Friday 18 May 2012

I totally forgot for half the morning then at lunchtime it came right to my head to tell my friends they are allowed as much salad, bread and fruit as they like. I told them to spread it around the school quickly because no one had gone around the classes and told them. I was a bit nervous to ask but I did ask for more peas!

I chose a Chicken grill which on the old menu was called a chicken burger but it is exactly the same. With it I had chips which means it must be Friday and you can see my extra peas! One of my peas was black, I had a black eyed pea! If you look closely its the one in the middle. I love the sticky gooey icing the school puts on its sponges.

Food-o-meter- 9/10
Mouthfuls- 44, I left the black pea
Courses- main/dessert
Health Rating- 4/10
Price- £2
Pieces of hair- 0

Last year my friends and I started a club, which the school let us run, called Charity Children. We raised money for Mary's Meals. In our first sale we raised £70 in three hours which is enough to feed 7 children school lunches for a WHOLE YEAR! A lot of kids go to school everyday just for the food. Each lunch costs 6p to make.


This is Liberia. It's rice, fish and vegetables. I hope they are eating the meals we paid for.


VEG







61 comments:

  1. Wow, your lunches look really unappetizing. How is that enough food to last all afternoon? What is a croquette? Don't they give you any fruit?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Its this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Croquette

      Delete
  2. Hello!
    My daughter never eats the school lunch because she says it is always gross, it seems the "free lunch" for those less fortunate is worse than one that isn't included that you have to pay for even if you are on the "free lunch" seems kindof wrong. :(

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am not sure where your daughter goes to school and what age she is. In the primary school where I work as a teacher all the children having a school lunch are offered the same food and there is certainly no distinction between those children who pay for their meal and those who are entitled to it for free. I wonder though if this is different in a cafeteria style system often used in secondary schools. Our school lunches are a whole lot more appetising than those shown on this blog and many of the teachers choose to buy a school meal a few times a week as they are really quite tasty!

      Delete
  3. These seem really unappetizing meals and really not sufficient. I commend you for doing these posts and publicizing what sort of meals you and your classmates are being given and hope that you continue to do this. In North America, depending on where you live, most kids will bring their own lunches to school, which usually consists of some sort of sandwich, a drink, and a snack. Continue with the awesome work.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Best blog ever!!! I hope I have a kid some day who is just as brilliant as you are!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I'm wondering how much chicken was in the chicken burger.
    My guess is 'not much'!

    ReplyDelete
  6. wow, this is fascinating! i am so enjoying your blog! (& i'm a 35 year old mama!)

    ReplyDelete
  7. 美味しそうだけどちょっと量が少ないね。

    ReplyDelete
  8. It appears that those Nigerian children you're helping are getting a better lunch than yours!

    I see one 'chicken burger' that appears to be a lot like the 99p ones at McDonald's, six chips (if there are any more lurking unseen, please correct me), a decent amount of peas, and a bit of cake.

    This is not the worst meal I've seen here nutritionally, but it's still mingy. It would have inspired my nine-year-old self to emulate Oliver Twist confronting the master - 'Please, Sir - I want some more!'

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hi, Melissa, I am Flora from Taiwan. Talk about school meal plan here. From Kindergarten to High school, Taiwan here will have two or three committee to work on it. One is the major lead, school, which is the pay and order window. Two is the parent committee, usually have rights to randomly check or report the meal plan's flaw.

    The third one is the student committee, not in kindergarten, but start from Elementary school. Design the receipt or order component is one of their mission. I guess the system is from Japan since 60s.

    They hope students care what they eat and know what they eat. They also hope student doing the prepare and clean job before and after. It is parts of the education all the time. Also mixed various event, like mama cook day. or papa cook day. In typhoon season, vegetable and fruit will be very expensive due to rain too much. So they may have Pasta day (lol)

    While I was in high school's meal plan, we do have to give this monthly order to chief. Our way is not person by person, but table by table. Each table, 8 girls. One table master to arrange meal tasks, so far so on. Briefly saying that, more family table way, not the buffet/cafeteria way.

