Imagine waiting in a long lunch line at school only to be served with mediocre pizza. Let’s delve into the topic of school lunches. As we know, the taste and quality of school lunches can be very underwhelming. Us students should be thankful for what we have, but if we have an opportunity to improve the quality of food that we are being served at school, then why not do it? Of course, it can depend on the school you’re attending, but by
combining each and everyone’s overall opinions, we can conclude that our state and districts definitely have some enhancing to do.
According to KRON, school districts in California are spending roughly $15 billion in state and federal funding to increase the quality of food for their students. This means that we now have the opportunity to ditch the unappealing pizzas and burgers. According to the California Department of Food and Agriculture, The Farm to School programs are also willing to boost the health of students through food-based education and access to healthier food options. The state of California is offering a program that provides free breakfast, lunch, and snacks to all students. This program applies to all students despite their income status. Many schools in California are also currently taking part in these actions. We know that Saugus High School provides students with free meals as well. This was a great decision made by the district because parents and students can now have relief knowing that every student has the opportunity to eat at school.
Districts are now building new kitchens, hiring executive chefs, contracting directly with local organic farmers, and training their staff to cook the finest cuisine according to Cal Matters. The move to healthier, fresher school meals comes on the heels of California’s first-in-the-nation program providing free breakfast, lunch, and snacks to nearly 6 million students in public schools, regardless of whether they qualify under federal income guidelines. The expansion of the meal program, which is also combined with investments in school kitchens and training, has made public schools the largest restaurant system in the state, serving nearly 1 billion meals a year more than McDonald’s, Starbucks, and Subway combined. “We now have the money and the green light to go all out. There’s no more excuses,” said Juan Cordon, food services director at Vacaville Unified, where students now enjoy offerings such as regeneratively raised pork sandwiches, Strauss Family Creamery organic yogurt, and chipotle chilaquiles. “Everything is turbocharged. It’s like, let’s do it fast, let’s do it now, let’s do it right.”
As we know, many students aren’t too satisfied with what they are being served during lunch at school. For example, Lola Ackerman who is currently a senior attending Saugus High School, said “ I never ate the school lunches because they taste as unappetizing as they look.” Another student who is attending Golden Valley High School known as Natalie Petrillo also said “I just eat when I get home from school, I don’t bother with the cafeteria food.” If schools want to improve this, maybe they can get some opinions from some of the students as to what they want to eat.
California districts taking part in these actions will ensure that students will be well-fed, as well as happy with what they are being served.
