Hungry for change: school lunch makeover

After waking up late from a long night of studying, rushing out the door to make it to class on time, and forgetting to grab your lunch from the refrigerator, your stomach is already growling by lunchtime. After finally getting lunch, four chicken nuggets or one slice of pizza, it’s gone in three seconds with your stomach not adequately filled. Instead of giving students the energy they need to get through the rest of the school day, the small lunch portions can leave them feeling hungry and unprepared for what comes next.

This is the truth for many WA students whose only source of nutrients throughout the school day is at lunch, making it difficult to participate in clubs or practices that require strenuous effort. Students who have after-school practices, games, or extracurricular activities lasting several hours may not have another opportunity to eat until they get home. For some students, this means that the only substantial meal they have during the school day is the small portion provided in the cafeteria. Westford Academy should increase its lunch portions to better accommodate students’ nutritional needs and provide them with enough food to stay energized throughout the school day.

Healthy U.S.-style dietary pattern for adolescents ages 14 through 18, with daily or weekly amounts from food groups, subgroups, and components. (Provided by Dietary Guidelines for Americans) According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, daily energy needs of teenagers ages 14-18 vary depending on age, sex, and physical activity level. Caloric intake ranges from 1,800 to 3,200 calories per day. Students who participate in athletics and other physically demanding activities may have greater energy needs than less active students. A slice of Sal’s pizza, which is one of the options students are regularly offered at lunch, contains approximately 210 calories. Although one slice can be part of a balanced meal, it may not be enough to leave students feeling satisfied throughout the afternoon, especially when they have several hours of activities ahead of them. A singular slice of pizza does not provide students with the nutritional value that teenagers need throughout their day, especially if students are not fond of the vegetables or fruits provided in the lunch line.

“I try to bring lunch when I can, especially when I know I have a race or a game after school. However, sometimes I need to get lunch at school and it would be better if there were larger portions for the high schoolers,” senior varsity athlete Anya Turczyk said. “A lot of us are athletes and burn many calories in one day, having larger portions would allow athletes to fuel better before working out.”

With the physical demands of varsity sports, students need sufficient food to maintain their energy and perform well. However, the current school lunch portions do not provide enough food for students who have busy schedules outside the classroom. Increasing portion sizes would give these students a better opportunity to fuel themselves before practices, games, and other activities.

On the other hand, some could argue that students could just have breakfast in the morning before school or take advantage of the free breakfast offered in the cafeteria. While having breakfast available is helpful, students shouldn’t have to sacrifice instructional time or risk being late to class to receive a meal. Whether or not a student decides to eat breakfast does not solve the problem of students receiving insufficient portions at lunch. Students deserve a lunch that provides enough food to help them stay focused in class and participate in their after-school commitments.

One way to address this issue would be for WA to start offering larger lunch portions, this would work especially well for students who have busy schedules after school. The school could also consider allowing students to receive additional servings when needed. While this may require adjustments to the school’s food budget and meal planning, providing students with sufficient food should remain a priority.

While I understand that the food at WA takes hours of preparation by the cafeteria staff and a tremendous amount of maintenance, I do believe that students should enjoy what they are eating and not have to wait to eat until hours after they get home from school or extracurricular activities.

Hungry for change: school lunch makeover

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