But isn't the tomato a fruit?
November 17, 2011 6:15 AM   Subscribe

Pizza now counts as a vegetable, according to Congress.

"School meals that are subsidized by the federal government must include a certain amount of vegetables," the AP reports, "and USDA's proposal could have pushed pizza-makers and potato growers out of the school lunch business." It would have pushed vegetable growers into the business, but their lobbyists aren't as powerful, it seems."
posted by Wanderlust88 (27 comments total)

This post was deleted for the following reason: This hasn't been voted on yet, so let's wait and see what happens before posting. -- taz



 
It should, if the standard resembles the way I make pizza.

But I doubt that.
posted by entropone at 6:17 AM on November 17, 2011


To be fair, there is no better way to get kids to hate vegetables than to have school cafeterias boil the hell out of them.
posted by DU at 6:22 AM on November 17, 2011 [3 favorites]


Pizza now counts as a vegetable

Actually, it already counts as a vegetable. From the article you linked:

"The bill also would allow tomato paste on pizzas to be counted as a vegetable, as it is now. USDA had wanted to prevent that."

Also, the bill is still a bill so this hasn't happened yet. It becomes a law when Congress passes it and the president signs it.
posted by ultraviolet catastrophe at 6:22 AM on November 17, 2011 [1 favorite]


Homer: Lisa, would you like a donut?
Lisa: No thanks. Do you have any fruit?
Homer: This has purple in it. Purple is a fruit.

posted by therubettes at 6:23 AM on November 17, 2011 [2 favorites]


To be fair, school pizza isn't really pizza, either.
posted by heatvision at 6:25 AM on November 17, 2011 [7 favorites]


The American people have a right to know about the government's secret pizza tree
posted by clockzero at 6:25 AM on November 17, 2011


Reagan wanted to classify ketchup as a vegetable, too.
posted by KGMoney at 6:27 AM on November 17, 2011


If made right pizza is relatively healthy and fine.
posted by judson at 6:27 AM on November 17, 2011


JHFC, what is wrong with these people?
posted by Old'n'Busted at 6:28 AM on November 17, 2011


Republicans on the House Appropriations Committee said the changes would "prevent overly burdensome and costly regulations and to provide greater flexibility for local school districts to improve the nutritional quality of meals."

So... they want to block requirements for making healthier lunches, so schools can provide healthier lunches. Leah, that makes sense.
posted by KGMoney at 6:28 AM on November 17, 2011 [2 favorites]


Technically sir, tomatoes are fags.
posted by Naberius at 6:28 AM on November 17, 2011


Why shouldn't a veggie pizza count as serving vegetables to students? Pizza isn't a vegetable, but it can contain vegetables. If there's a choice between serving kids boiled broccoli that they won't eat, or putting it on a pizza, I really don't see the outrage. This is a a far cry from calling ketchup a vegetable.
posted by cotterpin at 6:29 AM on November 17, 2011


Jamie Oliver is going to flip.
posted by hypotheticole at 6:29 AM on November 17, 2011


Errr, "Yeah", I mean.
posted by KGMoney at 6:29 AM on November 17, 2011


I'm liking the Monsanto tag
posted by infini at 6:29 AM on November 17, 2011 [1 favorite]


Aaaand put a pickle on a mystery meat burger and it becomes the vegetable side.
posted by likeso at 6:30 AM on November 17, 2011


It should, if the standard resembles the way I make pizza.

The leaf of basil in the center of a perfectly cheesy pizza margarita hardly makes it vegetarian.

Anything more than that and the result can hardly be called a "pizza."
posted by three blind mice at 6:31 AM on November 17, 2011


The pizza thing is clearly absurd and represents the worst of the politicization of food that infects America right now. I will, however, make a defense of the humble potato. Potatoes are fairly nutrient dense and not that bad for you. The problem is, when we serve potatoes to kids, we strip off the nutrients(skin) and deep fry them, but this need not be the case. That said, as someone who spent my school years attempting to circumvent the nine tater tots is a serving rule, I appreciate it might be difficult to get kids to eat potatoes that are good for you.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 6:31 AM on November 17, 2011


If by vegetable, they mean fruit.
posted by iamkimiam at 6:32 AM on November 17, 2011


JHFC HFCS, what is wrong with these people?
posted by 1adam12 at 6:33 AM on November 17, 2011 [3 favorites]


Congress writing crazy legislation is kind of a red herring. The bill is pretty much written by companies that produce frozen pizzas, the salt industry, and potato growers. Essentially many school cafeterias outsource their food supply to firms like ConAgra, who have a shitload of money in the bank and Congress in their back pocket.
posted by crapmatic at 6:34 AM on November 17, 2011


Purple is a fruit.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 6:34 AM on November 17, 2011 [1 favorite]


ooh! and mustard can be a grain! I like this game!
posted by likeso at 6:35 AM on November 17, 2011


cotterpin: "If there's a choice between serving kids boiled broccoli that they won't eat, or putting it on a pizza, I really don't see the outrage."

To my recollection, "broccoli pizza" would have been about as likely a menu item for my school cafeteria as "cardboard spaceman". Unless things have changed dramatically since then, the "vegetables" protected by this legislation are basically dough circles covered in sodium paste and congealed fat, with optional preservative-laden mystery meat slices.
posted by Riki tiki at 6:35 AM on November 17, 2011


Why shouldn't a veggie pizza count as serving vegetables to students?

Methinks Broccoli pizza is not being served in most lunchrooms.
posted by nathancaswell at 6:35 AM on November 17, 2011


Inspired by these guidelines which model healthy eating habits for children, from now on I will order either fruit pizza (with tomato sauce) or vegetable pizza (pesto sauce, I'm fancy like that). And then I will have meditation flight afterwards (three beverages containing alcohol). This is my new health plan and I can't wait to find out my choices for the rest of the week!
posted by iamkimiam at 6:38 AM on November 17, 2011


Also, the bill is still a bill

Well, with that, we have to link to this, right?
posted by flapjax at midnite at 6:39 AM on November 17, 2011


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