Between passing periods, you check the menu to see what’s for lunch. The sound of nachos or chili may sound good. 

And then you see what’s in front of you. That school lunch sure doesn’t look appealing.

“I hate to be blunt, but I don’t really have another way to put it — they’re just bad,” sophomore Christina Thomas said.

In 2010, The Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act was adopted in order to provide funding and easier access to healthy foods. 

These standards went into effect in 2012, now requiring schools to do the following:

• Offer fruit daily at breakfast and lunch
• Offer vegetables daily at lunch
• Increase the amount of whole grains
• Require students to select either a fruit or vegetable with each meal
• Reduce the sodium content of meals
• Only offer fat-free or low-fat milk varieties
• Create grade-specific limits on total calories
• Remove trans fats

But are our school lunches really nutritious?

“(People) consider it healthy but there’s like no fruits or vegetables,” Thomas said. “There’s usually one fruit, one steamed vegetable option and that’s about it.”

Freshman Amanda Jernigan agreed. 

“Not really healthy, but enough to keep you full,” she said. “More vegetables and salads without chicken would be nice.”

Along with few choices for fruits and vegetables, students also find themselves eating prepackaged and heavily processed meals. In addition, these foods are generally reheated and are far from fresh.

“The choices are more about ‘taste,’ when they should be healthier,” freshman Katelyn Phompor said.

Healthier meals promote better learning and memory, improved concentration, and would allow students to maintain energy for longer durations.

“I just feel like it’s bad quality and needs to be more natural,” Thomas said. Sustained energy from healthy foods could also reduce the amounts of unwanted eating in class — both a distraction and a potential mess.

By providing fresh fruits and vegetables, less prepackaged meals, and cutting back on processed foods, students would have healthier habits and a more efficient education.