Considering how health-conscious Ithaca is, it would seem that the school district would direct lots of resources at its school lunch programs. However, ICSD seems to supply its schools with food that is lacking in nutritional value and has little to no sustenance, and this problem, although fixed to a high extent at IHS, has continued to pervade in other schools in the district.
I spoke with two staff members at Beverly J. Martin Elementary School, both of whom asked to remain anonymous, about the options that their students receive at lunch time. Neither of them were happy with what was offered in the cafeteria; one of them even recalled saying, “What is this?” while looking at a particular plate of food that was offered one day.
Their major complaint regarded the quality of the food being served. One of the staff members that I spoke with said that every time lettuce was served, it was noticeably wilted, and that very often, the apples that were available to be sold were already beginning to brown. Another serious complaint that these BJM staff members had was that the snacks for BJM’s after school program are high in sugar and have little to no nutritional value. These kind of foods are the last thing that an after school program needs; students are rowdy enough as it is at the end of the day, and they do not need unhealthy sugary snacks on top of this.
On another note, the foods offered at school can sometimes be the only food that students have access to in their daily lives. School lunch should be a healthier option for children than what they may receive at home, because their families may not be able to provide high-quality food at home, and school should be a place where students can receive nutritious meals.
The two staff members that I spoke to strongly expressed their desire for change. They wanted more foods made in-house instead of frozen and packaged foods. One of them said, “If we’re going to do fries, let’s do sweet potato fries. If we’re going to do mashed potatoes, let’s do mashed sweet potatoes.” Suggestions such as these would provide a healthier alternative to the current items offered on school lunch menus.
Reforming school lunches needs to be furthered in order to maintain healthy and happier students in all schools. Eating healthier lunches has been proven to improve student academic performance. If a student is receiving foods chock full of sugar and severely lacking in nutritional value, their body isn’t getting what it needs to function to the best of its ability.
IHS’s nutritional program has managed to make large strides in nutritional quality and choices without significantly altering their spending. They have managed to supplement their menu with fresh vegetables and fruits that are grown on campus, and a creative and diverse menu is now available for students. However, IHS has a much larger student population than any other school in ICSD, and the resources that the IHS nutritional program has been able to acquire are likely out of reach for other schools, particularly elementary schools.
ICSD should make a greater effort to provide their students and staff with healthier food options than are currently available. The numerous benefits related to eating healthy foods and the wellbeing of students should be prioritized over the costs associated with administering these provisions.