Black Bean Burgers and Hummus Veggie Plates: A First Look at Dallas ISD's New-Look Menu

• have you driven by a DISD school when they release? i was hard pressed to find an normal size person. I think they might be serving Jack in the Box in the cafeteria.

• From one crack pot to another I appreciate the civilized discourse.

• Dr. Pepper, huh? Actually, I have a theory that all taste-related dislikes are indeed psychological. After all, taste buds are merely receptors, they don't decide what's pleasant or unpleasant. The mind does that. If a strange food thats popular somewhere in the world tastes bad to me, how do I explain the millions of people who love it without concludi9ng that the problem is with me and not the food? If a lot of people love something, there must be something good about it, and if I can't find it, that's my failure. It means I've decided on some level that I just don't like it no matter what it really tastes like. Maybe it looks weird, smells funny, whatever. Maybe its "gross" or "bloody". None of those change the objective taste. In fact, I used to hate tapioca but trained myself to love it, which I consider pretty good evidence that taste is almost purely psychological. If you think I'm a crackpot, you're not alone.

• hang up-now thats a stretch I don't like Dr Pepper either, guess thats a hang up. I'm hangin up

• "I just think eating animals is gross and bloody..." That's pretty much what I was saying all along: there's a psychological hangup involved. Not saying its any worse than the hundreds of other psychological hangups everybody has. It probably seems that way because I'm picking on vegans, but that's only because this story introduced the topic. I also commented on the psychological hangups of bodybuilders in the EuropaCon story. Yes, I have some, too. But I'm not going to tell you what they are :) You can probably guess one: a psychological hangup about other people's psychological hangups.

• the destruction of the land. Whatever that means. Most the food grown is not for humans but cattle. Gazzillions of acres of "natural and healthy" ecosystems are polluted by pesticide farming and meat processing. Going out of my way? Dunno bout that, a veg diet is easier, quicker, and cheaper to prepare, thus leading to better health, lower gas and electricity bills,no doc bills and a fatter bank account. No higher cause here, I just think eating animals is gross and bloody and tastes awful. I'm afraid you are generalizing and uneducated in this matter. No insult intended. Still do not understand how this applies to Palin. If it makes you feel any better, I don't think she's stupid, I think she is a jerk.

• "Political example? Doesn't apply, don't get it" I admit it was unnecessary (I just wanted to take a shot at Palin supporters), but it certainly applies. Not surprised you don't get it. You're one of the very people going so far out of their way to avoid doing something perfectly natural and healthy because they've convinced themselves of the value of some higher cause. In your case, the destruction of the land. Whatever that means.

• Knottygirl--The Silence of the Lentils?

• I'm not a vegan because I love animals. It's because I hate plants.

• There is a place for all of God's creatures--right next to the mashed potatoes.

• Anon-"I have no problem with vegetarians." It's pretty evident that you do. "Nobody is a vegetarian for health reasons alone." THAT's a hard argument to make, the evidence is weak and hardly supports that conclusion. Anyone who comes to that conclusion has to want very much to believe it. At least be honest about your reasons. That's all I'm saying. Political example? Doesn't apply, don't get it.

• To use a political example, its a lot like Palin supporters. The evidenc is plain and overwhelming that she's retarded. Her supports have to get past a mountain of evidence to convince themselves that she's meaningful. The only way to overcome such a gigantic logical obstacle is by wanting it so badly for some other reason that you're willing to suspend all common sense and objectivity.

• "The production of meat it is leading to the destruction of the land. Many Vegs feel this way BTW" Fair enough, but thats not exactly being a vegetarian "for health reasons alone". In this case, its another greater cause. Which is fine, I have no problem with vegetarians. I'm just not crazy about the ones who say its because they believe its healthier. Thats a hard agument to make, the evidence is weak and hardly supports that conclusion. Anyone who comes to that conclusion has to want very much to believe it. At least be honest about your reasons. That's all I'm saying.

• "Nobody is a vegetarian for health reasons alone." HUh? Guess I'm a nobody then, I say kill the cows, all of em, and don't bring em back. The same goes for the large rats called Deer. The production of meat it is leading to the destruction of the land. Many Vegs feel this way BTW

• Nobody is a vegetarian for health reasons alone. Its a very weak argument. That's the rationalization they eventually convince themselves of. Plus it makes it easier to explain their often difficult to accomodate meal requirements to others than admitting the truth, which is that somewhere along the way, they developed an unnatural pity for animals. Its very touching and sweet, and if I were God, I would have tried to arrange things such that living things didn't have to consume their own brothers and sisters to survive. Its kind of weird that life is one big cannibalistic orgy. But thats how it is, pass the chicken breast.

• Omnivores? OK. Radical? Not, been around for thousands. "It's difficult to get all the protein and fats needed for healthy development." Now that's just plain nuts(pun intended) and it is meatball ideology, founded on ignorance.

• Well while most of the country has escaped Queen Michelle's school lunch reform measure (so far), DISD is marching forward. Or should that be goose-stepping forward with their own social engineering program. Of course what is good for the kids is not good for the Queen, who dines on 100$ a serving wagyu steak in the white house.

