Editorial/Opinion

Price over nutrition, and nutrition over taste; the method with which schools choose their lunch menus has not been helpful for students. For many years now, schools have partnered with specific companies that give cheaper deals for food bought in bulk. Would it not make more sense to provide healthy and good tasting food for the growing children that are our future? This is exactly what administrators need to realize.
With the current hullabaloo about nutritional lunch programs, our district has taken many strides to make our lunches better for us. In order to buy every regular lunch meal, disregarding the “a la carte” options, students are required to buy one serving of fruits or vegetables, and one serving of milk. This would be perfect if it were not for the quality of the fruits and vegetables that are served. Many students will tell you that the fruits look exactly like they were taken out of a can and thawed a few minutes before being served, and they are always drowning in overly sweet corn syrup. The vegetables look the same way, and many times, the cooked veggies are mushy and without taste.
I have been reassured many times that these lunches are much healthier than what they used to be. However, if the lunches do not taste good, there is nothing to force the students into eating them. Many students currently bypass the regular lunch choices and go straight to the extra “a la carte” options, which usually have lower nutritional value. French fries, cheese bread and dipping sauce, and “barbeque chicken chunks” and ice cream might be okay in moderation, but once students choose to eat this every day, problems arise.
When it comes to taste, it makes no sense for the school to charge extra for the food that tastes better if it is not as nutritional for students. Though it might be more profitable for school districts and food companies, schools are obligated to do what is better for their students. Especially with a major obesity problem in America, you would think schools would see this as a problem, and add extra incentives to try to lure students into eating the food that is good for them. An easy way to do this is to have healthy food that tastes good, such as fresh fruits and vegetables.
Students need to realize that the food they are being served has the potential to ruin their futures as food related health problems increase. It may be possible to change the menu to include tastier options, and eliminate wording that makes the dishes sound worse than they really are, such as “barbecue chicken chunks.” Many students are ready to sacrifice the amount of choices they have or possibly pay a little more for healthier and tastier food in the cafeteria. By making these changes, it will not only make students happier, but it will provide them with a nutritional meal that will help them in the future.