I want to put something on my readers’ radar for after the break. A colleague of mine was complaining to me yesterday about the fact that all kids in her school get the same lunch — whether they are in 1st grade or 8th grade. They all receive the same lunch.

She also complained about the slimy, skinless, steamed chicken, but that complaint’s old news to me. I’ve eaten that chicken. We are serving versions of that chicken all across America. One saving grace is that the chickens who sacrificed their lives to deliver that pale imitation of food were at least tiny creatures. You don’t have to eat too much of that chicken, even if they give you two whole pieces.

But enough of the chicken. If you want to read more, put “lunch” in the search bar. Or go to September 4, 2014 to start.

I never worked in a K-8 building, only middle schools and high schools. So I never considered age and portions. But my colleague is right: Giving the same food to a first grader and an eighth grader simply seems wrong. I can’t imagine they have the same needs. I know my kids did not eat as much when they were little. I know some eighth grade kids, especially athletes, who act ravenously hungry on a regular basis. I remember an older father who once expressed concern about a teenage boy in his household.

“He’s a glutton,” he said to me, looking for advice on how to stop the nonstop, near-inhalation of food.

“Is he gaining weight?” I asked.

He wasn’t. I explained that if the kid was not adding pounds, then he appeared to be eating about the right amount of food.

Eduhonesty: Readers in K-8 schools, if your school is serving the same lunch to all, maybe you should have a conversation with the administration. I’d provide data to back up what you want to say. Maybe you should eat those lunches for a week or two. Write down the estimated calorie count. Check on recommended caloric intakes for different ages.

But try to rescue the older kids if they need your help. Right now, I am convinced school lunches are not helping America’s obesity problem. I’ve talked to students about this. The first thing they do when they get home is to raid the fridge and the cupboards because they are starved, looking for snacks, leftovers and quick noodles. That can’t be helping America’s young to learn to eat healthy food.

In poorer districts saving money on that school lunch contract, we are probably promoting overeating, rather than teaching improved nutritional habits. Slimy chicken, unbuttered rice and unsalted vegetables will never lead our kids in the direction we want them to go.