    In your pictures, it is good that green food start to show on. Not the brown good. A simple rule that we let kid know is about 'five color each day' which is Rice/Noodle/Tofu : White. Veg: Green-Red-Yello-Black. Meat:Brown...

    I also notice you use Plastic Plate. Taiwan here use Metal one due to more heating concern. We love Hot food!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. What a great way to do lunch, table by table, I like it!

      Veg

      Delete
  10. The food that the little ones are eating in the other pic might look unappetising to the rest of us, but believe me, this is probably the only meal of the day for most of them! Tragic and terrible, but true. I worked in a school on a volunteer basis and the school head had set up a feeding scheme after he noticed that the majority of the kids didn't bring food to school. The poverty in their homes was so immense that the parent/s just couldn't afford it. Now, even though it's only one meal a day, at least they get something warm and nutritious. The level of grades has picked up and the kids are generally better behaved.
    Again, well done to you Martha (and your dad) for having the courage to speak out about this.
    (and don't take the black pea personally... :) )

    ReplyDelete
  11. I hope they are eating with your help, too. Keep it up! I'm over here in the USA and think your school lunches are way better than what we used to get. It's an interesting read, so thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  12. What an amazing blog! You are doing more for others then most people will do their whole lives. You are an inspiration.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Ya well done for raising money for such a gr8 charity our shools doing the same

    @n!m@[ $@v£r

    :-)

    ReplyDelete
  14. What a lovely girl you are!

    ReplyDelete
  15. That's brilliant! It's a bit silly though if they have a rule where you're allowed to have as much bread, vegetables and fruit as you like but they don't tell anyone! Good on you for spreading it around.

    Fantastic work on the charity fundraising too. Just by linking it here I'm sure you'll get more funds raised for them.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Well done!!!! Amazing work and blog!!

    ReplyDelete
  17. School Dinners never do look all that appetizing.. But if you can have as much veg as you like.. then at least that's some sort of progress.

    ReplyDelete
  18. I have a question, Veg (or perhaps Veg's Dad): Is the school lunch programme in your school for-profit or non-profit?

    In America, school lunch programmes have traditionally been non-profit, with all money going towards the cost of food, kitchen and catering staff. But with today's 'privatisation,' some schools have turned their lunchrooms over to specialist catering firms who must make a profit. In every case I'm familiar with, the quality of lunch declines when the profit motive is introduced.

    I am asking because of the very small amount of food Veg's school offers for £2. If a specialist firm is trying to make a profit, it would seem they are trying to profit too much. If the lunch programme is non-profit, it would seem that there is wastefulness or some other factor reducing the amount of money spent of the food served.

    It would be very interesting to know where Veg's £2 goes each day, because not much of it seems to appear on the plate!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lunch is non profit run by the council. They say it costs £3 per child to make, but they only charge £2. The council are happy with the food they make.

      Veg's Dad

      Delete
    2. great job on this blog! it is waaay more interesting (and truthful) than most things i tend to see online. i also love that you are proving something that some kids+adults dont always believe: kids opinions matter! super amazing!! thank you for being a breath of fresh air.
      ps my mom works for a catering company that does a lot of school lunch programs here in the chicago area. and they offer really healthy options that i certainly never had when i was in school. i dont know how the price compares to regular school lunches, but you can get a lot of food for about $3.50. sometimes i go "visit" her just to get some of the great food. lol.

      Delete
    3. Veg's Dad, I cannot see how it costs the council £3 to provide the tiny portions of food I'm seeing on your daughters fabulous blog. I think that must includes staffing costs.

