My baked potato was hot with a nice crispy skin. I ate my potato first because the coronation chicken was cooling it down. I was practicing eating a little bit of everything so I ate my salad, chicken and coleslaw together. We had metal spoons today for our ice-cream which was raspberry ripple with jam around the edges and in the swirls. The tub had 'God Bless the Queen 1953-2012' written on it. I think the Queen would have really enjoyed the lunch, I did!
Food-o-meter- 9/10
Mouthfuls- 42
Courses- main/dessert
Health Rating- 7/10
Price- £2
Pieces of hair- 0 again!
Wristband- Yellow
There have been some comments on the blog saying I am lucky even to get a meal at lunch. You are right. That's why my friends and I set up Charity Children to raise money for Mary's Meals. We planted plants and decorated their pots. We made cards, felted soaps, necklaces and friendship bracelets. We sold these at school and raised £70. I was given £50 by a magazine that wanted to print my pictures so I decided to give it all to Mary's Meals.
I really like the fact that Mary's Meals feed so many children everyday. I think it encourages children to go to school as well as giving them a healthy meal. My dad has set up a Just Giving page JustGiving.com/NeverSeconds where I have put my money. I can't make you all felt soaps but please join me in helping give lunch to children that really need it.
VEG
Coronation Chicken - I might have known, LOL! That's not a dish often seen on this side of the pond, but I make it and enjoy it. In honour of Her Majesty's Jubilee, I think I will make it this week-end. It looks as if they gave you a reasonable amount of it.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your holiday!
I have really enjoyed reading your blog daily over here in New York City. You are such an inspiration to young people everywhere, that I have students reading your blog and discussing it in class. Thank you so much for putting yourself out there, and sharing your days and meals with us all. I love the fact that you are also helping a nonprofit that aligns with your mission for this blog. I will match your gift of 50 euros, with $61.91. Thank you again and keep up the great and inspiring work Martha.
ReplyDeleteMegan Wynn-Hukill
Thank you!
DeleteVeg
So not only are you a pioneer in childrens rights to have healthy and nutritious school meals, but you are a brilliant philanthropist too! It's people like you Veg, that make the world keep on turning. Let me know when you run for Prime Minister, and you've got my vote! xXx
ReplyDeletewell said!
DeleteI'm glad that you have been enjoying your lunch! What a lovely spirit you are; always pioneering, thinking of others. You are a remarkable girl!
ReplyDeleteYour lunch looked fabulous today. I liked everything on it and as a mom I would consider it a pretty wholesome and well-rounded meal.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing about Mary's Meals. I will link over there and read about them.
your lunch does look very yummy today :)
ReplyDeleteNow that looks more like a lunch you'd want to eat!
ReplyDeleteI hope you enjoy your Jubilee street party, Veg.
I endorse Hollie-emma's comment. I'd vote for you too.
Veg, I'm totally amazed with the person you are: such wise and well behaved. I have to congratulate your parents on bringing up such a great daughter. I will follow your blog and promise to read your posts up to date. Keep going!
ReplyDeleteGreetings from Poland.
Well done Marth- we're proud of you! Auntie S x
ReplyDeleteThank you Auntie S!
DeleteI've been enjoying your blog as well daily from Kotzebue, Alaska :) Looking foward to more reading from you!!!
ReplyDeleteOMG, look! Vegetables!!!! Real vegetables! And not just one! And not just three little slices of cucumber!!! If you use the concept of dividing your plate into quarters, with one quarter being protein, one being starch, and two quarters being vegetables, this almost makes it.
ReplyDeleteI say "almost" because there aren't really any whole grains for the starch. But I'll be honest and admit that I don't eat only whole grains for my starch all the time, either.
I've been making "Coronation Chicken" for years without knowing that's what it was. :) I just always called it "curried chicken salad" and usually served it "cupped" in a couple of lettuce leaves. Or maybe stuffed in a tomato. But I think that, in view of her 60 years of public service, EIIR deserves at least a chicken salad named in her honor. ;)
One of the things that I do honestly give this school credit for is using reusable plates/trays and mostly normal cutlery and washing them between uses. Far too many school lunches in the USA are served in all disposable containers, with plastic cutlery, all of which are binned. We're certainly not setting a very good example.
Good thinking, Veg, to have your dad set up your donation page. I'm guessing you'll get a lot more money for your cause that way than just by making things and selling them locally. (Although that was a very good thought, and quite admirable of you and your friends.) I've no doubt that your parents are VERY proud of the young lady you are becoming.
Enjoy your long weekend off from school!! Please let us know about all of the fun things you did to celebrate the Jubilee when you return.
VEG - You keep on amazing people with your blog, and as I said in a previous post, fun ideas that plow up into big things... well, this give link is just a perfect example.
ReplyDeleteI challenge everybody who reads VEG's blog to repost the link (http://www.justgiving.com/neverseconds)(appropriately, don't SPAM), and tell their friends about it. A Pound, or Euro, or few Dollars from each of us... and we will not only make VEG's idea big, but accomplish wonderful things for the children who benefit from Mary's Meals.
