When public school lunches are brought up, most students seem to assume that school lunch is always a mess of greasy, unhealthy slop. At GlenOak High School, however, it is quite the opposite.
Jennifer Rex, who is the head nutrition specialist for the district says that what is best about the school lunches are the healthy choices available.
Out of the variety of lunches the school provides, there are guaranteed to be favorites among students.
“Probably the most popular would be the pizza, the power bowl and the salad are the top three,” Rex said.
These items are frequently an option and quick to run out. The usual jam-packed lunch line gets even longer and packed on the days those options are provided. Even though the taste of the food is great, the nutritional value of the food is also important.
“The most important and healthy things on the menu are the whole foods. Those are the fruits and veggies,” Rex said.
It is extremely important that teenagers be able to eat balanced school meals.
“I think our school has a good balance of taste and nutrition. I call the kids the generation of chicken because you kids like it so much, so it is kind of difficult to balance the meat options,” Rex said.
Although the lunches are mostly balanced, there will always be something a little bit unhealthy involved.
“I think our biggest issue is probably sodium. We consume so much sugar and salt, and when we take it away, it tastes different. It has to be 50% healthy and 50% flavor,” Rex said.
She also said it was important to collect student feedback. Her office is next to the sheriff’s office if any students would like to share their opinions on the lunch options.
For the most part, freshman Sofia Capuano likes the options in the lunch department.
“I personally like either the pizza or the cheese sticks because they’re the most predictably good and cannot be messed up,” Capuano said.
Capuano still sees some room for improvement in the lunch department.
“I think they should add more vegetarian options, or at least options without as much cheese or animal products, as well as a bigger sandwich selection,” Capuano said.
It seems that food options should not be the only thing altered though. Comments surrounding the lunchroom’s overall structure have been brought up.
“I would personally get rid of some tables and space things out, since things tend to be cramped with a lot of tables left over,” Capuano said.
While sophomore Indy Freeman enjoys school lunches she also feels like the addition of different foods to the menu would be beneficial.
“I think they should add like, corn dogs or some sort of buffalo chicken dip thing,” Freeman said.
Although, not everyone purchases the school lunch. Many students bring their own packed lunch to school.
“I used to pack because I didn’t really like school food,” Freeman said.
Regardless of if students pack or buy their lunch, the school offers a variety of different lunch options. The food meets dietary needs for students and provides a tasty lunch, though some students feel there is room for change.
