On Mondays and Thursdays junior Caleb Herschberger walks into the school cafeteria at the last lunch of the school day, eager to go into the rest of his classes on a high note after having some of the Papa John’s pizza served two days of the week. However, it soon becomes noticeable how other options he would like to have are suddenly not as nutritious as they sound. 

“I definitely think the lunches should be more nutritious,” Herschberger said. “It’s going to be a little expensive sure, but it has to be healthy.”

However Hershberger is not the only one voicing his complaints. The outrage with the school lunch menu not being “nutrient-dense” has even reached teachers as well, one of them being FACS teacher Mrs. Kathryn McGuire who argued how fried food is certainly not the way to go.

“I don’t think we need to have fried foods like tater tots and french fries or even processed food like Bosco sticks,” McGuire said. “Let’s not serve canned, but fresh fruit and vegetables.”

To add on to the existence of the fruit being canned rather than fresh as well as introducing more healthier options to the menu, junior Joshua Rannebarger added on to how school lunches could be improved upon.

“You don’t want any processed stuff but [instead] add more greens,” Ranneberger said. “There really should be fresher things in there.”

Although the concerns for lack of proper nutrition in the current school lunch menu are supported by many, Mrs. McGuire also mentioned a possible reason for the lack of change, funding.

“I understand why they don’t because the cost to purchase those things are a lot more expensive so our students aren’t going to want to buy it,” McGuire said. “But either students are going to bring things from their homes or are going to start to eat better options.”

As for a lunch menu favorite, Papa John’s pizza has also started to fall off for many, reportedly having lost the taste of actual fresh pizza which drastically lowered Herschberger’s view on the quality of school lunches.

“It just does not taste good anymore,” Herschberger said. “So I think we should just get new pizza with fresher ingredients.” 

Several students and teachers alike continue to hope for changes to the menu, to make lunch at school not just appealing, but more appetizing and healthier overall to better serve the well being of kids and adults alike.