The Wake County Public School System, or WCPSS, is currently finding ways to support nutrition in the cafeterias while battling the county’s debt. As a result, the LRHS school cafeteria will be featuring some changes to the lunch menu this year.
“We are trying to offer more fruits and vegetables and trying to make more healthier choices for the entrees,” said lunch lady, Jennifer Buck. “Everything is whole-wheat bread-wise except for the colossal burgers.”
Although whole-wheat costs the same to produce as white bread, it provides more fiber and more nutrients to the school’s lunch menu. The new whole-wheat buns will be more beneficial to students’ health than the previous white bread buns.
The changes that occur in the lunch menu are determined by the WCPSS Child Nutrition Services. Their job is to make sure that students are getting as much nutrition as they can throughout the day. The Child Nutrition Services change the lunch menu according to the information they gather about nutrition in schools.
Nutrition plays an important part in maintaining a healthy body. When students move through the lunch line they are encouraged to make healthy food selections to keep their bodies working properly throughout the day.
“It’s because of the cafeteria food provided to me during the day that I have enough energy to make it through afternoon practices,” said Ben Tyner, sophomore and athlete. “In order for me to ‘get big’ at practice, I need the most energy I can get before practice.”
The application of healthier foods in the school lunch menu has caused the price of meals to increase from $2.00 to $2.25 per meal.
“Some kids have complained about the pricing,” said Buck. If students eat cafeteria food everyday, they will be paying at least $405 by the end of the school year with the $2.25 meals.
“That is a lot of money these days, but I guess that it is worth 180 meals,” said Tyner.
WCPSS has made eating lunch in the cafeteria more flexible since last year. This year, WCPSS will make the necessary adjustments to menus in order to provide for students with dietary problems such as allergies to certain foods.
Despite menu changes, the menu will still serve hundreds of students daily at low prices and encourage all of the students to eat healthy throughout the day.
