For years, the school lunch lines have been home to pizza, sandwiches and other typical cafeteria food. However, students had the opportunity to have a voice this year in deciding what food they eat at school. Earlier in the year, there was a sample poll that asked students to vote for barbeque or macaroni with a side of protein to be the new lunch line added to the cafeteria. Once the poll came to a close, most students voted on macaroni, and on Nov 4, it became the cafeteria’s newest addition.
When it comes to having a balanced meal, the cafeteria staff is trying to be accommodating and conscious of what students are eating while also giving them the choice to pick what they prefer.
“When we had been looking for the new lines we looked at nutritional information and value and when the food is served you will still have your meats with the macaroni as well as your grains and vegetables,” Food Service Advisor and Cafeteria manager Tholasina Hairrson said.
But even with this, they ask that students with allergies be cautious of what they pick and what they want to eat if they choose from this new line.
“The only restrictions we would have when it comes to the new line is gluten. Kids who can’t eat gluten wont be able to eat from that bar because all the macaroni and cheese has gluten in it,” Harrison said.
With this replacing the old grill line, the option for that type of food will be moving to the newly reinstated hot-to-go line, furthering students’ daily meal options.
“In that line we will be providing a salad and a wrap every day as well as the hot grill items from the previous line to choose from,” Harrison said.
Students think the new line is a good addition to the cafeteria and enjoy the options for different sauce toppings and the different protein options.
“I went in there and I saw the mac and cheese and it was brown on top so that’s how you know it’s good. It was like my grandmas it was super good, they even had barbecue sauce for me to put on it,” freshman Miles Isler said.
Students also feel like the return of the hot-to-go line is beneficial to them giving the opportunity to try healthier different lunches.
“I like having the options for wraps [in the hot-to-go line] and that we get to have more healthy things instead of just pizza and chicken sandwiches,” junior Emma Fore said.
With this new addition to lunch, there is hope that this will not only benefit those who eat food from the cafeteria, but also give a feeling of fresh new options to try with more freedom in students’ choices.
