What are the negative consequences stemming from the sale of a la carte foods?
The sale of a la carte foods has many negative consequences that will be addressed in greater detail (or have been addressed) in this blog. First and foremost, the availability of such items at school means that children may make an entire meal of them, sometimes to their nutritional detriment. Second, according to Poppendieck, by offering junk food in the same venue as the federally subsidized meal, the school district may feel pressured to keep the school lunch competitive by offering “junk food” like items (hence the prevalence of pizza on school menus). A la carte items can also create a world of “haves” and “have nots” in the lunch room, in that those students on free/reduced lunch generally cannot afford these usually more attractive items. This further stigmatizes the federally subsidized meal and that in turn sometimes discourages free/reduced lunch children from eating lunch altogether.
