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Bag Lunch Ban Raises Concerns

By: Emily Finnegan

WILLIAMSON COUNTY -- Healthy eating in schools made headlines this week after officials at a Chicago-area school revealed they don't allow students to bring their lunches from home.

Administrators at that private school banned bag lunches six years ago, saying students were eating more unhealthy foods when they brought their lunch to school.

But local parents don't agree with that logic.

"I think you should have the choice, you should have the option," said Dawn Sisk.

"I think they should leave it up to the parents," explained Ryan Rice.

Healthy eating in schools is getting a lot of nationwide attention. The First Lady launched a campaign to help get kids more healthy last year. Childhood obesity has tripled in the last 30 years; today nearly one in three children are overweight.

This week the Illinois House passed a measure that would remove all trans fats from vending machines in schools. Legislators are also considering a bill to ban those fats from school lunches as well.

Amelia Essary runs the cafeteria at Northside Primary in Herrin. She thinks an all-out ban on food from home is too extreme but understands the reasoning behind it.

"One kid might come in with like just a juice," Essary said, "A bag of chips. And that would be it. It's really sad."

School officials say when students buy their lunch in the cafeteria, they can guarantee that they're sitting down to a balanced meal.

"You have to have your protein. You have to have your vegetable, your fruit and naturally your milk and your grain," said Jackie Giles, Herrin District Cafeteria Manager.

Giles feeds more than 1,7000 students each day. She sees one major problem with a bag lunch ban.

"I feel like the schools offer the better lunch," she said, "But if the child don't like it, is not going to eat it, what are we accomplishing?"

Parents agree.

"There's a lot of foods in there that aren't up to par for me. The whole grains are lacking, some of the fruits aren't whole foods," said Laura Martis.

"As a father of a young son and a father of a young daughter, I know what healthy foods to give my own kids," Ryan Rice told News Three.