As someone who had never before bought school lunch, I decided that it would be embarrassing to graduate high school without having a little taste of the great American lunch system. With a fierce heart and a growling stomach I took up the challenge.
On the first day, I waited until about 10 minutes into the period, then embarked on my journey across the cafeteria sea towards the land of lunch lines. Soft pretzels and three sides. “Hummus or cheese sauce?” I was asked. Hummus was the obvious choice. Anyone who knows me is aware of my love for the stuff.
The pretzels were just as you would expect them to be. However, I was very surprised by the superior quality of hummus served at IHS! I would definitely take our hummus over half the store-bought brands. The boxed chocolate milk was not so great, rather thick but not creamy. I had serious problems with the salad, which tasted like the styrofoam cup it was in. The brownie-cupcake-muffin was quite tasty except the icing, which just tasted like a sad mixture of sugar and skim milk.
On the second day I went for the classic, picturesque American lunch: a peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich and some white milk. All I needed was one of those cute tin lunchboxes. I guess this was the first time I tried real jelly rather than jam. I like jam better. That being said, I do understand the financial incentives for using jelly. All in all, I really enjoyed my classic American moment. The milk is essential.
Also, does anyone else crack up at the fact that it is one-and-a-half sandwiches? Is that a compromise between the football players who eat three sandwiches and the people like me who prefer to eat just one?
Additional comments
The popcorn chicken had no pop or chicken. It tasted like cold fried bits with pepper. There was one day where I didn’t know exactly what I was eating, but it tasted like something I would eat on a Saturday night while watching Freaks and Geeks. Perhaps it was fried polenta? Was it stuffed with cheese? It was a little spicy and very fried. I also noticed that IHS serves a large variety of potatoes. I personally am a fan of the crinkle-cut fries.
The thing I found most attractive about buying school lunch, besides the hummus, was its practicality. I didn’t have to spend time making my lunch or carrying around a lunch box. I will admit that the school lunch wasn’t as horrible as I originally thought. That being said, I remain loyal to the packed-lunch party. When busy days meet tired minds in the future, however, I’ll welcomingly grab a PB&J and a carton of milk.