• To the vegetarians, humans are OMNIVORES. Our digestive tracts are longer than carnivores, and far shorter than herbivores. I've initiated vegetarian options on menus at several restaurants/cafeterias I cooked at. But, I think vegetarian/veganism is a radical, nutball ideology founded on "stoner logic." I personally eat very modest servings of meat, cook most of our meals from scratch. Use loads of fresh herbs organically grown in my garden. I mean, to each his own, but forcing your children onto these diets is troubling. It's difficult to get all the protein and fats needed for healthy development. I AM horrified by the nature of the food in this country, particularly Dairy and Meats. I would encourage conscientious people to shop halal markets. Many Kosher options are on such a scale the intention is diluted. All things in moderation.

• The fork is there so you can shank your enemies.

• About the pic.....what's the fork for?

• Fondly remembered also from the 70s and 80s: http://www.hungrybrowser.com/phaedrus/m1023M06.htm "School Burgers" Several years ago, Dotty Griffith, Food Editor of the Dallas Morning News, printed a recipe from Dallas Independent School District. I will repeat the request and her response verbatim: Dear Dotty: In the late '50s and '60s my bizarre young taste buds were satisfied quite often by what was called a School Burger. These delectable morsels, a ghoulish green in color, were prepared by the lunchroom chefs of the Dallas Independent School District. If at all possible, I was hoping you would have the right connections to obtain a recipe to help satisfy my current cravings for this sandwich of indescribable qualities. Response: You called it a School Burger, but its official name is Hot Meat Bun, Sandwich 13. DISD shared with us versions of the recipe that make 50, 100, 125 and 175 servings. I don't think you really want to make it, but you'll probably find the method.....well, interesting. For 50 servings, soak 6 ounces of stale bread in 2 cups of beef stock until soft. Mash until no pieces of bread remain. Add 1 cup water to 6 ounces of dehydrated frozen potatoes; bring mixture to a boil and set aside for 10 minutes. Then drain the potatoes and chop fine. Have you noticed there's no meat yet? Well, here it comes. Combine bread, potatoes, 2 1/2 tablespoons salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper with 9 pounds of ground beef. Place in large shallow baking pan and bake at 425 F until well done. Stir often and keep meat broken up with potato masher. Do not let lumps of meat form. Pour off excess fat. When not lump busting, chop 1 pound of onions and combine with 1 cup pickle relish (hence the aforementioned greenish cast), 1/2 cup vinegar and 1 cup mustard. Add relish mixture with meat and mix well. Moisten with additional beef broth (up to 2 cups) as needed. Spread meat mixture between halves of hamburger buns. Stack filled buns two layers deep in shallow baking pans. Cover and heat well just before serving. This is a true recipe; I could not make this up. -David p.s.: Yes, her response included the line "this is a true recipe; I could not make this up."

• I had the same experience as G. David Gates, tried a soy burger a few years ago and immediately recognized it as the taste of the burgers from elementary school, so a lot of schools probably had soy burgers most likely because it was cheaper.

• Jack, your neighbors to the north in Irving were also eating soyburgers way ahead of our time. We always joked about it as kids, not realizing that's what we were actually eating. But the first time I tried a veggie burger as an adult, it was like being in 3rd grade all over again. It was eerie.

• Children are more and more image oriented. This menu will give them the opportunity to start obsessing about their weight at a much younger age. We should also require mirrors in the lunch rooms and anti-fat slogans on the walls. Maybe even have the fat kids sit at a different table than the skinny ones. Also stop picking on Frito's. Frito Lay is a great company with healthy products and the largest organic corporate campus in the US. Read the label. It's all natural. Try worrying about preparing these kids to be contributing adults instead.

• I remember the hamburgers in high school.. GPHS "74" .....being made of soy. So we might have been doing the veggie thing way ahead of its time. The Grand Prairie Gophers have always been trendsetters.

• It's great that there are options for kids that want to eat vegan, or low fat, or whatever the claim to fame is for black bean burgers. But if you study the menus, everyday has a "typical" option, "cheese"burgers, (maybe the burger part should be questioned also), chicken tenders, fiesta bowl. Most kids will do as they always do, eat the burger, and pitch the lettuce, tomato, apple out.

• Peterk pines for the good old days, when ketchup was a vegetable.

• I think this is wonderful, especially since there are vegetarian options. I remember as a vegetarian growing up, how horrible it was during school lunches for times I couldn't bring my own. There are more vegetarians now than there were back then, so it makes me happy to see that people realize that 'real food' is not just a bunch of junk (and meat).

• Thanks for getting this, Robert! As the parent of an 8-year-old vegetarian, I'm thrilled to see some of the menu additions. She almost never had any decent options on those days she bought. I, too, would love to see a salad bar, but baby steps are good.

• Sadly, yes, G David. Only the nuns ever got anything that had any sort of fishy smell.

• Hey anonymous. Even on Friday?

• At the Catholic school I attended, all we ever got to eat was meat and two veggies.

• I am glad that there are a few days that our vegetarian children have options at school to eat, now! The USDA does not recognize a vegetarian diet as a standard diet for children, which is odd. The food our schools feeds our children is not food that as adults we would eat, why feed it to our youth? Glad DISD is changing their menu!

