Does School Lunch Nourish Our Students?

Photo by Emily Humphreys
School lunches thrown in the trash, along with the students nutrition.

Photo by Emily Humphreys School lunches thrown in the trash, along with the students’ nutrition.

Emily Humphreys, Reporter

Do school lunches have enough nutrition to give students energy for the rest of the day? On average, about 480 students at RCHS get school lunch. So, if the lunches are not giving students enough energy, students might have trouble getting their work done in the classes following lunch.

Studies have shown that high school students are supposed to have 52 grams of protein to have enough energy to continue their day without being tired. The lunches at RCHS have an average of 113 grams of protein which is 61 grams more than needed to successfully complete the school day. That means the nutrition is on the right track. 

Even though the school lunches have enough nutrition, are students actually eating the entire meal? A recent poll taken by RCHS students said that 92 percent of students said that they do not eat their entire lunch at school. 

JJ Jones, a junior at RCHS, said that the reason he does not eat the entire school lunch is because, “it’s nasty and it doesn’t even look edible.” 

Therefore, even though the lunches have enough nutrition, students still do not receive the energy they need depending on how much of the lunch they eat. 

Students may eat the school lunches if the food tasted better or looked more appetizing. Most students don’t want to eat moldy strawberries or curdled milk. The school system needs to improve the lunches in order to make sure students are getting enough energy to complete a school day. If the quality of lunches went up, it could make students’ grades go up as well. School lunches being improved would better the students of RCHS and help them succeed in their studies.