Cafeteria Food
I don't know how well you remember the food of your school cafeterias. I can't honestly say that I remember it well.
The food I remember was served in a partitioned styrofoam tray. The square concavity at center-top was the perfect size for our cube of chocolate milk, "blue" milk (low-fat), or "red" milk (whole milk). The large trapezoid bottom-right was where the Main went, be it grilled cheese, buttery egg noodles or something like a hamburger. In the tray's three other slots went one or two of the sides - peas and carrots, green jello, tomato soup. For an extra quarter in elementary school, we could get an ice cream. Inflation brought it to seventy-five cents by high school. It's probably four dollars now.
I have a hard time remembering more than this because the cafeteria food I grew up with was largely forgettable. Granted, there was the occasional pizza day (which was awesome), and the apple crumble was actually pretty good if you could get past the look of it. But for the most part, it was what it was - nutritious-enough sustainance mass-produced on a limited budget by unskilled cooks and served at a specific time to hundreds of people.
I was a harsh critic then. (I still am.) But looking back, it's pretty remarkable that millions of school systems across the country can do this on a daily basis. Take note, I am not showering praise on the deliciousness of our country's cafeteria food, I'm just saying it's quite a feat that so many kids get food at all. Especially for two dollars.
---
It's funny, I think, the way certain things come back to us when we're older. We start out small, bald, and toothless. We grow older and stronger only to grow older still. Eventually, in our elderly years, we might shrink in size and strength. We might lose our hair and teeth. We might need the support of a railing to walk, and the support of our families to bathe, eat, or dress.
And apparently, if you are a subscriber to the Meals on Wheels program, you can have your local cafeteria food delivered to your door.
Meals on Wheels "provides nutritious meals and other nutrition services to men and women who are elderly, homebound, frail, disabled, or at risk." To some degree, the Meals on Wheels system started in war-torn Britain, where in 1939, German bombs found many British citizens without homes, and likewise, no way to prepare food. The Women's Volunteer Service for Civil Defense followed by preparing and delivering food to the local disadvantaged. Moreover, they delivered canteens to servicemen who attached to these canteens the moniker, "Meals on Wheels."
My grandparents participate in the current incarnation of the Meals on Wheels program. Every Monday for the last six months, I've driven down to St. Joe's Elementary School to pick up seven meals for each of them. Technically, the meals are free, but we provide the suggested donation of $2.50 per meal. Each frozen meal comes with a main and a side of vegetables. With it, I also pick up a seven boxes of milk, a few fruit cups, a few apples and oranges, and seven slices of wheat bread. Every few weeks, a dessert is included - chocolate pudding cups, or cookies.
These are not excitable meals. I've been urged to try one (Grandma!), and suffice it to say, I've resisted any subsequent urgings. But, they are reliable, cheap, practical, and not awful. I'd have to say they're a step down from cafeteria food, since they are in fact that: cafeteria food, but frozen and reheated. It is, however, only a small step down.
In fact, I have to commend them for their service. Unfortunately, my grandparents live just outside the delivery zone, so rather than having it brought to their doorstep, someone has to pick the meals up for them. Fortunately, because of this, I've met some of the dozen or more people who hustle every Monday to make this happen. Every one of them is friendly and helpful, and as far as I know, almost all of them are volunteers. Naturally, the food could be better, but more than anything else, my grandparents just like to have the burden of making their own food handed over to someone else once a day. And at $2.50, it's a steal.
To be fair, my grandfather, who eats anything, and who's best compliment is, "Good," very nearly squeals with delight when I bring over something from Panda Express, or a bento from Blane's Drive Inn. Anything, to break the monotony of frozen cafeteria food. But 97 years old now, where would he be without Meals on Wheels? Moreover, since my grandmother does all the cooking, where would she be? Probably exhausted.
So anyway, it might not be the most delicious stuff, but thank goodness for cafeteria food.
