By Emmett Flynn and Diego Juares
School lunches are a familiar sight to many, but the mediocre cardboard trays students were once accustomed to have been replaced with a range of customizable meals.
The DPS department of nutrition, now rebranded as the “DPS Good Food department,” has undergone a fundamental change.
After two years of planning and preparation, school lunches now implement fresh, local produce in lieu of the canned and frozen food most students are used to eating.
Most importantly, breakfast and lunch are free for all students this year.
The DPS Good Food department is focusing on increasing the quality of foods in cafeterias. This system of healthy and fresh foods is available to all students, encouraging sustainable eating and improving student’s access to good and nutritious food.
These meals change day to day to increase variety. One popular new menu item is the “Build Your Own Bowl.” On September 18, Riverside’s cafeteria offered a nacho bowl featuring tortilla chips, diced chicken, black beans, lettuce and cheese.
Many students acknowledged that, while these new meals are an improvement, they are still limited by being school lunches. Some described the texture as dry and relatively flavorless.
“They are good for what they are,” said Junior Ben Slade, “which is free.”
Others did note, however, that they are more nourishing and an improvement from the traditional trays.
Riverside cafeteria manager Amira Nada said that making meals free for all students and offering new options has made a big difference.
“There are definitely more students in the line every day,” she said.
So many more, in fact, that she also mentioned that the cafeteria staff may need to open a third line to compensate for the influx of students.
Students have also noted that some food items deplete quickly.“The pizza is good, but it’s gone most of the time. It goes really fast,” said freshman Katarina Brust.
This leaves, perhaps, less exciting or enjoyable items, such as the dreaded chicken sandwich.
According to a Sept. 20 IndyWeek article by Chase Pellegrini de Paur, students throughout the district are eating more school lunches this fall.
“It truly is hard not to applaud a program that has led to an increase of about 3,000 more free daily meals (about 1,000 more breakfasts and 2,000 more lunches for a total of about 11,000 breakfasts and 14,000 lunches) served to Durham children,” Pellegrini de Paur wrote, “all without requiring their parents to jump paperwork hurdles to prove eligibility.”
