One walk around the building during lunchtime provides a bunch of sounds, smells and sights. Different cuisines and meals are available throughout the halls, waiting to be eaten after fourth period. With choices that include the cafeteria, bringing from home and parent-packed, there are many lunch options for students each day.
In previous school years, students would use delivery apps like DoorDash or UberEats to order food to school if they forgot to make lunch, wanted fast food from a popular place like Chipotle, or they simply couldn’t make their own lunch. This school year, the administration team banned food delivery services, leading regular delivery service users to find new alternatives for lunch. “One time, a few years ago, I got a delivery service ordered to school, but it was a lot of money and I would rather pack my own lunch,” junior Luke Veizis said.
Students may have had their parents pack their lunch, and the delivery ban was no issue for them. Parents who pack their children’s lunches commonly pack cultural foods like pastas, dumplings, and chicken, or simple sandwiches such as peanut butter and jelly or mac and cheese. “I bring a peanut butter and jelly [sandwich] with a protein bar for lunch most school days,” senior Andrew Lim said.
The school cafeteria is still a serviceable option for lunch, and students make their way down to the basement and order cafeteria food. The cafeteria has a rotation of meals, which includes hot dogs, pizza, nachos, fried chicken and more. The cafeteria also serves side dishes like cookies and chips, along with drinks like seltzers, sodas, juices and water. The vending machines are also present in the basement, with even more options of snack foods and drinks available for purchase.
The most popular option students seem to choose is to pack their own lunch. Students get to pick what they like to eat, unlike the limited and recurring choices in the cafeteria. “I personally have never had the school cafeteria food, but some of my friends who have it have different opinions of if the food is good or not, while for lunch I normally bring some type of sandwich, some fruit, or vegetables and chips and my water,” Veizis said.
While generally students enjoy the freedom of choosing what they bring from home, others admit that packing lunch is not always easy. Students rush in the morning and throw together random items and whatever is available in their household, which can result in repetitive lunches with items like granola bars, chips and leftovers. “ Sometimes I make my own lunch or use leftovers from the night before to bring for lunch,” sophomore Jillian Zweig said.
Students who rely on the cafeteria usually cite convenience as the biggest advantage. For students who participate in after-school activities, buying lunch allows them not to have to worry about getting home from practice and dealing with making a lunch. The cafeteria also provides a location to sit down and eat lunch rather than sitting on the floor of the school.
