Over the years, the school lunch menu has faced many changes. Sugary carbonated drinks have been replaced with water, juice, and milk, and high-calorie potato chips have been opted out for the healthier baked alternative. However, although the lunch menu has been continually refined and improved in the last few years to be more healthy and varied, students still feel as though the school lunch program is lacking.
In the past decade, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service has passed several regulations that have limited what foods can and cannot be sold in schools. These regulations require that at least 50 percent of the food served at school be nutritious. Foods deemed “nutritious” must have less than 35 percent of their total calories coming from fat, no more than 10 percent of their total calories coming from saturated fat, and no more than 35 percent of their total weight coming from sugar. Snacks must also be less than 250 calories, while nutritious entrees must be no more than 400 calories. In total, lunches served to high school students cannot exceed 850 calories.
Along with these core regulations, the USDA bans all Foods of Minimal Nutritional Value (FMNV) from being sold in schools. According to the USDA, foods are considered to be a FMNV if they have less than five percent of the Recommended Daily Intake (RDI) of certain nutrients, such as vitamins A and C, niacin, protein, thiamine, riboflavin, calcium, and iron for every 100 calories. FMNVs include foods such as soda, non-carbonated drinks, chewing gum, and candy.
Still, companies can petition the USDA to allow their products to be sold in schools if they can prove that their product contains more than five percent of the RDI for the aforementioned nutrients. Products that have been exempt include Izze beverages, Fruit by the Foot, and Gummy Bears. However, even when a product is exempt, it cannot be sold as part of a reimbursable lunch; it must be sold separately. The reimbursable lunch is part of the lunch program where students receive free or reduced priced food, and the state funding for school lunches reimburses Aragon.
In a memo to the Child Nutrition Directors of all states, the USDA states, “The exemption of these products does not mean that these products are approved or endorsed by the Food and Nutrition Service. Nor does an exemption indicate that these products have significant nutritional value.”
Assessing Food Quality
Earlier this year, senior Giovanni Canas ran into an incident with the milk he had purchased from the lunch lines.
Canas recalls, “During brunch, I bought milk for my cereal, but it tasted sour. I checked the expiration date, and the milk was expired.”
“I didn’t say anything because this was [the] first time this has ever happened to me, but I do think that the people who work in the lunch lines need to do a better job of checking the food.”
These exceptions made by the USDA and Canas’s incident raise the question whether or not the school lunch system is failing, despite that its food meets USDA health codes. Moreover, is the USDA being strict enough if junk foods, such as Gummy Bears and chicken tenders, are still being sold on campus?
Many people would argue that the lunch program is fine the way it is, seeing how the program has already made huge strides toward enhancing healthfulness.
The lunch program has changed in the last few years, and Nutrition Services Assistant Dawn Johnson states, “The school already has a lot of health regulations. Bagels, breads, and pasta are all whole grain. We have fruit and salads as well.”
Denis Vorrises, San Mateo Union High School District (SMUHSD) Manager of Food Services, says, “During the last 12 years we have made numerous changes including removing several unhealthy items and removing all fried items. No foods have trans fat. [And we are] introducing items with 50 percent or more grains, small portion sizes, more fruits, and vegetables, and more.”
Senior Tina Pai, who works in the lunch line, adds, “Sometimes, the lunch ladies require us to make sure that people take a fruit or a side of vegetables. So, they are already trying to be healthy.”
However, many students also believe that the food sold at school is not healthy enough and that more needs to be done to improve the quality and nutrition of the lunches.
Cafeteria Manager Diane Ynostroza explains, “Although there have been several improvements, there are still many things that are not healthy but do meet code. These things range from chicken tenders to nachos, which are very popular items.”
Senior Neil Mercado, who buys lunch everyday, comments, “Although the food does not taste bad, it does not seem healthy. I get the spicy chicken sandwich everyday, but when I eat it, I try not to look at the meat because it doesn’t look like chicken.”
Junior Aislinn Oka says, “I personally do not think it’s healthy enough because although I do not buy the food, I see my friends eating greasy, soggy fries and burgers. And as for me, as a vegetarian, there is basically nothing for me to eat besides bagels and greasy cheese pizza.”
Enrique Flores, a sophomore at San Mateo High School, comments, “The district tries to make things healthier by using wheat bread and such, but they’re still giving us a bunch of processed junk. It’s good for a bit but after a while things just get boring… I’ve found that eating lunch from school everyday is very unhealthy.”
Despite these complaints, Health Teacher Barbara Beaumont argues that the school lunch system is not all at fault.
Beaumont says, “There are healthy choices that are offered there, and it’s all about your own choices. You could decide to get a breakfast sandwich, instead of getting like a Gatorade and a bag of chips. [Also] I think it depends on a lot of people. I see [students] walking around with a Gatorade and a bag of chips…instead of eating the fruit and the milk, and the milk always gets thrown away.”
Adhering to Guidelines
This highlights a controversy with the school lunch program. When buying lunch, students do have the option of choosing healthier items on the menu. Still, many students do opt out of healthy entrees, such as the pasta and salad, for the less nutritious items, such as nachos and chicken tenders. Since students have the opportunity to choose healthy items on the menu, should the government try to foster good eating habits by limiting unhealthy options, or should students, as young adults, be expected to make those choices on their own?
Many athletes have a problem with the portion of the food, feeling as though maximum 850 calories are inadequate for a full day of school and after school sports.
Sophomore Stephen Schick says, “It’s not enough [calories]. I come home and end up eating a ton of food.”
Since many students feel that the lunch program does not offer enough food for athletes, Beaumont suggests, “You need to bring a healthy snack, protein shake, protein bar, [and] an extra sandwich, so that you have all the stuff you need.”
She adds, “The lunch service people are only here [for] lunch time. They offer brunch and lunch, and then we don’t offer a snack after school. I think it would be good if we had, like the Think Thin, the Promax bars, or some type of protein bar available.”
Along with the actual quality of the food, students have run into issues with the food prices. Some feel that food is overpriced.
Mercado says, “The food is kind of a rip-off. It’s like four dollars for a sandwich that tastes okay. I can get better food for four dollars elsewhere.”
Senior Connie Ngirchemat, who brings lunch on a daily basis, states, “It’s just more convenient and cheaper to bring your own lunch. It doesn’t cost as much, and I feel that the food I bring is healthier and tastier than the lunch food.”
Even with all of these issues at hand, not much has been done to improve the lunch program due to limited funding and strict requirements. Although many students agree that changes need to be made, Vorrises points out that changing the system is not as simple as it may seem.
Vorrises comments, “We [the district] have strict guidelines that must be followed which generally cost more than not having to follow the guidelines. For example, a soda costs a lot less than a 100% juice, which we could sell to students at a lower cost, but we cannot sell sodas. In addition, the government funds the free and reduced program very poorly.”
From a financial standpoint, Vorrises also explains the difficulty in reforming the program, saying, “The program also never makes money. The goal of the program is to break even, which is always a challenge.”
Despite the challenges, are there schools in California that follow regulations but have a better school lunch system? Using regulations as an excuse for unsatisfactory food is only a valid reason up to a certain point. Aragon can step up the food quality without bypassing regulations; at some point it all comes down to motivation and effort.
