One of American students’ favorite time of day is lunch time. After the bell finally rings, about half of the kids grab their lunchboxes, excited to indulge in their fresh fruits and veggies, or delicious leftover sandwich from last night. The other half are stuck crossing their fingers, hoping the school lunch will be something appetizing. Maybe their parents forgot to pack their lunch. Or maybe they are a member of a low-income family, empty stomach grumbling, only able to eat lunch on a discounted plan. As students enter the lunchroom, the lunch line immediately starts to pile up. When they finally get to the front, they are unable to hide their disappointment. Reheated pizza. Again. “The pizza tastes like carboard,” the students groan. Even kids can tell when the food given to them lacks quality and freshness. This is why having nutritious and balanced school lunches is critical for students in many ways. School lunches widely vary around the globe, and there are many issues with American school lunches that are damaging to today’s youth. It is important to discuss the changes that need to be made to provide students with the nutrition they deserve.

In the 1990s, lunches were under Federal guidelines that imposed no restrictions on health. These guidelines even allowed fast food in the lunchroom, including foods as unhealthy as McDonalds in some school districts. The 2000s were when people began noticing the skyrocketing obesity rates and began making some healthy changes. 2010 was a year of major change, when the Obama administration prioritized healthier meals by signing the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act, which implemented higher nutrition standards for lunches. In 2024, the Biden administration announced their plan, which included limiting sugar, and food grown outside of the United States. The school lunch program has seen large improvement over the course of many years, but there is still room for improvement.

According to FoodCorps, school districts are only given an average of one dollar and nineteen cents to spend on each school lunch, which does not provide enough money to give their students high-quality food. Because of this, many American school districts use highly processed foods, prioritizing products that can easily be bought in bulk, frozen, and reheated when needed. Gregory Cohen, a sophomore at Issaquah high school, is often left disappointed by the school’s food. “I wouldn’t eat a lot of the meals they serve” he explains, “government regulations are very strict about the food provided which makes them taste bad.” Issaquah school lunches may have room for improvement, but for many public schools in low-income areas, locally grown, and high-quality food is even harder to come by. The CDC states, “Schools with low socioeconomic status were significantly less likely to offer salads regularly than were schools with middle or high socioeconomic status”. Low-income areas deserve access to high-quality meals, which links back to proper government funding. According to NCES, “20.1 million U.S. students eat free or reduced cost lunch daily.” For these students, school lunches might be their only meal of the day. According to News Republic, in 2024, the Republican Study Commitee announced they wanted to get rid of the Community Eligibility Provision, which is a program used in some low-income school areas that provides free lunches regardless of household income. Removing programs that seek to help students who might not otherwise be getting food is a major issue in the future of school lunches.

American school lunches have a long way to go in creating school lunches that are as nutritious and high-quality as other countries. Japan is widely known for having balanced, nutritious school lunches made from fresh, local ingredients. Lunches are organized by school nutritionists and are cooked onsite. These efforts have not gone unnoticed, as Japan’s childhood obesity rate is less than 6%, compared to America’s 20%. Another country dedicated to quality school lunches is France. France has implemented reforms in 2022 that increase quality of French school lunches. These new regulations state that 50% of food should be sustainable and local, and at least 20% of food should be organic. Incorporating locally sourced foods is an easy way to both support local businesses and support the overall health of students. This could be something that America could look towards implementing in the future. Charlotte Ngu, sophomore at Issaquah high school thinks American schools need to take nutrition more seriously; “I think there’s a distinct difference between eating school food and eating food at home because school food, for example pizza, lacks the nutrition I need in order to play my best at tennis.” Eating high quality food can play a huge part in performance enhancement for sports.

Providing students with high quality food is not only important for physical health. Eating a well-balanced diet has links to improved focus, memory, and brain function.  Coming to class with a stomach full of vitamins and nutrients can even reduce stress, something that students at school are very familiar with. Molly Shae, sophomore at Issaquah high, believes, “I think the key to being at my best during tests and assignments is having a good meal beforehand.” One way to increase students’ nutrition in their diet is by educating students on the importance of diet for academic performance. This will motivate students to value their nutrition in order to reach their full potential. Another way the impacts of school food can be seen in the school community is mental health. According to Food Revolution Network, “In 2008, a comprehensive analysis from the Harvard School of Public Health concluded that students with access to nutritious meals had lower rates of aggression and disciplinary problems.” According to Mia Majkus, junior at Issaquah high school, “I can notice a difference in my mood when I skip lunch, I feel very groggy.” Consuming higher quality diets, instead of processed food and sugar, are correlated with higher mental health. This means an overall positive effect on mood, something that can prevent aggression.

America has come a long way in its school lunches since the 1990s, but there is still a long way to go in creating successful regulations that prioritize quality and nutrition above all else. Students are the future of America, and providing them with high-quality school lunches may be the secret ingredient to academic success, mental health, and most importantly, a school community filled with energy, curiosity, and the motivation to succeed.