The mysterious case of produce in the street
Here the facts: Repeatedly over the past year, I have observed a shiny, whole and uncut apple discarded in the street, in the left turn lane at Abrams, intersecting Royal. Whoever dumped the apple proceeded west on Royal.
At first, the apples were always green. Over time, a few red apples appeared. Lately, oranges have entered the rotation. Over the summer the practice seemed to stop, only to pick up again with the same frequency (about once a week) after school started.
So maybe some school kid doesn’t like fruit and is dumping it before getting to school. But how or why does the kid always drop the apple in the same place, week in and week out? Furthermore, wouldn’t the adult driving the vehicle eventually notice?
Recently, on a day when I had driven past yet another rejected orange, I attended a meeting of Richardson ISD’s School Health Advisory Council, where Rose Ann Martin, the district’s director of child nutrition, gave a presentation about how cafeterias are complying with new government requirements for school menus.
Martin told us schools are now required to provide two servings of a fruit or vegetable with each meal, and for the first time there are limits on the number of servings of grain-based foods (aka carbs). She says the new rules are meant to target the growing problem of childhood obesity, which increases the likelihood of preventable diseases such as cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, stroke and type 2 diabetes.
Martin showed us pictures of colorful displays of produce in lunch lines, and praised the cafeteria staff for their attractive arrangements of the food. Another picture showed boxes of produce stacked on a dolly for delivery. Martin says there is so much produce that walk-in refrigerators are full to capacity immediately after delivery.
When I asked her whether the kids actually eat the produce, she answered, “Consumption has gone up in the last few years.” But then she added, “There is a lot of waste.” Under the new rules, kids eligible for free lunch must take at least one fruit or vegetable. Often, Martin says, the kids have to be reminded, and they will grab a qualifying specimen without even looking at it. Much of it goes into the trash.
But there is hope this will improve, possibly in the way the food is served. For example, Martin says, during the summer session, kids have fewer choices than during the regular school year. In this scenario, the kids simply accept the plates without question, and they seem to eat more of what is served. Over time, as kids get used to the new menus, administrators may find ways to persuade them to swallow more of what’s good for them.
Meanwhile, the case of the orphaned apples at Abrams/Royal goes unsolved. Although I am no detective, I have worked out a profile of the suspects.
I presume “the kid” is around age 8 to 11, because kids younger than 8 are less defiant, and in middle school they are sneakier. The nearest school to the scene is Moss Haven Elementary. Since neighborhood kids approach Moss Haven from west of Abrams, could it be a transfer student from another elementary school?
But what about the parent? I can imagine someone thinking, “Hey, that looks like the green apple I just bought!” or even “Wow, now there’s a red apple in the street, lucky those are on sale this week!” But what parent wouldn’t notice a pattern of a window opening in the back seat, always in the same left turn lane, at the same red light?
I posed this question to a mom of triplets and she said immediately, “I wouldn’t notice.”
So somewhere out in the city, a well-meaning parent is spending a pretty penny on apples and oranges, and a determined kid is turning into a hardened litterer.
If you suspect any kids who live in your house, I have a suggestion for the perfect stocking stuffer this holiday.
How about an orange?
