Cafeteria conundrum

Let’s talk lunch.

For students, it is supposed to be that time of day to get a break.  A break from work, from teachers and from just having to function at an expected level that perhaps is not humane when it comes to teenagers.

And it is a time to eat; to replenish, to rejuvenate.  It should be a time to look forward to and an opportunity to fill the tank with some much needed food.  Good food.

Herein lies the issue.  Is the food in our cafeteria good?

If you take survey in the cafeteria on any given day, what you will find is a fairly even split between those who bring and those who buy.

According to Sherry Bell, who manages the CHS cafeteria through Aramark, “Roughly 50% of students are buying lunch each day.” That means around half of the students in the school are choosing to bring lunch from home, because, according to a large consensus, the school food is not very appealing.

According to a poll of sophomores, the most well-like offering from the cafeteria is the orange chicken and rice.  While a few other items were mentioned, this dish was most consistently the favorite.

Other students were not shy about their feelings toward eating the cafeteria food.

“There is nothing they serve that is remotely edible.  The only thing that tastes like real food are the fresh fruits and vegetables.  Everything else is bland, cold, or tastes like it has been there for days,” said a member of the senior class.

Of the students who frequently bring their lunch,  most say it is because they can pack what they like and not have to risk what might be served in the cafeteria line.  Other reasons to brown bag it include cost and convenience.

According to research, school lunch can cost upwards of $3 per student per day.  Guidelines dictate that for this price, students should receive a choice of entrees, fresh or cooked vegetables, a fruit option and milk.

The CHS cafeteria offers these items, but according to students, they just aren’t very tasty.

One member of the junior class said, “I bring my lunch every day.  If not, I am paying for food that I really don’t want to eat.  And then I am hungry when I am at practice after school.  It really is counterproductive to buy lunch in the cafeteria because it is expensive and not very satisfying.”