Anna Lakey

Students need to eat, it’s part of their daily routine. However, not everyone will eat a school lunch. According to The New York Times, school lunches must be low in fat, calories and sodium. These lunches must have more fruit and leaner protein. Many may notice trash cans during lunch are filled more, due to lunches being thrown out. However, many students do not like the “new” and “improved” lunches. In high school, many students go off-campus for lunch, either at home or go and get fast food. Those who eat the school lunches take a couple of bites, then throw the rest away.
A survey was sent out to Newton High School Students, asking them what their favorite school lunch is. The top three lunches were pizza, Italian dunkers and crispito. Seniors Lizetd Romero-Ortiz and Fatima Diaz said they would rather go out. It is a quick way to get lunch, but gas usage increases every time they go out to eat.
“I get McDonald’s or I just don’t eat,” Romero-Ortiz said. However, when they do eat in the school, Diaz said, “I only eat the crispitos.” Both Romero-Ortiz and Diaz think the school lunches are unhealthy.
This year they are only letting juniors and seniors leave for lunch; however, they may only leave with an ID lunch pass. Staff are now being more strict with this rule. Last year sophomores, juniors and seniors were allowed to leave, needing no pass. This meant anyone could slip by.
“I feel like the school lunches kind of stayed the same,” freshman Taije Botterweck said. “They give you better options like they make sure there’s more for everybody and not just one thing.” As the school lunches are changing and becoming “healthier” many students don’t believe they are, some say it has no flavor, or there isn’t enough of anything.
Many students will agree that it’s too crowded at lunch, only having two lunches instead of three. This is causing staff to put more tables out and making it harder for students to get through the halls to their classrooms. Some students won’t have places to sit and would have to sit on the floor.
“I saw someone sitting on the stairs, but I don’t really see that a lot,” freshman Makaelyn Davis said.