School lunches have gotten a bad rap over the years. Movies, TV shows, and other media have portrayed cafeteria food as something “to avoid at all costs.” At BSM, this stereotype is challenged. This can be witnessed in the lunchroom, with daily lines of students out the door to get their everyday favorites. A recent Knight Errant survey found that 59.2% of BSM students purchase school lunches daily.
The Taher Food Service team delivers a weekly revolving menu to the students. Food service director Lynn Lynch and chef Grady Meagher brainstorm ideas for what to make each week. They have a database that tracks what items students like and then always try to throw in new and fun flavors and ideas. Taher also strives to use as much fresh food as possible. From weekly farm deliveries to recipes from a nutritionist, the food staff goes above and beyond to create nourishing meals for BSM students. Next year, there will be a new food service director: Jow Ruhland. “[It’s] kind of a collaboration between people in the kitchen and some of the service staff,” Ruhland said.
Despite the efforts of the Taher team in delivering nutritious options, a recent Knight Errant Survey found that only 15.5% of BSM students think that school lunch is healthy, and 60.6% of students believe that school lunch is “maybe” healthy. “It’s a lot of fried food and not a lot of vegetables or anything… try to eat healthier when I go home,” freshman Sam Mason said.
Why do students think school lunch is unhealthy even though Taher puts so much effort into creating balanced meals? A recent Knight Errant survey found that only 16.9% of students get the main meal most days, while 62% of BSM students reach for the daily selection “some days” or “very few days”. Students primarily choose the other options: french fries, pizza, chicken nuggets, and burgers. “There are many options, and there are definitely very unhealthy options and some very healthy options…[my favorite menu item is] the [chicken] tenders,” freshman Luke Machalek said.
Beyond purchasing school lunches, there is another option too. A Knight Errant survey found that 28.2% of students bring lunch from home. For sophomore Hannah Chang, a severe gluten allergy is the root of her consistent food packing. At the beginning of last school year, Chang tried to eat the gluten-free meals served at school; however, she realized that even the smallest traces of gluten have a drastic impact on her. “I realized, with the severity of my allergy, I should just eat home lunch,” Chang said.
Overall, Taher is putting in the world to deliver healthy and nutritious meals every day. They offer other options that, while not as nutritious, are more popular. Ultimately, the choice is up to the students.