Veg,
ReplyDeleteThis is a very interesting blog. I found your blog through Food Renegade's blog. I have scrolled back through 3 pages of your postings, and I am SHOCKED at how little food you get. You also mention many times that you do not finish, but I never once saw you mention that you were hungry. Are you hungry?
I have 5 kids and ALL of them would eat more than your average lunch as their lunch, and they are 1year, 3y, 4y, 6y, and 9years old. The meals you post from asia, somethings from Japan, and some from other Asian countries, all have what looks to me to be much healthier, and more quantity of food, some of those photos make me want to eat the school lunch! Your lunches are typically lacking in variety, and have very few vegetables, even when you have veggies, there isn't very much of them.
What are your thoughts on the differences between your lunch and Asian lunches? Also, is there a place on your blog where I can learn how you judge healthy food? What makes food healthy in your opinion? Thanks!
Mrs. Logan, New York, USA
I read about you on good.is and wanted to congratulate you on having on impact on the meals at your school. As a journalism instructor, I would encourage you to keep up your blog as it is great practice. Perhaps you have a writing career in your future! Good luck.
ReplyDeleteDave Sennerud
Toledo, Ohio, USA
Mmmm. Coronation Chicken looks good! Especially with the baked potato! :D I love your blog, I check it everyday ;) Lucky that you have a long break! :D
ReplyDeleteI read your blog from San Francisco and think you're one of the neatest kids ever. I've shared your blog (via facebook) with my friends here and I'm sure they'll all enjoy it. School Lunch in the United States is a very political topic that a lot of people feel strongly about and your posts help bring that conversation back down to Earth. It's also wonderful what your doing for school children's lunches in parts of the world where there isn't very much food at all. You're clearly a wonderful, bright, kind person and I can't wait to see what a wonderful adult you'll become. I'm sure this isn't the last we'll hear about you.
ReplyDeleteVeg,
ReplyDeleteKeep on the good work! Please keep doing what you love doing, you will get far :) Thank you for sharing!
Leonora
This is really interesting Veg! I'm from Australia, and very few schools (if any) do anything like lunches at school. We all take packed munches, which can be good, in that our parents can make sure we get enough food and healthy food, but it's also a lot harder to make kids enjoy it. Because there often aren't lockers available for primary or middle school kids, it's hard to have healthy food that still tastes good by lunch time - sandwiches are the best, but even they get hot in summer or soggy - and there are no hot meals in winter. The challenge of packing food to last is tricky too, especially when we have to carry our bags all day, and so often it's easier to take pre packaged food (which can be unhealthy) or simple whole fruit like apples. While there are ways to get around this (ice packs, insulated lunch boxes, themoses, lots of sealed containers) it's not the easiest system, and lots of kids end up buying chips and things instead. It's not a bad system, packed lunches, but the idea of school lunches (when they're done well, as yours are as they get better!) is a really good idea. We do have canteens in most schools here that sell food, but often it's expensive and not very healthy (pies and sausage rolls and stuff). To make sure kids actually get enough food, and that its appetising, I wish we had that system as an option here! If we do, it's in very few schools and I've never heard of it.
ReplyDeleteIt's great that you're doing this Veg, and really interesting to see. Hopefully they keep getting better in your school. A lot of people never have the courage to change something that's just always been done, and would rather leave everything the same instead of speaking up. The fact that you have done this is amazing, and it's that sort of thinking that will let you go far in the future. Good luck with this Veg!
Your parents must be so proud of you!
ReplyDeleteHi Veg. I really like your blog. My dad has also set up a blog for me. We blog things about bugs because I really like bugs. Hope you don't find any in your dinner. Have a look at http://mybughunt.blogspot.co.uk/
ReplyDeleteFor anyone who wants to know how to cook Coronation Chicken, the Guardian ran several recipes last year, ranging from Rosemary Humes' original, to other versions that are easier, or healthier. Go to:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2011/apr/28/cook-perfect-coronation-chicken-royal-wedding
Have a royally good time!
Hi VEG. I'm a kindergarten to grade 8 teacher in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada (near Toronto, Ontario) and a friend introduced me to your blog as I have been commenting on the great and not-so-great meals that my students bring to school.
ReplyDeleteIn my school board we do not serve school lunches. Students bring their own lunch and snacks from home. We have two meal times during our school day (10:20-10:40am followed by recess and 12:40-1:00pm followed by a second recess).
Most of our schools have a breakfast club in the morning though where students that forgot to eat breakfast or do not have enough food at home can come and eat a hot breakfast (eggs, pancakes, etc).
I'm fascinated by your blog and your inclusion of lunches around the world. Keep up the good work! I will be sharing your blog with my students for health and nutrition class to inspire them to do a similar project critiquing their own lunches.
Mrs. Barnes
I would like to see a breakfast photo please!
DeleteVeg
VEG - I would recommend making a permanent link at the top of your NeverSeconds blog, so people can find the link to JustGiving quickly. Otherwise it might get lost in this post, as you go about making more blog entries.
ReplyDeleteHello VEG, I'm André, I live near from São Paulo, Brasil, and I'm graduating as a physician this year. your blog was reported in a brazilian popular ambientalist site, and I Loved it first i saw!
