Students with food intolerances deserve a safe, free lunch too. Failing to provide that because you think it’s unnecessary is just ableism. “Eating this food causes them pain because their body can’t digest it, but it’s not life threatening so we don’t need to accommodate it” is such a bad take. Yes, let’s just make them sick every day instead of giving them the option of safe, free foods to eat. So poor kids will have to choose every day if they’re going to starve themselves or if they’re going to be in excruciating pain the rest of the day when they’re trying to learn. Makes no sense.
Furthermore, I don’t think people realize what food intolerances entail. It’s not just, “oh, eating this food gives me a stomach ache.” It is often caused by the body’s inability to break down the sugars in the food because the pancreas and/or the small intestine doesn’t make enough digestive enzymes. People with food intolerances can have a number of disabling conditions, especially because of malnutrition and malabsorption. I am dependent on digestive enzyme supplements, as well as vitamins because I can’t eat and/or get the nutrition I need to thrive without them. This is disabling. Yes, even if it’s not going to immediately kill me if I eat the wrong thing.
Don’t put people in places where they’re required to work, promising that food will be provided for free, and then only provide foods that will make them sick.
