At the beginning of the school year new lunch rules were implemented nationwide. Our students are left with fewer options now that the unhealthy foods are gone, as they weren’t replaced by healthier alternatives.

“If they’re taking away things, they should add things as well, so we have a variety of healthy foods to choose from,” freshman Janelle Luong said. “I always say ‘you are what you eat’. If you eat healthy foods it’s more likely for you to pay attention and do better, rather than to eat badly and have that weighing you down.”

Luong says she feels less energized when returning to her classes after lunch, and she thinks it is the food she is eating, as it is not necessarily the healthiest. Some have asked for a fruit or salad bar to enhance the nutrition in their diets. Although the school sells salad, many feel as though it is not enough because there are no options as to what goes on the salad.

“For better variety in my meals I would like a Subway-style line,” sophomore Sahar Mohammed said. “It would be nice if I could be creative with my meals.”

Sophomores Imani Sloan and Sahar Mohamed asked for more chicken-based lunches (ex. Chick-Fil-A, Subway) because according to http://www.fitday.com/ white meat is healthier than red meat, as it contains less fat in comparison to red meat. They argue that chicken would be healthy and taste better, fulfilling not only a teenager’s nutritional needs, but their cravings as well.

“I’m hungry all day because of these ‘healthier choices,’” Sloan said. “There’s nothing to eat.”

Although Luong and Mohamed believe the school needs more healthy options, sophomore Darrien Reed seems to think there needs to be a balance between healthy and non-healthy alternatives. He argues that while there should be a variety of fruits and veggies there should also be a variety of desserts to help the students not only eat healthy, but remain satisfied with their lunches.

“I think there should be a balance between the healthy and unhealthy things,” Reed said. “Like the bakery should still have sweet desserts.”

Athletes and performers, such as Reed, Sloan and Luong, tend to spend more than the normal eight hours at school, and they believe it is crucial to eat healthy meals to remain on track, not only in their core classes but their extracurricular activities as well. Freshman Nicole Espinosa is a La Petite and she asks that there be more options for her during the school day, in order to hold her through to her next meal.

“I eat healthy to keep my energy [going], so I can get through the day,” Espinosa said. “[Otherwise] I crash.”