The food I remember was served in a partitioned styrofoam tray. The square concavity at center-top was the perfect size for our cube of chocolate milk, "blue" milk (low-fat), or "red" milk (whole milk). The large trapezoid bottom-right was where the Main went, be it grilled cheese, buttery egg noodles or something like a hamburger. In the tray's three other slots went one or two of the sides - peas and carrots, green jello, tomato soup. For an extra quarter in elementary school, we could get an ice cream. Inflation brought it to seventy-five cents by high school. It's probably four dollars now.
I have a hard time remembering more than this because the cafeteria food I grew up with was largely forgettable. Granted, there was the occasional pizza day (which was awesome), and the apple crumble was actually pretty good if you could get past the look of it. But for the most part, it was what it was - nutritious-enough sustainance mass-produced on a limited budget by unskilled cooks and served at a specific time to hundreds of people.
I was a harsh critic then. (I still am.) But looking back, it's pretty remarkable that millions of school systems across the country can do this on a daily basis. Take note, I am not showering praise on the deliciousness of our country's cafeteria food, I'm just saying it's quite a feat that so many kids get food at all. Especially for two dollars.
---
It's funny, I think, the way certain things come back to us when we're older. We start out small, bald, and toothless. We grow older and stronger only to grow older still. Eventually, in our elderly years, we might shrink in size and strength. We might lose our hair and teeth. We might need the support of a railing to walk, and the support of our families to bathe, eat, or dress.
And apparently, if you are a subscriber to the Meals on Wheels program, you can have your local cafeteria food delivered to your door.
Meals on Wheels "provides nutritious meals and other nutrition services to men and women who are elderly, homebound, frail, disabled, or at risk." To some degree, the Meals on Wheels system started in war-torn Britain, where in 1939, German bombs found many British citizens without homes, and likewise, no way to prepare food. The Women's Volunteer Service for Civil Defense followed by preparing and delivering food to the local disadvantaged. Moreover, they delivered canteens to servicemen who attached to these canteens the moniker, "Meals on Wheels."
My grandparents participate in the current incarnation of the Meals on Wheels program. Every Monday for the last six months, I've driven down to St. Joe's Elementary School to pick up seven meals for each of them. Technically, the meals are free, but we provide the suggested donation of $2.50 per meal. Each frozen meal comes with a main and a side of vegetables. With it, I also pick up a seven boxes of milk, a few fruit cups, a few apples and oranges, and seven slices of wheat bread. Every few weeks, a dessert is included - chocolate pudding cups, or cookies.
These are not excitable meals. I've been urged to try one (Grandma!), and suffice it to say, I've resisted any subsequent urgings. But, they are reliable, cheap, practical, and not awful. I'd have to say they're a step down from cafeteria food, since they are in fact that: cafeteria food, but frozen and reheated. It is, however, only a small step down.
In fact, I have to commend them for their service. Unfortunately, my grandparents live just outside the delivery zone, so rather than having it brought to their doorstep, someone has to pick the meals up for them. Fortunately, because of this, I've met some of the dozen or more people who hustle every Monday to make this happen. Every one of them is friendly and helpful, and as far as I know, almost all of them are volunteers. Naturally, the food could be better, but more than anything else, my grandparents just like to have the burden of making their own food handed over to someone else once a day. And at $2.50, it's a steal.
To be fair, my grandfather, who eats anything, and who's best compliment is, "Good," very nearly squeals with delight when I bring over something from Panda Express, or a bento from Blane's Drive Inn. Anything, to break the monotony of frozen cafeteria food. But 97 years old now, where would he be without Meals on Wheels? Moreover, since my grandmother does all the cooking, where would she be? Probably exhausted.
So anyway, it might not be the most delicious stuff, but thank goodness for cafeteria food.
posted by Dave at
10:12 AM
1 Comments:
Didn't you have Jamaican Beef Patties and Coco Bread at BHS when you were there? I still miss the Beef Patties.
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