I'm not a doctor but a student of natural, preventative medicine sometimes called nutritional herbalism.
There's been a debate over school lunches raging in Washington the last couple years. I don't often agree with anyone with the last name of Obama, but I'm with Mrs. President here. Except, I don't think she goes far enough.
Recent research ties animal but especially dairy protein strongly to increased osteoporosis, cancer risk, and tumor growth as well as animal fat consumption with vascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Excess salt stresses the vascular system and brain, while sugar intake stresses the endocrine system. Oils of all sorts contain saturated fat that makes red blood cells clump plus constrict and coat the arteries. The evidence is overwhelming that the least expensive foods are the most healthy: whole grains, legumes, roots, vegetables, greens, and fruits.
Tax money subsidizes school lunch programs, therefore tax payers certainly have a right to say how our tax dollars should be spent on these programs. School lunch programs that serve beans, whole grains, veggies, greens, roots, and fruit could offer lunch to all children at no charge for less money. See the video below to witness how schools in Southern India have a model program of this practice. Palates adjust. Kids eventually eat if nothing else is available. If little Billy's mommy wants him to eat bologna on white bread, milk, and brownies, she should send them in a plastic lunch box. If I am going pay taxes to subsidize feeding her child, I vote to do so in such a way that the said child will become an asset to the nation instead of a liability. Because many parents and teachers don't support the movement toward healthy eating, their children/students refuse to change, too. It's not the food, it's the attitudes of the adults surrounding the issue.
Lean, fit, healthy people are an asset to the nation, because they don't require tax dollars for subsidized, preventable medical care. Instead lean, fit, healthy people work with less sick days, pay taxes, and don't drain the system. Sooo....if we look at it in a dollars and cents way, serving whole plant foods in schools will reduce the debt of the nation and the need for more bogus medical (disease) care. Didn't Benjamin Franklin say an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure? That certainly applies here.
If you don't want to listen to Benjamin Franklin, let's see what God said about this through revelation. The body is a temple, 1 Corinthians 6:19, and should be cared for in the best way including the highest quality fuel. All wholesome plants, including whole grains, legumes, vegetables, roots, greens, and fruits, are good for human consumption. Meat is ordained for human use, but it pleases God if we use only enough to stave of starvation when plants are not available when the garden isn't producing during winter or famine is in the land. See Doctrine and Covenants 89 Following God's commands always brings blessings, such as when children honor their parents their days on earth will be long, Exodus 20:12. Following the commandment to eat mainly wholesome plants, we are promised health, endurance, wisdom, and knowledge. Aren't those the very things we want for all children in our nation?
Little by little I'm regaining my health by living this principle. I am getting stronger and gaining endurance, exercising about 1-2 hours a day while still maintaining enough energy for basic tasks. Once again I can focus on my studies of the great books and Spanish without falling asleep. 95% of the time, I'm pain free. I'm not sure how wise I am, but now I'm not often tempted to eat the king's meat or dainties. I'll ever be grateful to my Father in Heaven for His instructions but wish I had listened sooner.
Sooooo...my solution is for each school to teach the biological science of botany in the form of organic horticulture in the school garden, greenhouse, and orchard. Teach them true, science-based nutrition instead of false advertising from the designing animal product conglomerates. Finally, teach children Montessori-like practical life skills such as sprouting, harvesting, preparing, serving, and cleaning a midday meal in teams in each classroom instead of so many of the silly things 'taught' in schools (but that's another whole argument). I've seen documentaries of such programs in Japan and China but could not find links to add here. Wouldn't we like to reverse the trend of hedonism, narcissism, frailty, weakness, obesity, and expanding incidence of preventable, food-produced, degenerative disease in our children who will become our protectors in a few short years?
