“The bagels used to be so good but now I won’t buy them,” Sophomore Jimmy Nisevoccia told me Thursday.
“Yes, I prefer the old bagels,” Mr. Batsch, Madison’s Band teacher, commented. “They just tasted better.”
So, what could possibly be going on with Madison High School’s bagels this year? The answer is simple.
Whole Wheat. 51 percent of it actually. And it’s not just bagels.
“Pasta, pretzels, pizza, even cookies” are at least 51 percent whole wheat this year, Madison’s food director, Gloria Phythian, explained.
“You have the government to blame for that one,” another food staff member added.
And she would be right. The Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act passed in 2010 was just one of First Lady Michelle Obama’s many initiatives in the fight against childhood obesity.
Now, no one is saying that greater funding and higher health standards in the school food system is a negative. But, it’s obvious that Madison simply prefers white carbs.
“The whole wheat cookies taste like cardboard,” comments Freshman Victoria Reyda.
“It’s made my job a lot more difficult,” Phythian continues. “I bet the kids aren’t fans of the change, but it’s not up to us.”
Leave a comment below and let us know how you feel about the battle between wheat and white.
Leah Humphrey • Nov 16, 2014 at 6:05 pm
I love your article… especially the title. It’s truly inspiring. btw i agree… i would be really mad if our cafeteria switched our bagels to wheat.