Infamous for its unappealing appearance, school lunch has never had the best reputation. However, many students still get it instead of just bringing their lunch. This brings up a question: Is school lunch really as bad as some say it is? On one hand, some people say it’s gross and unappetizing; on the other hand, Chamblee’s lunch line is known for being long this year. If it is so unpleasant, why do so many people get it?
To answer simply, it seems that most people get it because of the convenience.
Noa Zilber (‘27), a student who gets school lunch almost every day, mentioned how she dislikes packing up a lunch.
“I’m too lazy to make my own lunch at home. [I like] the convenience; it’s easy. I don’t have to pack my lunch and I don’t have to take care of Tupperware when I get home,” said Zilber.
It seems like most students get school lunch due to its ease. However, it’s still interesting to know if it’s really as bad as people say it is. When asked if it was enjoyable, there were mixed responses. Some said it was good, some said it was bad, and some said it was just mediocre.
Korinne Petty (‘25) noted that the quality of food usually depends on the day.
“School lunches [are] a 50/50, … Sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s bad,” said Petty.
Most people who got school lunch either agreed that it depended on the day, or they actually enjoyed school lunch a lot.
For example, Lauren Madison (‘27) was very enthusiastic about it.
“I love school lunch because it is so good and convenient… I get to go to the cafeteria and eat delicious, hot lunch which warms me up and makes my stomach happy,” said Madison.
Adding onto that, many people expressed that school lunch is pleasing.
“Yeah, I do. It’s pretty good every day. It’s only sometimes pretty bad,” said Dev Fagan (‘26), when asked if he enjoyed school lunch.
However, some people seem to dislike it, even though they get it.
For example, Idalis Adisson (‘28) noted that she doesn’t like the sandwiches, which are usually what is on the menu.
“The sandwiches they give us, half of the time they don’t even have cheese, it’s just meat and bread that falls apart. The bread is really gross,” said Adisson when asked if she enjoyed school lunch.
Everyone seems to have their reasons for liking or disliking school lunch. Even so, most people seem to agree on what they would like to improve: the sides. The vegetables and the fruit are said to not be the greatest quality.
Fagan noted that even the appearance of the sides is unappealing.
“[They need] better sides and better everything. The vegetables are nasty, just look at them. And the fruit, the fruit is pretty bad. They need to improve that too,” said Fagan.
Another thing students want to improve about the sides is that there should be more types of fruit.
“[I think there should be] a wide variety of fruits,” said Robert Bridges (‘28).
Even with the sides not being the best quality, students still like the main meals. Each day they serve a different type of meal including nachos, wings, sandwiches, pizza, etc. Depending on the student, each person had a different answer when asked what their favorite lunch was.
One of the most common answers was the orange chicken and rice, as it is one of the only options with rice in it.
“It’s a close tie between the triangle pizzas and the orange chicken and rice,” said Petty.
Another popular answer was the nachos, even though some commented on the soggyness of the chips.
“My favorite [meal] is [the] nachos, it’s just really good. They should put the chips on the side because they get soggy under the meat and cheese,” said Adisson.
Overall, it seems that most people actually do enjoy school lunch, even though it has its downsides. One thing is confirmed though, and that is that school lunch is nowhere near as bad as it’s depicted in the movies. While it may be mediocre, that is not how most people describe it.
Pyron noted this when asked what she likes about it.
“It’s not like how they describe it in the movies, where they slap like goop onto your plate,” said Pyron, “It’s actually [pretty] good”.
