Munch on a School Lunch

MUNCH ON A SCHOOL LUNCH

Food security is defined as the state of having reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food. Here at Greenway, that is one of the top priorities.

School meals are some of the most important parts of a students day. It allows them to stay mentally fit, and promotes physical health as well. The head of our school lunch department, Ms. Cortes, identifies the students as her “family”. This is why she, and the other contributors, work so hard to maintain such a nutritious ensemble of food.

Ms. Cortes said, “The District is trying to make meals feel more like home cooked meals, especially since many kids have situations where they might not have access to food. We also post all of the benefits of the program to help students that are in low income families.”

It is proven that healthy school lunches can improve the student bodies’ overall proficiency in school.

In an article titled “How the Quality of School Lunches Affects the Students’ Academic Performance” it says that in years when a school contracts with a healthy lunch company, students at the school score better on end-of-year academic tests and on average, student test scores are 0.03 to 0.04 standard deviations higher (about 4 percentile points). This not only illustrates the importance of having a healthy lunch, but also the value of having the meal prepared for you at school. 

Many students acknowledge the advantages to having readily-cooked meals provided to them for breakfast, and lunch.

“It is a good alternative to bringing your own food, and it keeps me focused for my day. It also improves my mood,” Junior Anthony Brazier said. This only further recognizes that having access to school lunch not only improves our cognitive function throughout the day, but also improves our frame of mind.

School lunch is also a dependable occasion that saves students from wondering about their next meal.

“It is nice knowing I can rely on the school for meals because it makes the school day so much better. I always have the option just in case I leave my lunch at home, or just don’t have time to make it in the morning,” Junior Cambria Acosta said. While living in such a fast paced, and busy world, it is nice to know that schools will take away any worries of food insecurity. This helps us lead healthier lives, as our stress diminishes over mealtime.

Furthermore, the advantages of free and reduced lunches are truly evident. An article titled, “Benefits of School Lunch” illustrates that perfectly when it suggests that research shows that receiving free or reduced-price school lunches reduces food insecurity, obesity rates, and poor health. Students who come from low-income families, have incredibly busy parents, or experience any other factors that may prohibit them from having meals directly benefit from these services. 

Overall, School lunch is one of the biggest benefits that a student can receive from the school. It is necessary in that it refuels us for the school day, and ensures that we stay physically, cognitively, and emotionally stable throughout our high school years.