• Some schools do have recess -- some before lunch, some after. Not all, but some. And it's not long -- 15 minutes, if that. And, yes, there is PE.

• I don't have a young kid in school, so this is a serious question: do they really not have recess anymore these days? If so, is it because the school is afraid to get sued every time a kid falls down on the playground (do we still have playgrounds?)and scrapes his knee? That does seem like a pretty stupid idea. Recess ruled! I assume they have PE still, though.

• Peterk's cousin made me laugh for several minutes. A Noble Spirit Embiggens the Smallest Man A Well-Placed Mouse-Click Embiggens The Tiniest Menu. Words to live by.

• @Robert sorry missed those items as they were hidden by the vegan items to my 'retard cousin" maybe DISD should put back in recess where kids can go run around outside and work off some energy. obesity can be solved by more exercise too bad we don't do that more often

• Yes Teach, I was being funny guy. But I do remember my dad saying that for 55 cents (we're talking 70's here), he'd eat the school lunch every day if he could. My sister and I just looked at him like he'd sprouted horns. But now that I've become him, the man had a point!

• What a bunch of crap. My 8 year old grandson and I have spent a lot of good times together because of his fascination with my right leg. We spent hours laughing and playing, him hiding the leg and me trying to find it. He looks up to me, worships me, and he dreams about the day he can be just like Grandpa K. How's he supposed to get an artificial limb of his own someday without the benefit of early onset diabetes? This whole obesity epidemic thing is just another liberal conspiracy.

• What, no outrage over the Hummus (aka "Terror Dip") Veggie Plate not being served with Freedom Fries and a slab of hot Apple Pie? And on the last school day before 9/11! How have Beck, Palin, & Co. not issued poorly-written screeds denouncing this elitist culinary attack on our children? For shame, <i>Fox and Friends</i>, for shame!

• We had those rolls at my school too scott, they were a much prized treat.

• I miss those homemade rolls they sold for 4 cents with the one cent pat of butter back in the day (first grade) at JJ Pershing. I think they heated a can of corn, green beans, with mashed potatoes and offered Salisbury Steak, Chicken Fried Steak and the like. It went down hill from there. The new menu sounds pretty ambitious. I'm not sure it's a smart menu--in that items used on one day can be incorporated in another day's menu. That alone can save tons of wasted food/week for DISD.

• I so love it when RW says "embiggen"..... makes me smile oh so much......

• I was ready to get my outrage on, but a quick glance at the menu shows that it's got a pretty good variety. Rabbit food for the persnickety and good stuff for those who want to actually enjoy what they eat. Still, nothing will ever come close to that rectangular slice of grease and cheese that schools called pizza back in the day....om nom nom nom nom.......

• A Teacher, if you click on the menus, they will embiggen for easy readin'.

• The burgers are pretty decent, but you have to get a hot one. And Fiesta Salad (rice topped with Fritos, topped with chili)is really good, too. I can't read the tiny print on the screen, but I hope that stays on the menu. You cannot imagine or believe how much food lobbyists control what the kids eat. We're not allowed to give them hard candy, but we can give them milk chocolate treats (thanks to the dairy lobbyists). No birthday cakes or cupcakes allowed in the cafeteria; nothing that could compete with cafeteria sales is allowed. And on and on it goes. And Peter--we actually DO know what's best for kids (educated adults, that is). What are we supposed to serve them? Hot Cheetos and Mountain Dew? Because that's what they want and what more mothers than you would believe send them to school with. No sandwich, no fruit, just a big bag of Cheetos and a can of soda. And then there's the saga over chocolate milk. Dairy farmers want it served; many parents in more affluent districts want it banned (too much sugar). Kids and teachers in the middle (pls don't make me confiscate chocolate milk!). G. David, I know you're not 100% serious, but it would probably creep the school out if you tried to swing by for lunch. Teachers would hear about the "weird guy" who came to eat lunch. Arrested? I doubt it, but judged harshly? Definitely.

• "We anticipate that parents will feel good about the new menu featuring wholesome and nutrient rich foods." At least it might make them feel better about every other meal coming out of a Styrofoam carton shoved through a drive-thru window. By the way, some of this stuff looks pretty good. Can I just drop into my nearest DISD school some day and have lunch, or would this get me arrested on the spot???

• Peter, what part of "hamburgers," "beef Asian bowls," "chicken tenders" and "ham and cheese sandwich" is "forced veganism," exactly?

• that's it forced veganism, more prog/lib "we know what's best for you" Hopefully the DO will be monitoring the situation and will report on how much food is wasted. will DISD be forced to implement feeding tubes like they use in the foie gras industry? ""We anticipate that parents will feel good" oh come on it's not about feeling good it's about making sure that the kids get a nutrious meal will the be monitoring weight gain/loss during the year?

• Hot Diggity Dog (not on the menu) I have sent many hate filled e-mails to the DISD Dietitian and was told something was in the works. VWggie burgers and chicken!!! This looks great!! Thank You DISD Now I gotta bribe the kids.

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