Over the last few school years, lunches have gone through many dramatic changes. Michelle Obama established new policies to help prevent childhood obesity and encourage kids to eat healthier. Though her intentions were for the best, the outcome did not turn out as planned. School lunches have become less popular among students and some students simply choose to opt out of school lunch altogether. With the lack of sugars and salts in these lunches, students are much less inclined to eat school lunches.

“I don’t eat school food. It just doesn’t seem appetizing half of the time,” senior Chelcy Prater commented.

Though numerous kids at Central agreed with Chelcy, many of them still eat the food simply because that’s their only option. Athletes and other students involved in after school activities need to have some source of energy to keep them going throughout the day.

However, students always have the option of eating lunch brought from home. The Central Digest took a poll to see the range of students who do or do not eat school lunch. Out of 20 students, 11 eat school lunch, four bring their own lunch, and five do not eat at school at all.

“I’m just so glad we still have good snacks in the vending machines. Those make so much money now that the lunches aren’t as popular,” senior Tanner Mowery remarked.

So what is the solution to obtaining better quality school lunches? Considering the government funds and controls of these types of things, the most effective solution would involve students reaching out to the officials. The results may not be immediate, but the more students involved, the bigger the impact will be. These students do not have to be limited to just Central High School, however. Students from every high school can get involved in speaking out about their school lunches!