In announcing changes to the school lunches programme, David Seymour said kids would no longer be served ‘woke’ foods. To clear up any confusion, The Spinoff has compiled a guide to the wokeness levels of some common food items.
Apple = NOT WOKE
Avocado = WOKE
Avocado, smashed = EVEN WOKER
Banana = NOT WOKE
Beans, baked = NOT WOKE
Beans, non-baked = WOKE
Burger = NOT WOKE
Cheese, colby, edam, mild, tasty = NOT WOKE
Cheese, other = WOKE
Cheese roll = NOT WOKE
Chickpeas = WOKE
Chips, hot = NOT WOKE
Chips, packet (ready salted, salt and vinegar or chicken flavour) = NOT WOKE
Chips, packet (all other flavours) = WOKE
Chocolate, Whittaker’s Miraka Kirīmi = WOKE
Chocolate, other = NOT WOKE
Couscous = WOKE
Crackers, rice, “specialty”, seeded = WOKE
Crackers, Snax, Salada, Meal Mates = NOT WOKE
Curry = WOKE
Doughnut, cream = NOT WOKE
Hot dog, battered = NOT WOKE
Hummus = WOKE
Jerky, beef = NOT WOKE
Jerky, plant-based beef = SURPRISINGLY NOT WOKE
Lamb = NOT WOKE
Lentils = WOKE
Lettuce, iceberg = NOT WOKE
Lettuce, fancy, mesclun, cos = WOKE
Luncheon sausage = NOT WOKE
Meat = NOT WOKE
Meat wrapped in meat = EVEN MORE NOT WOKE
Milk, cow’s = NOT WOKE
Milk, soy, oat, almond etc = WOKE
Muffin = NOT WOKE
Nut butter, non-peanut = WOKE
Pasta, canned (spaghetti) = NOT WOKE
Pasta, real (spaghetti) = WOKE
Peanut butter, crunchy = WOKE
Peanut butter, smooth = NOT WOKE
Pesto, basil = WOKE
Pesto, basil, wrapped in at least two kinds of meat = NOT WOKE
Pie = NOT WOKE
Pizza, $3.99 from Pizza Hut = NOT WOKE
Pizza, spaghetti-topped = NOT WOKE
Pizza, other = WOKE
Quinoa, pronounced keen-wah = WOKE
Quinoa, pronounced kwin-oh-ah = WOKE but somehow less so
Sandwich, butter and mayo only, no other spreads = NOT WOKE
Salad, word (draft curriculum) = WOKE
Sausage, in white bread = NOT WOKE
Sausage roll = NOT WOKE
Scone, cheese = NOT WOKE
Shaved ham = NOT WOKE
Spice, all = WOKE
Sushi = WOKE
Toast, with non-woke spread = NOT WOKE
Toffee Pops = NOT WOKE
Tofu = WOKE
Wrap (woke sandwich alternative) = WOKE
Yoghurt, Greek = WOKE
To determine the wokeness level of any food not on the list, ask yourself the following:
- was it available at a Mosgiel cafeteria circa 1981? or;
- has it been photographed being snacked on by a finance minister ahead of presenting the budget?
If the answer is no to both of these questions, the food is woke.
Here is another simple formula to follow:
- food from a non-English-speaking non-white culture = WOKE
- food from a non-English-speaking white culture = SUSPICIOUS
- food from an English-speaking white culture = NOT WOKE