Beautiful Fresh Fruit - headed to the dumpster

I was so excited to see fresh fruit on the breakfast menu today!  Whole Grain Mini Pancakes and a banana.  Sounds much more like a breakfast I would serve at home. 

My excitement turned to sadness as I learned how it went over.  I am heartbroken to show you this photo and give you the trash counts for today. 

Food discarded from 5 classes (not sure how many were served, but guess about 70):

Milk - 45 cartons!!!

Pancakes - only 10 pkgs (the kids liked this breakfast!)

Bananas -  29 beautiful pieces of fresh fruit.

Participation levels are slowly decreasing in Kindergarten as the teachers are telling the kids that they should only take a meal if they haven't eaten breakfast or are actually hungry.  Turns out many of them are thirsty, so they are taking the entire meal just so they can get the juice. 

It was discussed a few weeks ago at one of the Breakfast Orientation and Information Sessions that the children be allowed to only take milk and not have to take an entire breakfast if that was all they wanted, or if they brought a breakfast snack from home.  No answers on that one yet, but I'll keep you informed if I hear anything.  This would at least solve part of the waste issue.