Research Paper On School Lunches

Schools have recently been reconstructing their lunches to prevent childhood obesity and create healthier environments. Although people may think the answer to the problem is taking away certain foods and stopping homemade lunches, only through the influence of healthy parents, control over cafeteria items children are able to purchase, and tolerable food that’s still wholesome, will students be able to have nutritious and balanced school lunches, and in turn, healthier lives.

If a child’s parent is able to make them a healthy lunch they should be able to, however, some schools ban homemade lunches and leave no other option than to eat a school lunch or the child will not eat. Author Liz Goodwin makes known that students who go to school
where homemade lunches are banned, “can either eat the cafeteria food--or go hungry” (Source A). Now, students who bring their lunch because they don’t like the food served at school or want to save money will be forced to eat school lunches or miss a meal. As a result of not eating, students may not be able to focus and could see a drop in grades due to the school’s ruling. The school board must allow students to bring homemade lunches in their cafeteria nutritional policy in order to give these children an opportunity to bring healthy food, picked by their own parents, that they will actually eat. Furthermore, once a child who didn’t eat lunch gets home it’s likely they will eat a bunch of snacks, ones which are most likely not healthy, ruining the schools attempt to prevent unhealthy eating. According to one student, the school is, “afraid that we'll all bring in greasy food instead of healthy food” (Source A). Some children may bring unhealthy foods from home, but it would be false to assume every child does. If a child packs their lunch, the child’s parents are just as responsible as the school for providing them with healthy food. The school shouldn’t assume every student will bring unhealthy food and ban homemade lunches, but trust the parents food choices and, instead of making school lunches the only option, should pose homemade lunches as another alternative for students to eat healthy. Certain schools provide food options for students to pick from which allow students to eat what they want. One parents states that their child’s school has meat, bread, milk, fruits, and vegetables and, “Students are required to take at least three of the five items offered” (Source I). The school board has consider allowing students to pick their own food to let them choose to what extent they eat healthy. If a student wants to eat healthy they can pick all healthy options, but if another students doesn’t want to be as healthy they should be able to pick two healthy options and one not as healthy option. The same parent goes on to say that by giving options, “schools can get a more accurate idea of how much food they need to order too, saving money” (Source I). There’s no point in the school wasting money on massive amounts of healthy foods if the students don’t want to eat it. If students are given healthy food only, it’s likely they’ll throw away most of it due to the fact they don’t like it, but if they are given healthy food with options they are more likely to eat what’s on their plate.

The school board should consider providing healthy alternatives that the students will actually find appetizing.
A journalist writing on the topic states that when students are in class all day, they’re, “ready for food and recess, they don't want a fresh tossed salad” (Source E) Many kids will say that their favorite class is lunch since they get time out of the classroom and get to eat food they like. If a kid is forced to eat more nutritious food they may be eating healthier, but the linked state of mind toward not being able to eat what they want could have negative effects in the classroom. This journalist continues asserting, “Letting kids at school eat fries is a better use of money than the likelihood that kids would throw away the healthy foods” (Source E). The school cafeterias should compromise with students and serve healthier food options that they will enjoy eating. The school board shouldn’t spend school money to buy food that kids won’t eat. Both the students and school benefit from a compromise of healthy food because the school gets kids to eat the food without wasting it and the students will enjoy the food while still eating healthier. Director of nutrition policy at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Margo G. Wootan, voices that the change to healthier food options, “will mean a huge shift in school meals” (Source D). Students may have a negative attitude toward these new lunches if their usual meals are replaced with healthier ones. The school board has to consider how quickly they switch to healthier options and be careful to integrate them at a pace students are satisfied
with.

School lunches are undergoing change to prevent childhood obesity and set in motion healthier habits. To do so, it’s essential the school carefully regulates the lunchroom and steers the cafeteria nutritional services in the right direction. The school board must trust the parents to have a healthy influence on the children, control the number of items the child is able to buy, while still giving them options, and compromise with students healthy foods and foods they want to eat in order to have nutritious and balanced school lunches that will create healthier lifestyles for these children.