There are two choices at my school lunch: healthy and unhealthy.
The unhealthy line dubbed "The Express" offers personal Domino's pizzas, French fries, cookies, pretzels and cheese, nachos, Pop Tarts, and cappuccinos.
The healthy line is the actual lunch offered by the school program offering things like: stir fry, casseroles, burgers, potato bar, vegetables, fruits, and even a salad bar.
The unhealthy vending machine has the usual pops, juices, candy bars, chips, and crackers.
The healthy vending machine offers delicious dairy and beef products like milk, yogurt, string cheese, and beef sticks.
At my school, we were offered open campus our sophomore year. The half hour allotted to us gave us enough time to drive through McDonald's, Arby's, Burger King, or Taco John's. We also could go for some "home cooking" at a local grocery store.
You might think that ALL high school students would pick the fast food restaurants or the junk food in the Express line at school. However, you might be surprised to find that most of my senior friends and I stayed at school and opted for the healthier school lunch program choice. It was by far cheaper, offered a wider array of foods, and very convenient. It's not disgusting, not gross, and definitely shows that school lunch programs have improved over the years.
Growing up is all about choices. We chose to eat healthier, and the dairy/beef vending machine has become quite popular. No matter what you do or where you go, you will always have choices. Choose to eat healthily, and your body will thank you later.
****Our Ambassador Team had the opportunity to go to Washington D.C. to lobby for NCBA pertaining to key issues facing the beef industry. We also sat in on a USDA meeting on beef and nutrition. Not only has the food guide pyramid been modified to fit the needs of the public, but the government is also working on modifying school lunch programs across the country. Kudos to the government, USDA, and school lunches.
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