Today in class we discussed ideas to present to our school's Town Hall meeting next week for Earth day. I posed some questions that the panel at the meeting could discuss about various aspects of sustainability.
I wondered why my school does not offer students a salad bar. My school boasts an outstanding record of student accomplishments, yet only offers a sparse selection of prepackaged salads at lunch. Within these salads, I have found bland chicken, tons of shredded cheese, a few tomatoes, the occasional cucumber, and a handful of iceberg lettuce. Iceberg lettuce has low nutritional value and a large part of the calories from the lettuce come from sugars. In a school that challenges its students academically, the greatest challenge of all may be selecting a well-balanced, nutritious lunchtime meal.
Considering students eat lunch in school 5 times a week for at least 180 days a year, that is 180 meals that could be healthy, or on the other hand, unhealthy. Many local schools including that of my regional district offer salad bars at lunch. This would not only be a better alternative to prepackaged salads, but would give vegetarians or vegans more choices on the lunch line.
Opponents to installing a salad bar might cite the expenses and labor involved in maintaining a stocked and diverse salad bar. I believe the benefits from having healthier cuisine in school outweigh the costs. Students need food for fuel, and the better fuel they are feeding themselves with, the better they will perform in their academic and extracurricular activities. I usually bring lunch from home as an alternative to buying lunch. However, I know if my school had a salad bar with peppers, various types of lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, mushrooms, chickpeas...the possibilities are endless...then I would probably get salad at least once a week.
Food for thought...
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