<p>If a boarding school student, who enters at 9th grade is average weight, neither under or overweight, what eating habits do they learn by 12th grade? Are they still average? Do many children get heavy? What percentages of girls become anorexic? </p>
<p>Legacy parents, will you describe yourself and fellow boarding school roommates this many years later strictly on under, average or overweight? What eating habits learned at boarding schools that still affect you 10, 20 or 30 years later?</p>
<p>Do the schools use organic meat? (I am concerned about growth hormones in meat.)</p>
<p>If the child has an allergy, (such as high fructose corn syrup, casein protein, etc.), how easy is it to select food?</p>
<p>Every BS I’ve seen has vegetarian options at each meal, some more than others. Our experience has been that the dining staff has been very willing and able to offer choices if what is on the menu includes foods your child is allergic to. </p>
<p>Organic meats probably depend on the school, and I’m guessing the same is true (culture/climate of the individual school) for the eating issues that can surface during these vulnerable teen years.</p>
<p>Taft has a full vegetarian section (hot food) in addition to salads, etc. I actually like the good in that section best - so does my daughter. The chef is also good about taking food allergies into account.</p>
<p>My daughter is eating better now than she ate at home (Chef has won awards) but has gotten trimmer because it’s a hike to get to classes, climb stairs in academic buildings and dorms. The gymnasium is at the end of campus.</p>
<p>it’s possible a child might overeat - but really - most kids are rushing to class or worried about sneaking in extra sleep or homework/test study time. Overweight kids don’t seem to be the norm because students always “moving”. Heck, I got winded on parent day trying to keep up with her schedule and hoof it across campus from one building to the other. So we remind her to eat protein and drink fluids. She has plenty of healthy snacks in her dorm as well.</p>
<p>For us it was weight loss because cafeteria food is awful to our kid. She now appreciates my cooking at home!! Also, nothing like a coed environment/living in a dorm to make (high school) girls in particular weight conscious.</p>
<p>Not sure you can count Taft dining as the “norm” for BS. They are lucky to have that chef, and he has done a great job improving the menu and food there. I’m sure you know he is the proprietor of a very well known local restaurant. My two d’s attended other local BS and although they never starved… the food was not as good as Taft. My S who is a day student will call home first to find out what Mom is cooking for dinner and more often then not, opts to remain at school with the excuse that he can get more work done in the library anyway… less distractions. I try not to tell her about those calls for fear she might be insulted and angry! I’m not sure I’m buying it… I think he just likes the food and convenience better… he doesn’t have to do any dishes or help with kitchen cleanup at school, LOL.</p>
<p>Really? Thanks Karate Dad, I hadn’t been following his hire closely - only that my daughter said people complained about the previous chef. I didn’t know he owned a restaurant. That puts things in perspective. My D ate like crazy at Access Exeter too, but when I saw the menu I realized it was leagues better than what Exeter students got during the regular school year.</p>
<p>I’ll count my blessings. After both parent weekends I didn’t want to leave because it meant eating my own cooking. :-)</p>
<p>I haven’t gone so I don’t know about the taste, but Emma Willard only deals with local suppliers and mostly organic ones. They also only serve milk and milk products from cows that weren’t fed growth-hormones. They try to accommodate all students with food allergies or special dietary needs as well as possible. That’s just one school though but I’d think that most would try to feed their charges food of good nutritional value. After all, you are what you eat!</p>
<p>All the schools I looked at had a lot of variety, fruit, salad and yogurt bars for breakfast and lunch and loads of options for every meal.</p>