ReplyDeleteHere in my country, most children study in public schools and its lunch is free, but the quality and variety of the food depends on how rich is the region of the country.
Anyway the schools offer a single dish based on carbohydrates and proteins, exemple: our tipical rice and beans with a cooked meat; spaguetti bolognesa; chicken soup; rice with chicken and veggs (pretending to be a risotto... lolll).
Salad and fruits are rare in their diet, which is curious in a tropical country full of fresh and sweet fruits.
It's simple, practical, cheaper, lots of mouthfuls, but not enough of child or adolescent needs to a healthy development, isn't it?
At least, there is a good point: brazilian public schools offer a low percentile of industrialized food, which in my opinion are funny and delicious, but full of artificial ingredients.
Congratulations for your blog, i see you are a very smart girl. : )))))
There is nothing more beautiful and pleasant in this world than care for others!
PS: You broke my heart when said " i can't concentrate eating only one croquette..." LoLLLL
Keep On!! You're doing the difference!
Hope you visit Brasil one day!
VEG! I just stumbled on your blog via the Good News webpage who did a piece on you (http://www.good.is/post/people-are-awesome-how-a-9-year-old-girl-s-food-blog-forced-healthier-lunch-options/) I LOVE IT! You have done a fantastic job and are making a difference for your schoolmates and the ones in future. (I remember my school lunches in London were always hideous and sometimes we weren't even sure if it was actually food!) KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!!! Much love from Berlin, Germany xx
ReplyDelete(p.s. don't pay attention to silly comments - there's always someone somewhere with nothing better to do than being a troll. You're ace. So is this blog!!!)
Hello Veg, I found my way to your blog from this site:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.good.is/post/people-are-awesome-how-a-9-year-old-girl-s-food-blog-forced-healthier-lunch-options/
I think you are doing a great job at showing the world how some schools are being stingy with their money. Luckily when I was in high school (started 9th grade which was in 1998, Taylor, Michigan, USA), we had a reform for our lunches. We were given bigger portions, and we were allowed to come back for seconds. The price was $2 USD a day for lunch, seconds were free. We always had fruit on the counters as well.
You have a great blog. It's very interesting to see what type of food people all over the world eat. :-)
ReplyDeleteHi Veg, I am in Czech Republic and newspaper here write about you :)
ReplyDeletehttp://www.ceskapozice.cz/zahranici/svetove-udalosti/jak-devitileta-blogerka-bojuje-se-skolni-jidelnou?utm_medium=fbwall&utm_source=fbp
Nice, isn't it? Cheers Pavel
Martha,
ReplyDeleteJust found out about your blog today, so proud of you for doing what you are doing! I'm a transplanted Brit (from Emsworth, Hampshire) living in the USA and I write a blog about alternative health and wellness, and I believe in using blogging for social activism and change.
Well done and such well written articles. Sharing on my Facebook Page!
Cheers
Sarah
A Mom On A Spiritual Journey!
I have had it with both apples and raisins. It is lovely.
ReplyDeleteVeg
What a great blog. I grew up in England many years ago and I still have bad memories of the awful school dinners. However, here in the USA, many of our schools need the same wake-up message.
ReplyDeleteYou should contact First Lady, Michele Obama, asking her to promote students over here to follow your lead as she has made healthy eating for young people one of her special projects.
This is wonderful! At first this blog was born as a complaint of the little food they gave the children in that school, but now, thanks to this girl, she is feeding poor children in africa, and saving them from death ... Never expected to leave this blog,is doing so much good!
ReplyDeleteHi, my name is PAULA and i am from the vasc country (Spain).
ReplyDeleteIs very beatiful what are you doing for that childrens. All this start like a blog and now you are giving food for that childrens.
Keep it up
well done you-a great blog-and a great way to help others.
ReplyDeleteExcellent work Martha. Shame on your County Council. EVERYONE in the school should take a camera for pictures of their meals. What have they got to hide and what would they do then?
ReplyDeleteHi Martha - just got to see your Blog for the first time today thanks to the story being featured on the BBC. I hope that you will be allowed to blog again next week, I think your reviews are funny and yet informative and I wish you luck for the future. And well done for raising money for charity too :-)
ReplyDeleteThis is very impressive, young lady! Just keep on going and I wish you all the bet from Austria. Good luck with raising the money!
ReplyDeleteGreetings from Belfast, Maine, USA.
ReplyDeleteLet me start by saying how amazed I am at all the OUTSTANDING work you have done, VEG. I have read the school district has reversed their ruling and allow you to continue blogging. Given the fact you seem to love the food you get, I can't see why they objected in the first place.
In my daughter's Middle School (6-8th grade) they have a project farm. They eat the vegetables they grow and sell heirloom seeds to raise funds for school projects.
As for your "lolly" from yesterday we call them a twin pop (popsickle). We usually break them into 2 more managable sticks to eat.
Steve
I am AMAZED on the outstanding job that you are doing!! Good luck for the future :)
ReplyDeleteRachel
Its really great post.....i like it...thanks for sharing inspiring work....Plastic cards!!!!
ReplyDelete