      Delete
  19. hey-great post-now everyone knows they can ask for more veg or salad. Black eye pea...great one! :)

    ReplyDelete
  20. Well done for your amazing work! It's so inspirational for other young people to see people like you taking charge of their world, and refusing to be 'put in place' just because you are young. Congratulations :)

    Rosie

    http://ciderwithrosiebee.blogspot.co.uk/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I like your blog becasue it has cats. We dont have cats because Mum is allergic.

      Veg

      Delete
  21. Love your bog. (American kids can't even put together a decent sentence at age 9, nevermind write a blog!) It's amazing what can be accomplished by shining a little light on the subject. Keep up the good work!

    ReplyDelete
  22. I love you blog! I'm so proud of you (and your Dad)for doing this. It is an amazing achievement. Very, very well done, you are an inspiration!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Hi I´m Juan again from the vasque country, I'm glad because you have improved your desire, I wish you had good luck with your work.

    ReplyDelete
  24. I have shown my class of year 4s your blog and they have found it amazing what you have done. We will keep checking back!

    Miss Grantham

    See our class blog here: https://www.radiowaves.co.uk/bearwavesradio/blogs/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Miss Grantham.

      I like the vikings in your blog!

      Veg

      Delete
  25. Brilliant work. Maybe you'll be the next top food critic.

    I particularly like the pieces of hair rating. I think that all restaurants should adopt this rating and pay you for the privilege.

    May you have many more hairless meals.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Just wanted to say bravo on your blog :] I'm 22 now but my most vivid memory of school dinners was the 'riot' we had when chips and gravy went up from 62p to 66p!
    Keep on keeping on!

    ReplyDelete
  27. Your work is very inspiring, you are moving mountains around the world bit by bit. Keep up the excellent work. Cheers.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Well done kiddo! I am from Singapore and I have a 10 year old son. I wish he can write like you! Enjoy writing this blog and best wishes! Please keep up your good work! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  29. Hey great blog! Keep up the good work!

    ReplyDelete
  30. Hey...keep up the fab work. A lot of us in Bangalore, India are talking about your blog :).

    ReplyDelete
  31. Cool blog, Veg! I worked as an English teacher in Japan for three years and the lunches we got were amaaaaaaaaaaaaaaazing. I think Japan is generally pretty good, but my town was especially excellent. Pictures of US lunches look so awful in comparison. That Taiwan one you posted was more like what we got. Keep up the good work.

    ReplyDelete
  32. I never allowed my children to eat school food. Yes, every morning I made 3 lunches, healthy, very tasty, plenty, varied. Their friends would ask them to have me make lunch for them also which I could not afford money or time to make them for 8+ more children. I am appalled at what schools in America feed our children. It is disgusting to look at, horrible tasting and has no real nutritional value. So sad.

    ReplyDelete
  33. Hi Veg,
    I love checking this blog every couple days to see what you've been served next - keep up the good work you are a little star! Great entertainment as well as great education ;)

    ReplyDelete
  34. Totally Brilliant! Back when I was eating school lunches the rolls were so hard you could bang them on the table and they still wouldn't break. Bravo to you for being so clever. Wishing you many more hairless and hopefully tasty and healthful meals. Happy to be following your blog. You may be at the beginnings of a stellar career.

    ReplyDelete
  35. Hi Veg! This is Will from the United States! It's really amazing what is happening there! It's no small wonder my mom didn't allow me to eat lunch in school.

    Keep up the great work little one! I am a reporter so I may be talking to you soon for a story!

    ReplyDelete
  36. I found you on Yahoo! Please follow me professionallynot-so-professional.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  37. nice blog...i'm really hungry right now, juz by looking at your blog,it makes me really hungry...(:

    ReplyDelete
  38. So inspiring! Last year you started a charity. This year a blog. I cried a little at your truly inspiring projects. Thank you for making a difference and sharing it with us.

    ReplyDelete
  39. Congratulations on getting everyone the extra fruit, salad, and bread. I always hated the school lunches when I was in school; it's nice to see someone working hard to get them improved.

