With the introduction of open lunches to juniors and seniors, many of these upperclassmen don’t may go to fast food restaurants like McDonalds, Runza, or Wendy’s and consume much unhealthier food than what’s offered at school. As it turns out, however, lunches at school are much healthier compared to eating anywhere else. When you look at the nutrient facts, school lunches are one of the healthiest places to eat lunch.
In the past 20 years, school lunches have been becoming more nutritious and better for student’s health. New guidelines have outlined the nutritional goals that are standard for students of all ages. Elementary, middle and high schools all provide these necessities. Problem is, a lot of students are picky eaters and only choose food based on looks.
I think there is a misunderstanding on how healthy the school lunches are. Social media has only made the perception of school lunches worse with students posting undercooked or soggy food, such as chicken patties or the milk. In my experience, I’ve never encountered food like that.
Students who eat lunch at school are eating the healthiest. With so many options offered to them every day, students are more likely to take something healthy to add to their lunch, according to the USDA. Students are also less likely to consume deserts and non-milk drinks.
Schools also offer breakfast, not only to give students a nutritious meal, but also to energize them for the day. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so schools need to make sure that these meals are filling enough for students. According to No Kid Hungry, “students who eat school breakfast have been shown to achieve 17.5% higher scores on standardized math tests and attend 1.5 more days of school per year.”
One big issue with school breakfast is that a lot of students can’t make it to school with enough time to eat breakfast and make it to their first class on time. There are some schools that have vending machines that have some quick, healthier snacks like breakfast bars. I think that is the best option for students who need something to eat in the morning with little to no time.
However, potentially the biggest problem most students and parents encounter is the cost of school lunches. In a survey ran by SNA, the cost of lunches was the top challenge by 99.8% of respondents. The answer behind these constantly increasing costs is food shortages from the producers. Luckily, congress has passed acts such as the Keep Kids Fed Act, which raised reimbursement rates by $.40 for lunch and $.15 for breakfast. So while cost is the biggest issue for a majority of parents, congress is constantly working on making sure every student gets the right nutrition at school.
Many students will pass on eating lunch or breakfast at school, whether that be from the looks of it or from things they’ve heard on social media. In reality, school meals are the healthiest they’ve ever been, and the manufacturers of the food as well as the government are constantly working to make them even healthier to make sure students get the proper nutrients they need to succeed in school. I think everyone should give their school meals a second chance, as it could be in their benefit in helping with their future.
