It’s important to have free lunches because schools ensure that those who aren’t getting food at home or those who cannot afford it have the nutrition they need. Could Lafayette improve the food that is being served?
Many students from Lafayette High School agree that there is more than one thing we need to change about our lunches. We have to consider the different nutritional values, the portion sizes, and the overall freshness of the food.
High school students need nutritious and filling food. Social studies teacher Mr. Rouse states, “I would say we would need to work with local farmers and grocers to have more fresh food rather than bringing in frozen things like that…It would be awesome if we could work with more local providers to have fresher ingredients.” Although this solution would be more expensive, it is a good idea if we want to provide students with the best quality meals.
Along with wanting fresher food, many students said they were starting to get tired of the same meals and would love a better variety. Yashuz “Yaya” Chenault, a junior at Lafayette, said, “We need to have more options…don’t just have the same options every day.”
As we were talking about this response, we all agreed that it would be a good idea to have some kind of poll to show which meals students liked and didn’t. We can help prevent food waste by the kids who aren’t eating the meals they don’t like. This way, students could be sure that the school is trying to provide good meals that go with their likes and dislikes.
Another student, freshman Lorlei Brow freshman, agreed with this, saying, “I sometimes skip lunch because the food is not great quality, and when I do get lunch, I end up throwing a good amount away, like the fruit/veggie they make me get.” Ensuring that students are happy with their meals would help reduce the food waste we create within this school.
On the other hand, some students who like or eat school lunches wish we would have bigger portions. Lydia Dever, a sophomore, stated, “I got the chicken nuggets the other day, and they only gave me four.” Lilly Tay, a sophomore, said, “I only get one slice of pizza, and I usually eat three, so it’s not enough.”
Senior Bryson Reynolds, who also agrees, said, “We’re students. We cannot control what they want to give us [but] we need more food, more protein, more nutrition, and [healthier options]. It’s not enough. We need to make sure we’re getting our whole plate. In our meals, we’re not getting enough.” Not having a big enough portion of food was a common problem stated by many of the students who were interviewed by the Lafayette Times. Many agreed it was our biggest problem with our lunches.
However, it’s not all bad. One thing students love about our lunches is their ability to purchase drinks, chips, or other food. Freyja Knudsen, a freshman, told The Times, “I love to buy extra drinks ’cause it’s a nice sweet treat, and it gets me through my day. It’s so much easier to buy it here than bring it from home.” We also appreciate the cafeteria workers who don’t decide our lunches and are just trying their best to serve food.
Free lunches are fantastic for students. As Rouse said, “Free lunches are great, so everyone has equal access to food…food is not a privilege. It’s a right.” Many students and family members greatly appreciate the free food that is given.
So, while our students are happy with the privilege of getting free meals, they suggest we have more foods with more nutritional value, bigger portions, and more options for their meals so they are getting the best quality food.