    ReplyDelete
  40. Looks like the lunch crew slacked off a bit compare to the day before :(. By the way, the charity you and your classmates started...awesome work. Best of luck and God bless you for helping others.

    Best regards,
    Joe

    ReplyDelete
  41. Congratulations to you and your friends through this initiative, it gives me great pain when I'm in a place that I see people throw your food or leave it loose, when children are in the world who have nothing. S.O.S. Children's Villages have a program which participated in that month with a small fee you support the feeding of a child for one year.

    ReplyDelete
  42. Hi, Melissa, I like the table way, too. It brought me a lot of great time around the table. We love table jokes! I still remember one time, the joke was too funny. One girl is drinking corn soup. She just launch, cough and choke! a corn fly out from her nose suddenly .... and we laugh to tears!

    Honestly, meal from school wasn't delicious all the time. It might be too healthy and boring. But table by table way is sort of making food with lots of stories. I miss my dinner table friends now...

    Have you ever talk about food with your friends while eating? Taiwanese love to talk about food because this topic is always trendy and popular. I have a 3Y boy now. He has a food picture book and he loves to help me to prepare dinner. (like wash potato or pick up green peas) Every time after his help, he has more appetite for eating.

    Keep blogging here. You are very important now :D

    ReplyDelete
  43. Wow, Amazing blog!!! Keep going!

    ReplyDelete
  44. Preferiria ter todas as refeições iguais a saber que milhões de crianças passam fome e sede todos os dias.

    ReplyDelete
  45. No entanto, é isso ai, se ha possibilidade que vossa senhoria tenha um cardápio variado sem interferir na alimentação mundial. SENTA O DEDO E RECLAMA MESMO !

    ReplyDelete
  46. Carlos Costa acho vc um fanfarrão, se as nossas crianças aqui se preocupassem em estudar e se alimentar corretamente como esta menina estariam fazendo um imenso bem !!
    E você acha mesmo que essa garotinha espetacular, vai se quer pensar em traduzir seus comentários.... Me poupe, cresça e apareça !!!

    Você precisa mesmo é fazer o mesmo que ela e começar a reclamar do seu governo lixo, um dos principais causadores de miséria no Brasil !!

    ReplyDelete
  47. Working with Mary's Meals is great!
    I love how you keep on doing this blog every single day!
    Have you ever thought about sponsoring a school through Mary's Meals by asking for donations on your blog? I'm sure a lot of people would be happy to help!
    Keep up the great work!
    Love from Germany

    ReplyDelete
  48. Working with Mary's Meals is great!
    I love how you keep on doing this blog every single day!
    Have you ever thought about sponsoring a school through Mary's Meals by asking for donations on your blog? I'm sure a lot of people would be happy to help!
    Keep up the great work!
    Love from Germany

    ReplyDelete
  49. About 5 decent size chips? Shame!

    ReplyDelete
  50. It looks like you only have about 7 chips there, I'd have asked for more lol :) I love what your doing and hope you carry on. :D

    ReplyDelete
  51. Dear Martha, Love your idea! School lunches weren't ever this good at my schools, as I had to bring them from home. I reckon Mum wouldn't have stood for these comments! But that aside, its not really strange that staff would tend to try and ban any comments based on observations. None of us are perfect, and its good to know what to eat and what not...the problem is we dont like criticism. None of us. From canteen staff to public servants....Here lies the problem: many deserve criticism because of poor performance, but many do try and get it wrong...but dont wish to change...Youre lucky as your school decided your likes and dislikes are not their conceren and can only lead to better lunches etc....Be careful though. Its easy to become a MEAN critic...be balanced. Like your meals.
    You got a mention in Australia: Link http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-06-16/council-overturns-ban-on-schoolgirl27s-food-blog/4074432

    ReplyDelete
  52. I love your blog! But I find it odd that the kids in Liberia get a better, more generous portion of lunch, than you do!!!

    ReplyDelete