Lunch Issue in Cesar Chavez High School

Having proper nutrition has been proven to benefit students’ in various ways including health, behavior, and even in school. However, not having a proper nutrition can cause obesity related issues such as Type 2 diabetes, minimize our energy levels from day to day, and not perform well in school. Lunch is an issue here at Cesar Chavez High School and three solutions came to mind when trying to resolve this lunch problem in order to benefit students. The solutions that can settle this dilemma are having fresh food like from a farmer’s market, a buffet style cafeteria, and lowering the cost of the meals.

Instead of being served frozen foods, serving fresh food daily can really aid in our lunch. Foods lose C and B vitamins, texture, and especially their flavor once frozen. Fresh foods speak for themselves, as the very word "fresh" implies wholesomeness, unadulterated foods where no salt, sugar, preservatives, and more have been added to make an imitation product into the real thing. Data shows that while an estimated 30.6 million US students eat school lunches, only 6% of school lunch programs meet the nutritional requirements established by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Although many school districts are improving their offerings, most are still loaded with fried foods, soda, and foods that are high in fats and sugars. There should be chefs at every food station to cook your meal right in front of you. Of course it’ll cost more money than usual, but it’ll be worth it since the fresh food will be healthier and taste better. This will help students get through the whole seven hours of school with plenty of energy to stay on task and do their assignments.

Another solution towards making lunch better can be adding a buffet in the cafeteria. A buffet provides students with a wide variety of foods instead of choosing what was made already. The student won’t be obligated to eat what the cafeteria staff served; instead, students can mix the different kinds of food they feel like eating and actually enjoy their lunch. Another benefit of having a buffet is that students can serve themselves as many times or alternatively, eat what they provided and still be hungry. One might say that it’s a waste of food, but if you’re worried about wasting the food at the end, you can always make plates and take them to your local homeless shelters. They will be thankful for your contribution and make you a better person.

Lowering each meal cost can really benefit students and make lunch even better. By lowering the meal cost to a reasonable price that everybody can pay, more students will be able to eat rather than starve and not perform well in school. At Cesar Chavez High School, I see many students asking people for dollars and I, personally, feel bad. Not eating can cause your metabolism to slow down and stop burning as many calories and fat. Students can save money on lunch meal if it’s lowered and spend it more wisely or something important.

Overall, our school lunch can be improved if fresh food is cooked daily, a buffet is added, and each meal would cost less. Currently, in our school, the cafeteria food is insanely unhealthy, with fries, fried chicken, oily pizza, and other fast food "specials". We need to change the next generation before it's too late! Without change, students will continue to become progressively obese, which makes them prone to numerous health hazards. By creating healthy habits now, we can prevent the manifest destiny of future students, and escape from the country’s current path.