't getting full on seven chicken nuggets, and a lot of our students who play sports are here till 6:30 p.m.," said Ella Mae "Bluejay" Fenlong, who is a food service director at Canton Central in New York. "The kids can buy extra food, but a lot of kids can't afford to."
Fenlong estimated that the students toss 85 percent of their food into the trash, and this is a common occurrence among schools across the United States.
American schools spend an estimated $3.5 million on food per day, according to EAG News, but they might as well throw it right into a "chum" bucket.
The only so-called "students" who are enjoying the prepared meals are the pigs. No, not children with an overactive appetite - literal pigs that snort and roll around in the mud.
Galloping Grace Youth Ranch in New Mexico accepts fruits and vegetables thrown away by students at several nearby elementary schools, and collects nearly five tons of scraps per week for its ranch animals.
"It's really whatever they don't eat coming off of their trays, so when they get up to the trash cans they will scrape it into one of our buckets that we pick up on a daily basis," ranch CEO Max Wade told KRQE.
Pigs, goats and chickens are enjoying the smorgasbord and "fresh salad bar" every day.
Goats prefer romaine lettuce, some pigs like grapes while others will eat "anything." The chickens are particularly fond of dinner rolls, EAG News reported.
Fenlong acknowledges that the idea to bring healthy foods to cafeterias is the right thing to do, but if the children aren't eating it, then schools must try different techniques to get students accustomed to new flavors, or school chefs should work to incorporate healthier ingredients into their dishes.
"We need to loosen the reins and give kids larger portions and more choices," Fenlong said. "We need to feed our kids, and we aren't allowed to do that."
Watch:
