Our School Cafeteria Needs to Improve

Today I came to the conclusion, after doing a little research, that there are only two things at school that I can and want to eat from OPRF's school cafeteria, certain types of sushi and fruit. This is not because I am picky or anything like that, but I am very allergic to dairy. To my knowledge, there are very few dairy-free options to pick from. Even if there were dairy-free options, I wouldn't be able to tell because no ingredients are listed at the school or on the school's website. There is no way to really know what is in a food item, other than packaged snacks, besides asking one of the cafeteria workers, who are always in a rush and are sometimes intimidating. It would be inconvenient to hold the line up and ask the ingredients of every single thing I am ordering.

There are also very little healthy vegetarian options besides fruit, vegetables and the occasional soup. I have a few vegetarian friends and the ones I have talked to request meat substitutes and more veggie/black bean burgers. Also, the vegetarian options that are out there, like a veggie burger once a week are not, but should be available everyday. Vegetarians still, obviously, need protein in their diet, but our school offers almost nothing to fill that need.

The school cafeteria would be much better in my opinion if it simply added healthier options and more information on the website instead of word games asking to "unscramble the names of these common grains". A simple solution to the website problem is to create a section that includes a list of foods for people with allergies and ingredients to the 'homemade' meals. Also, peers that I spoke to today asked for better quality meat, especially in the wrap line, more sushi for 6th period lunch and no maraschino cherries in the fruit bowls "because they are disgusting and completely ruin the other fruit!" Above all, people just wanted to be able to buy healthy meals.

Comments

[Zoe R.]

I totally agree with you Lucy. I was a vegetarian for a very long time, and I never found anything good to eat in the cafteria. Even now, eating meet, I find it hard to find good and healthy food in the cafeteria. I also think that they should come up with a menu or something posted somewhere with nutrition information, because if people knew what they were actually eating, they might not want to eat it anymore. And, it makes it easier for people with allergies to find food they can eat.

[Matt G.]

I definately agree that the school should show students the ingredients of food served in the cafteria. Our school has a very large student body with a myriad of allergies. Not showing the ingredients of the food is dangerous.

I also agree that vegetarians should be accomodated better. If they can have veggie burgers one day of the week, why can't they have them every day? Perhaps cost is an issue.