Elizabeth S. Kentucky

Issues With School Cafeteria Food

School cafeteria food is not adding up to the nutrition we need.

Dear Future President,

An issue plaguing our educational community is the quality of our cafeteria food served to schools daily across the nation. Having a nutritious diet is extremely important for the brain. Good quality food directly impacts learning performance. It is proven that access to proper nutrition can help students maintain psychosocial status and reduce frustration towards school work. It is also proven that school food lacks in Zinc, B Vitamins, Omega Fatty Acids, and Protein, which are crucial in brain development for children and young adults. Our school food is simply not enough to support our educational careers.

A personal story of mine supports this. I was going through the lunch line one day junior year, and was shocked by the food being served. The entree was a bowl of mashed potatoes with corn on top, and the sides were individual bowls of mashed potatoes and corn. That was it, other than fruit, which you may only have one cup of. I was furious, and many other students showed concern as well. What concerned me even more was that it happened again two months later. This is a meal that does not benefit learning in any way shape or form.

Although there have been attempts to revolutionize the cafeteria lunches served at schools in the US, it is just not enough. More needs to be done, we just need someone who cares just as much as us desperate students and teachers.