Teen and children sitcom shows can claim school lunch meat is fake and comedians can poke fun at cafeterias, yet students should not let negative criticism dissuade them from eating school lunches that are nutritious and budget-friendly.
The negative reputation of school lunches can twist the reality that school lunches have positive impacts on families financially and from a health standpoint for students. Providing school lunches is especially important at a time when the United States is experiencing a rise in children experiencing poverty and hunger, according to the University of Illinois.
When media portrayals give school lunches a bad reputation and the general opinion of students, students from low-income households may feel less comfortable consuming school lunches that are critical to their health and well-being and provide a reliable source of food to temporarily sustain their growing bodies, according to the Food Research and Action Center.
“Some people have financial issues or they don’t want to spend money on school lunch,” junior Jessica Choi said. “So I think having it for free is good.”
School lunches also combat food insecurity and obesity among children and teens, as students who eat them consume fewer calories than their peers who consume home-packed lunches, according to the School Nutrition Association. School lunches are a reliable backup to packed lunches and are designed to include fruits, vegetables and dairy to meet state nutritional standards.
“I think [school lunch] has a mixed reputation,” sophomore Melody Hughes said. “I think some people don’t [like it]. Overall, it’s not really around for being good food, but it’s also a respectable option.”
Some people may say that the lunches offered at schools are unhealthy, as public schools’ restricted budgets do not allow for the optimal whole foods. School lunches contain large amounts of sugar and sodium, which if consumed in large amounts can eventually harm the health of students rather than provide nutritional benefits, according to the National Library of Medicine.
“[Besides pizza] I’ve tried other foods and it’s not really good,” Choi said. “Because I usually get a pizza, I don’t think it’s that healthy.”
Nevertheless school lunches provide sustenance and support for families — without free, available school lunches, many low-income families would not be afford to feed their children. Overall, the nutritional security of school lunches benefits the well-being of children in California by providing sustenance to their diet, according to the California Department of Education. The institution of free school meal programs are extremely helpful to families.
School lunches should not be judged by their stereotypical reputations, but rather appreciated for their beneficial impact on families and the health of students. The status quo that school lunches are bad that gives lunches a negative reputation should end.
