Better School Lunches Research Paper

Having better school lunches would improve the eating habits of children. I believe that if schools were informed about the consequences of bad eating habits to the children they would do something to improve the food being served. Children nowadays tend to just eat junk food and call it a “meal.” The school lunches are not exactly a great healthy meal, food that is served is full of sodium and high on saturated fats and is usually low in fiber and lacks all the nutrients that can be found in fruits, vegetables and whole grains. There are other schools that have healthy food options for everyone; without all the unhealthy fats and all of the unnecessary grease on the food.
Having access to healthier lunches would be a huge benefit to all.
The students would have better food with all the necessary nutrients needed to maintain a healthy lifestyle such as carbohydrates, protein, fats. vitamins and minerals. All those measured out, of course, to match the healthy lifestyle. While some schools do have a salad bar, the food is only limited. There is never enough food for all. Only sometimes will there be leftover food but that does not happen often. More people prefer salad bar food but do not bother making line because it always gets insanely packed and no one seems to respect people who have been waiting for long because they simply cut the line. Instead of having one salad bar, there should be two or even three salad bars so that everyone gets an opportunity to receive food that is somewhat healthier than what is served in the other lunch lines.
Many kids do not eat fruits and vegetables all that much at home, so that is why I believe that schools should give more fruit and vegetable options to the students. There is always just carrots and celery, but there should be more options like broccoli, cauliflower, cucumber and corn. As of fruits, there should be more than just apples and oranges. If there was a variety then more people might find the one that they like and be more inclined to get one. The fruit varieties can include mango, watermelon, strawberries, peaches and many more.
If this is not enough, something else that schools should offer is healthier snacks.
Instead of chips, there could be a pack of almonds or some kind of nuts as those are a healthier option. There should be little packs of peanut butter so that the students are able to dip their fruit of choice into it. Another healthy option could be yogurt with either cereal or fruit. There should be granola bars that do not have too much sugar available as well, as those do not have too many calories and can fill up an empty stomach. For those people that do not like their snacks plain, there should be hummus available because its a dip that does not have too many calories. For all the chocolate lovers, there is a healthier option that should be offered. That is dark chocolate. It does not have too many calories and is the healthy way out. While buttery popcorn is not an option, there can be plain popcorn and that can be a healthier option. Almost anything whole grain should be served because of the fiber it may have. That can include anything from cookies, cereal, pasta, rice, and even oatmeal. The healthy option to beef jerky would be turkey jerky because it has a lot of protein and not too many calories. There are certain cheeses like ricotta cheese that should be offered. This cheese can be combined with fruits to be a complete snack. Another healthy snack that should be offered is pumpkin seeds instead of sunflower seeds. These are not too salty and can serve to be a better, healthier
snack. Not just food wise, but as for drinks, there should be the standard milk that is always served. In addition to this, there should be fruit and vegetable smoothies that can also serve as a snack because it can fill up. Water should be free because it is something that is a must. Even if it is not the big water bottles, even the little ones can be beneficial. Another drink that does not have too many calories that should be offered is green tea. It has many factors that can be helpful to the body. Lastly, another drink that should be offered is soy milk for all the vegans and those that are lactose intolerant but still like to drink milk.