Rachael Ray: free lunch helps eliminate social pressure on kids

Education

SPECIAL TO THE NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Friday, April 25, 2014, 12:09 AM

Aaron Davidson/Getty Images for Food Network So Rachael Ray writes that improving the quality and access to healthy food and making lunches free for all kids will eliminate the social pressures they face.

When I was young and lived in Cape Cod with my grandfather, he sent me to school every day with a homemade sandwich.

That changed when I got to middle and high school in Lake George, N.Y., and we would just eat what was made for us in the cafeteria.

Lunch back then was 40 cents and everyone had a big hot meal. We had lunch ladies we loved, and they cooked real food. It was a social, loving, wonderful experience.

They served everything — chicken with crispy noodles on top, and pizza day was always a big deal. It was very good food.

If we wanted something extra, like chocolate milk or french fries, we would have to pay a little bit more — about 50 cents more. We didn’t stress about who’s on this line or who’s on that line. It was a different time.

Aaron Showalter/New York Daily News Rachael Ray supports the push for offering free lunches to all students at the city’s public schools.

Now, kids at some schools have 20 minutes to get in and out of the cafeteria, and students are divided into the “haves” and the “have-nots” — that’s putting too much social pressure on kids.

I think a lot of schools are really putting their heart into the issue, but we have a long way to go.

The only way to approach it is improve the quality and access to healthy food in our public schools, and to make lunch free for all of our kids.

Rachael Ray hosts the talk show “Rachael Ray” and three Food Network series.

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