I feel that throughout my school many food ends up getting wasted because of the lack of attention brought to people with regards to healthy eating. Because so many fruits and vegetables get thrown out on the daily at my school, many people are getting fueled on the unhealthy salt and sugar-filled items that are getting processed in places that aren’t good for you. If there were to be teachings about why it is so important to keep fruits and veggies in your day to day diet, it can really benefit you a lot. Also, lots of people around the world can afford healthy food items, so if schools were to start to make meals more healthy, it could really help not only American obesity but also help people get new healthy eating habits.
Educating students about the benefits of a low-salt, low-sugar diet and introducing flavorful alternatives could help promote acceptance of the new guidelines. Ultimately, it will be important for schools to engage with students, gather feedback, and involve them in the process of creating nutritious and appealing menu options to encourage healthier eating habits.
Students also told us what’s working in their own school cafeterias.
As a student attending public school, I was made aware of how the federal government regulated schools to follow specific nutritional guidelines, such as the healthy eating plate, which depicts a perfectly balanced meal consisting of ½ vegetables and fruits, ¼ carbohydrates, and ¼ protein. Most of the schools I attended followed this guideline. However, after switching to private schools, I noticed that their meal plans were more lenient, as they had more freedom to do what they wanted … At my school, our salad bar is very successful. Students can customize their salad with fresh fruits and vegetables that create a great food source that brings the body energy. Therefore, schools should have a balanced meal that includes healthy options, without eliminating all of students’ favorites. I personally think the healthy eating plate is a good guide to see if your main lunch source is pulling from all food types and energy sources.
I believe eating healthy, even if it is forced, is important. My previous school food, for example, had many options, including Asian, western, a salad bar, and different bread options. This helped students choose what kind of food they wanted. For breakfast and dinner, they balanced the sodium levels by giving under-seasoned food for breakfast if the dinner was going to have salty or sugary food. To help parents and students know how much sodium they are taking that day, they posted pictures with the sodium levels for every meal.
And what needs improvement.
I believe schools can improve on healthier food options. There are students who buy lunch everyday, some who don’t have a choice in this, so having higher quality food for them would be beneficial. I’ve seen plenty of questionable food in my cafeteria and they’re usually the healthier options. No student actively wants to eat a rotting salad or a fruit cup that has been sitting out for a few hours; it’s gross. So these usually get thrown away. Burgers, pizza, fries, etc. are always going to be served in school cafeterias. Those foods could also be improved with their high sodium levels. But, if schools offer good quality, healthier options, students may actually choose them. Overall, school lunches are tolerable in their current state, but I’m sure there can be steps taken to improve them.
