The topic of school lunches is one that sparks much debate; despite their nutritional value, the taste and quality have much to improve.
Glen A. Wilson HS now provides free school lunches to students, and they choose to continue doing so in the future. Because of this, the lunches run on a low budget. Every week, we are offered the same food: pizza, salad, subway sandwiches and orange chicken.
When given the same food options all the time, many students get sick of it. However, there is the choice to bring your own lunch. The school lunch is an option for students who do not have time to make their own lunches in the morning, or for people who cannot afford to pay for food every day. The school lunches are just a second option for students who choose not to bring their own lunch to school.
Nonetheless, school lunches lack quality and taste regardless of its considerable nutritional value.
Regardless of the lunches’ quality, it does have much nutritional value. Along with pizza, the main dish, there are sides of fruit and protein-filled snacks. Juice and milk is also available for more nutritious qualities. Salads are also an alternative for students seeking a more healthy choice.
Despite the nutritional value, many students throw out the food they get and opt for unhealthy vending machine snacks instead. In the trash cans all over campus, half-eaten pizzas and whole fruits can be found. The tremendous volume of food waste produced by the students is insane, but it is hard to control it. No matter what type of food the school offers, food waste will still be found. In a survey from Colorado State University, it was discovered that 25% of school lunches are thrown out by students at least two days of the week.
Even though school lunches are relatively healthy, the taste of the food is substandard. Many students complain about how bland the chicken is or how unappetizing the pizza is. The complaints just pile up. But for the school’s lunch budget, the taste could be worse. According to Colorado State University, students prefer good taste over nutritional value. The school wants to feed students healthy food that tastes bad, but it is understandable that students would rather eat junk food from the vending machine because it tastes good.
Compared to other schools’ school lunches, Wilson’s food is evidently less enjoyable. Something that could drastically improve students’ overall eating experiences is the increase of food options. Other than having the same lunch choices every month and every year, it would be beneficial to change it up every so often. Also, Wilson can take the opinions of the students and use them to improve the quality of the food. By using a survey or a questionnaire of some sort, the student body’s judgment of the food can help make school lunches more pleasant for everyone.
School lunches have much to be improved. Even though the school has many nutritional standards it has to satisfy, the taste and quality can be upgraded. Despite this, students at Wilson are appreciative of being able to consume free meals every day.
