The Importance of Healthy School Lunches

The Importance of Healthy School Lunches

By Raina Canale

Lunches that schools serve students are usually unhealthy and have a greater affect on kids more than we may think. School lunches are mainly carbs, sugar, and processed foods. Many schools serve these foods because they are cheaper and it’s what sells. Schools, including our school, should start serving healthier lunches that give students the nutrition and energy they need to get through their school day. In addition to these benefits, there are several healthy food options that schools can serve that would also influence students to start eating healthier on a regular basis.

Most kids like junk food because it tastes good and is usually cheap. Eating healthy starts in the home but students can also make the choice for themselves to eat healthy. According to Livestrong, “When children don’t eat a healthy lunch, it’s harder for them to concentrate at school and to muster the energy for after school activities. They’re also more likely to reach for unhealthy snacks later in the afternoon” (www.livestrong.com). Eating badly can turn into a bad habit because after someone eats junk food constantly, that person becomes addicted to it and that’s all that they want to eat. A lot of the time students like to eat candy, processed food, and drink soda every day at school for lunch. Treating yourself every once in awhile to sweets or processed food isn’t a bad thing, but we should be able to control what we eat and choose healthier options.

It can be hard for schools to sell healthier food because it can be more expensive than processed food. However, Cathy, a Korean exchange student says that “the school in Korea I went to had different lunches every week and had protein, three sides, rice, soup, vegetables that we can choose from.” That would be nice for students at this school to also have more of a variety of healthier options. Most students like processed food but they might also like some healthier options for lunch. Schools should be adding more protein, vegetables, fruit, and dairy into the school lunches. North Idaho Christian School could have a salad bar once a week with a variety of toppings and this would be something that a lot of students would enjoy and feel good about eating. Several students have suggested or like the idea of having a salad bar. There could also be more lunches with protein such as real chicken with rice and veggies with healthier snacks available such as fruit, granola, and popcorn. There are also healthier chips that are baked instead of fried, and healthier drink options such as water, Izzie’s, and iced tea. Healthy lunches can seem boring, but there are many ways to make them more fun and delicious.

NICS could also do a survey and have students suggest what kinds of healthier food options that they would like to eat during lunch. Students that I have talked to have agreed that they would like to see healthier options and really like the idea of a salad bar. This school wouldn’t have to cut out everything out, but maybe just have one day that has pizza, nachos, chips, candy, and soda. And even if the majority of the students don’t like the idea, the school could still have healthier and nutritious options for other students and/or students could have the responsibility of packing their own lunches with healthier food. I think that a lot of parents, staff, and students would appreciate it if this school served healthier lunches and that could also encourage them to start eating healthier. This school may not be able to change the lunches this year, but should try to sell healthier lunches next year.