Student Nutrition: School/Home Lunch, Warrior Warehouse, Vending Machines

(image courtesy of CEN.ACS.ORG)

Students at WGHS dispense their opinions on what food they consume at school. From school lunches to vending machines, there are many pros and cons to the nutritional habits of teenagers. 
by Ari Carreon, Emma Dickens, Ansleigh Hester, and Cameron Parker

Students at WGHS dispense their opinions on what food they consume at school. From school lunches to vending machines, there are many pros and cons to the nutritional habits of teenagers. 

​Students at WGHS have many options to choose from with their food from home, the cafeteria lunch, the school store, and the vending machines. WGHS takes care of the students' nutrition and helps to maintain a safe balance.​

School Lunch 
School lunch food is something provided for students who don’t bring their lunch. A lot of students eat the school lunch here at WGHS, and most have a favorite meal. Ninth grader, Jackson Conley, says, “My favorite thing to eat at school is the nachos.” The nachos are a favorite here at WGHS among students. “I would serve chicken nuggets every day of the week if I was in charge,” tenth grader, Andrew McClure, states his opinion on how he would run the cafeteria.  

The lunch food schedule is almost the same every week. Some students like it, but others don’t prefer it. Eleventh grader, Josh Melendrez, explains, “I would probably change the lunch schedule, not the same thing every week instead I would change at least one meal every week.” Some students would like a change of pace with lunch time nutrition.

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Lunch From Home
Many students at Walnut Grove bring their lunch from home. Tenth grader, Kassidy Harris, brings her food from home because that’s the food she prefers. “I bring leftovers from dinner the night before, seaweed, cheese sticks, fruit snacks, Little Debbie Cake, and coconut water for lunch,” she explains. Kassidy also brings cereal if she hasn’t eaten breakfast at her house. 

Tenth grader, Danica Lea shares her athletic nutrition. “My go-to snack is carrots because I like to stay fit. I play a lot of sports [volleyball, flag football, and soccer], so I have to stay athletically built,” she states. Bringing her lunch from home helps Danica eat healthier, so she has enough energy to practice soccer after school.

Linkedin explains how a well packed lunch impacts a teens mood, concentration, and strengthens social interactions. “Nutritious food can contribute to improved mood and reduced stress. When a child feels better emotionally, they are more ready to learn and find it easier to concentrate in class. Packed lunches can also be a means to build positive social relationships among students.”

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Warrior Warehouse 
The Warrior Warehouse is a student-run store for everyone at Walnut Grove High School. The warehouse has overpowered the vending machines ever since it opened. Students enjoy the Warrior Warehouse and many take advantage of the option during lunchtime. Tenth grader, Kassidy Harris, says, “The food is better than what I have for lunch. It's not as healthy, but it's still pretty good.”

A variety of WGHS students prefer all the delicious snacks they have, rather than their school or home lunch. If you are looking for more healthy foods, the Warrior Warehouse might not be the place to go. The varieties of foods they have are out of bags and aren't necessarily the healthiest.

Ninth grader, Amelia Arledge, says, “No, there's not many things in there that are healthy. Mainly chips and candy.” Although there are not many healthy foods, there are some foods that can be considered healthy. The Warrior Warehouse is a wonderful place to go to, and the students love it.

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Vending Machines
Students seem to have mixed opinions about vending machines. Some students love what the school puts in the vending machines, and a lot of people want more variety. Tenth grader, Meme Coleman, says, “Yes, the vending machines are easy to find and use but sometimes they do not have a good variety of items, or sometimes they don't work.” These issues are mostly related to the reliability of the vending machines and the general variety of food. 

Students debate if the vending machines should stay off during lunch or not. Tenth grader, Matthew Medhat Azouz, says, “Yes, vending machines should stay off because you're eating lunch. I don't think people should be going to the vending machines.” This seems to be an unpopular opinion because most students would like the extra option of being able to grab a snack from the vending machine. 

According to the NIH (National Library of Medicine), “Vending machines play an important role in students' days. It is proven to help students stay energized and on track as well as giving students a quick snack before lunch.” These vending machines help students at WGHS be the best they can be.

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