By Katherine Han
“What’s your favorite class in school?” When asked this question, some people say art, others could say math, or physics. But there’s always that one jokester who responds with, “Lunch!” It can be agreed that lunchtime is definitely a favorite period among students. It’s a time when students can take a break from school and recharge. However, the lunches themself can sometimes be the low-point of lunchtime. School lunches often have an infamous reputation, especially in public schools, and have been labeled as “tasteless” and “gross” for a long time. While schools are gradually working on improving their school lunches by adding more variety, the question still remains: Is it really worth it to buy school lunches?
Buying school lunches definitely makes some students’ and parents’ lives more convenient. For students and parents who do not have the time to make lunches in the morning, having a prepaid lunch provided for you at school can be a really helpful thing. Public school lunches are often also reasonably priced. Most school lunches have price ranges of $6-$7, which includes the main course, and, most of the time, a side and a drink. However, the main dealbreaker for most students and parents is the taste of the lunches.
There’s definitely a valid reason behind why school lunches are often tasteless. The chefs have to make sure that the lunches are compatible with a large group of students who all have different tastes as well as different allergies. Because there are often many, many students who purchase lunches, there is no way the chefs will be able to satisfy all of those students’ palates. Therefore, chefs tend to play it safe and make the lunches a little more bland, in order to cater to students who may have more sensitive stomachs. However, since “tasteless” has become such a common complaint, schools are starting to improve their lunches by giving more options that can satisfy students’ needs.
Personally, I have always eaten school lunches. There’s never enough time to prepare a lunch at home so I’ve always ordered lunches. For me, it is been very convenient and the food is relatively tasty. However, students who have the time to prepare lunches get to choose what they want to eat. So when it comes down to it, bringing a lunch from home for students who have the time might be the more “worth it” approach. But, for students like me, a school lunch can prove to be much more convenient.
