Topic: Potatoes the latest victim of food police

[Pandora]

By the time they are done, we will all be eating dandelions and alfalfa sprouts, with bean curd pie for dessert.

Yeah?  Over my dead body.

Wall Street Journal:

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture is proposing to eliminate the "white potato"-defined as any variety but the sweet potato-from federally subsidized school breakfasts and to limit them sharply at lunch.

    Messing with a stalwart like the spud doesn't go well with the potato industry, school cafeteria directors and legislators from potato-growing regions. They're fighting to see that in schools, no potato is left behind.

    As part of the effort, spud sellers are promoting potatoes as a "true gateway vegetable" that could lead kids to broccoli.

    At a March Senate hearing on the USDA budget, Sen. Susan Collins (R., Maine) hoisted a standard-fare brown-skinned spud in one hand and, in the other, a head of iceberg lettuce, which hasn't come under explicit federal scrutiny. One medium white potato contains nearly twice the vitamin C "as this entire head," she said, asking: "So my question, Mr. Secretary, is what does the department have against potatoes?"

    The proposed change is part of a push to make school meals healthier, with more nutrient-rich vegetables and fewer French fries. Under the USDA proposal, school cafeterias would have to limit starchy vegetables such as potatoes, corn, peas and lima beans to a total of one cup per week for lunch.

What has the department against potatoes? The gentleman is on a fools errand if he thinks he is going to get a rational response from those bozos. Their reasoning is thus: kids like potatoes; anything kids like has to be unhealthy for you; ergo, if kids like potatoes, off with their spuds!

And what's this nonsense about only one cup of corn a week? Or peas? Lima beans, you can keep but holy cow, next thing you know they'll be force feeding us borscht!

I'd check donations to the Democratic party from dandelion farmers. I'll bet it's very revealing.

There is something creepily totalitarian with all of this intense focus on what kids are eating -- in school and out -- and it leaves me wondering if this is not just another head-fake so folks won't look at how uneducated the kids still are.

[Sectionhand]

That includes a ban on Mr. Potatoe Head in Kindergarten Classes . He may only be plastic but he sets a bad example .

[RickZ]

That includes a ban on Mr. Potatoe Head in Kindergarten Classes . He may only be plastic but he sets a bad example .

An anatomically correct Ms. Transgender Potato Head is fine, though, and will provide many enjoyable classroom hours of 'teachable moments'.

[Pandora]

... only one cup of corn a week? Or peas? Lima beans ...

The potatoes are bad enough, but this is ridiculous as well.

"Starchy" vegetables are a no-no now, but beans, beans, beans, brown rice, whole-wheat anything?  That's good?

These people are nuts with an agenda.

[AmericanPatriot]

We have become a nation of sheep.

They take our liberty away. It started little by little and now the grabs get bigger and bigger.
And no one says anything or does anything.

If they are worried about fat kids, get them moving.

Sometimes I wonder if the conspiracy nuts really are nuts.
Maybe they really do want to eliminate 4/5ths of the population by starving.


Ask the Irish what happens when they take the potatoes away

[Libertas]

The better not lay one finger on my spuds!

[AmericanPatriot]

I'm planting 100# this weekend (if the deluge stops long enough)

[Libertas]

We got both red & white planted.  Time to post appropriate warnings.