In Manitoba, Canada, school lunches are no laughing matter.


Karen Bartkiw received a $10 fine after reportedly failing to send her two young children to daycare with "balanced" lunches. The mother, who is now speaking about the incident that occurred last year, told blog Weighty Matters that she provided her children with meat, potatoes, milk, carrots and oranges for lunch[1] .


However, she explained, the daycare center said that based on the Manitoba Government’s Early Learning and Child Care[2] lunch regulations, the children needed a grain in order to have a balanced meal. (The Manitoba lunch regulations require all daycare centers to ensure that children eat balanced lunches[3] , consisting of one milk product, one meat, one grain and two fruits or vegetables.)


Bartkiw said the daycare center sent her home with a “Lunch Box Supplement Note,” which explained that employees supplemented her children’s meals with Ritz Crackers. The center fined her $5 per child.


While Bartkiw ended up complaining about the fine and had it revoked, she told Canadian outlet Metro News that she finds the Manitoba lunch rules ridiculous on principle[4] .


“They have certain legislation that they have in place where you have to follow these food groups, but it doesn’t matter how processed the foods are or if they’re junk food… so Ritz crackers count as a grain,” Bartkiw told Canadian outlet Metro News. “You could send microwave Kraft Dinner everyday and that would count as a grain under the guide.”


In the months since the incident, the daycare center has changed its policy and now provides children with lunches to ensure they are eating balanced meals[5] , according to the Toronto Sun.


The provincial government also commented on the policy in a statement provided to the Toronto Sun.


"The province requires child-care centres to ensure children have nutritious and balanced meals and snacks throughout the day. These can be supplied by the centre or the parents," reads the statement ."The province would expect centres to work with parents in educating them regarding what consists of nutritious meals/snacks."


(hat tip: Gawker[6] / Boing Boing[7] )



Earlier on HuffPost:




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    "NO FRILLS school lunch in the Philippines" <a href="http://imgur.com/CwcCu"><img src="http://i.imgur.com/CwcCul.jpg" alt="" title="Hosted by imgur.com" /></a>




  • Finland


    "It's rice with a chicken sauce that has some salami mixed in. A bit of a weird combination but worked fine. Dessert is chocolate mousse." <a href="http://imgur.com/5xsIP"><img src="http://i.imgur.com/5xsIPl.jpg" title="Hosted by imgur.com" alt="" /></a>




  • South Korea


    "You always get rice. Always. Sometimes they'll mix it up and add some grains or curry to it. Top right corner are Sesame leaves with a sweet honey sauce. You're suppose to use the leaves as a wrap and pack it with rice. This particular soup was a pumpkin potato soup. The food in the middle is a Korean pancake. It's made from a batter of eggs and green onions. Sometimes they'll add peppers and octopus. Above the pancake is Kimchi. Again, it's like rice. You're always gonna have it. It's a traditional Korean dish made with fermented cabbage. Chili paste is used to make it. It's almost like wine. The more it ages, the better it tastes. Top right is a sweet and sour salad that's mostly made with cucumbers and carrots. A lot of chili's are used to make Korean food so it's all relatively spicy. 'Good for the soul!'" <a href="http://imgur.com/USjuA"><img src="http://i.imgur.com/USjuAl.jpg" alt="" title="Hosted by imgur.com" /></a>




  • U.S.A.


    "I see your Finnish, and Swedish school lunch, and I raise you our USA school lunch...." <a href="http://imgur.com/YLkxw"><img src="http://i.imgur.com/YLkxwl.jpg" alt="" title="Hosted by imgur.com" /></a>




  • India


    "I see your Finnish school lunch & South Korean school lunch and raise you South Indian School lunch" <a href="http://imgur.com/LEZPp"><img src="http://i.imgur.com/LEZPpl.jpg" alt="" title="Hosted by imgur.com" /></a>




  • U.S.A.


    "I see all of your school lunches, and raise you my American school lunch..." <a href="http://imgur.com/5AGar"><img src="http://i.imgur.com/5AGarl.png" alt="" title="Hosted by imgur.com" /></a>




  • U.S.A.


    "I see your Finnish and Swedish school lunches and fold...with my American lunch." <a href="http://imgur.com/usWvG"><img src="http://i.imgur.com/usWvGl.jpg" alt="" title="Hosted by imgur.com" /></a>




  • U.S.A.


    "This is an american high school lunch!" <a href="http://imgur.com/6wTIz"><img src="http://i.imgur.com/6wTIzl.jpg" alt="" title="Hosted by imgur.com" /></a>




  • Denmark


    "On this plate of danish cuisine is roasted duck, potatoes and red/white cabbage." <a href="http://imgur.com/SjDCh"><img src="http://i.imgur.com/SjDChl.jpg" alt="" title="Hosted by imgur.com" /></a>




  • England


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  • U.S.A


    "I see your South Korean school lunch and raise you my American school lunch." <a href="http://imgur.com/e4o9t"><img src="http://i.imgur.com/e4o9tl.jpg" title="Hosted by imgur.com" alt="" /></a>




  • U.S.A.


    "A typical school lunch at La Joya High School (parts of it were raw!!)... chicken??" <a href="http://imgur.com/W0cEJ"><img src="http://i.imgur.com/W0cEJl.jpg" title="Hosted by imgur.com" alt="" /></a>




  • China


    "School lunch in China." <a href="http://imgur.com/p24dD"><img src="http://i.imgur.com/p24dDl.jpg" title="Hosted by imgur.com" alt="" /></a>




  • U.S.A.


    "I see all of your international lunches and raise you a Georgian school lunch. 'Merica" <a href="http://imgur.com/ynDv5"><img src="http://i.imgur.com/ynDv5l.jpg" title="Hosted by imgur.com" alt="" /></a>




  • U.S.A.


    "I See Your Swedish School Lunch, But Here's My 'Healthy' American Lunch." <a href="http://imgur.com/qqgq6"><img src="http://i.imgur.com/qqgq6l.jpg" title="Hosted by imgur.com" alt="" /></a>




  • Japan


    "I see your Finnish, Swedish, and American school lunch, and I raise you a Japanese Kyushoku (school lunch)...." <a href="http://imgur.com/UskXj"><img src="http://i.imgur.com/UskXjl.png" title="Hosted by imgur.com" alt="" /></a>




  • Japan


    "I see your Finnish, Swedish, and US lunches, and raise you the (free) school lunch in Japan." <a href="http://imgur.com/bxTzz"><img src="http://i.imgur.com/bxTzz.jpg" alt="" title="Hosted by imgur.com" /></a>




  • Japan


    "Top left: Yaki-onigiri (grilled rice ball). Top right: Gobou salad (burdock root with broccoli, corn, mayo, and tuna) Bottom left: Cheese Bottom right: Curry udon" <a href="http://imgur.com/eGi6b"><img src="http://i.imgur.com/eGi6bl.jpg" title="Hosted by imgur.com" alt="" /></a>




  • U.S.A.


    "Excuse me, Chicago school lunch comin through..." <a href="http://imgur.com/ZyCH1"><img src="http://i.imgur.com/ZyCH1l.jpg" title="Hosted by imgur.com" alt="" /></a>




  • U.S.A.


    "I see your amazing school lunch and hate you because this is American school lunch." <a href="http://imgur.com/MMt4y"><img src="http://i.imgur.com/MMt4yl.jpg?1" title="Hosted by imgur.com" alt="" /></a>




  • Sweden


    "This is why I eat my school lunch" <a href="http://imgur.com/GllUO"><img src="http://i.imgur.com/GllUOl.jpg" title="Hosted by imgur.com" alt="" /></a>




  • Finland


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