Cafeteria needs more healthy options

Adam Syed, Staff Reporter

     The GCHS cafeteria needs more healthy options for students. Calzones, pizza, fries, what is this? Of course, we should keep some foods like those mouth-watering cookies, but the school should also provide a higher variety of healthy choices besides the salad bar. 

From a Rampage Poll with over forty responses, forty-two percent of people rate the school food as unhealthy. Yet, students say that “the only healthy things are salads and fruit which are fine, but everything else is not healthy.” 

Students said, “They have some healthy options, but they are too expensive.” Personally, I had an experience with the salad bar. I bought a salad for $3! $3! I could buy some nachos and a chocolate milk for 50 cents. A student makes a connection to my experience stating, “This makes the often cheaper, quicker to purchase, and more abundant zebra cake-like items containing more than 20 grams of sugar more appealing and therefore more likely to be chosen.” 

While others in the cafeteria are fine with how the food is, Vincent Bloodworth, a freshman at GCHS, makes a proposition, stating, “I do believe that the school should include beneficial options even if you, yourself do not choose to eat healthier than other people.” Bloodworth makes a good point here, showing that just because the school should incorporate healthy options, you don’t have to eat the food. I mean, that’s just common sense, isn’t it?

Some students are already thinking about what they might want to eat. Aldo Perez, a freshman at GCHS, states that “if they add broccoli, vegetables, or other stuff” he would eat them. As students, we should all collaborate and figure out what we want in the cafeteria because I mean, we are the ones eating the food. 

One idea that from the poll that I really liked was, “a smoothie bar like Jamba Juice!” This would be a great idea in my opinion. Imagine, we could mix and match flavors, creating the perfect drink. 

Michael Przybylski, the associate principal for student services, shows his support for the changes by saying “all students and staff members would benefit from eating healthier foods.” 

Students do in the end chose what they want to eat, but maybe they might end up liking something, who knows. We might one day like the options added to our lunches for years to enjoy. I sure do know I want that Jamba Juice bar.