Cookie cutbacks

There’s no doubt the school cafeteria food tastes different this year. Many students are complain- ing about the quality and reduced size of certain items, particularly the cookies. Implemented this year,  recent  modifications to the school cafeteria’s ingredients show LM’s drive to serve health- ier meals but have upset many of the cafeteria’s most dedicated customers.

This year, all bread, dough, and batter produced at the high school must be made with whole-wheat flour, including items such as pizza, cookies, pretzels, and sandwich breads. Cappuccinos and French vanilla lattes are gone and have been replaced with “Ice” sodas, which have zero calories, and other healthier drinks. Why? The district wants to promote healthful eating. Just like other schools around country, LM is shifting to conform to the new school cafeteria standards thathave been set by a nationwide movement for healthier eating, spawned byFirst Lady Michelle Obama.

Despite the conspicuous changes this year, nutritional restrictions have been around for several years. According to LM’s Nutritional Ser- vices Department, “The District was among the first in Pennsylvania to eliminate the use of cooking oils that contain trans-fats...[and] in 2006 became the first district in the state to eliminate all items with trans-fats from the menu.”

According to the district’s guidelines for nutritional standards, classroom parties can only include water, 100 percent fruit juice, or low fat milk and are limited to serving a maximum of two to three snacks that list added sugar as the first ingredient. They are also required to provide a variety of fruits and vegetables. This rule is especially hard-hitting at the elementary school level, where it has impacted students’ ability to bring in birthday treats.

As a direct result of the food changes, students are buying fewer cafeteria items. Junior Dana Handleman says she “used to buy a cookie every single day,” but now she doesn’t buy the whole-wheat version because they “don’t taste good anymore.” She is also disappointed with the pasta and fries. Similarly, junior Melissa Graham states, “The cafeteria food tastes a lot grosser this year com- pared to last year. A lot of my friends have stopped buying cookies and other snacks because the quality has decreased a lot.”

However according to LM’s Cafeteria Manager, the sales have not significantly decreased for any particular food item from last year to this year. “Initially, the cookies went down a little bit,” he said, “but now [the sales] are right back up to where they usually are.” He also explained that more changes will be implemented next year.

In 2016, the sodium restrictions will become much more strict and ingredients will have to change again. He gave an example that the salt on soft pretzels will not be allowed, and the sodium content in the school pizza will have to decrease. It appears that students have even more delicious food options to look forward to!

The new guidelines for LM’s school food have provided students with healthier options but have also frustrated many custom- ers. If weight and caloric intake are the ma- jor concerns of LMSD, then they may be on their way to reaching their goal: the more unappealing they make their food, the less students

will eat.

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