When I walk downstairs in the morning my mom asks me the dreaded six-word question: “Can you eat in school today?” I hesitantly respond, “Sure,” while frowning. This response probably isn’t typical for all Ridge students. But for those who are vegetarians and vegans, or have any sort of dietary restrictions, eating lunch in school can be a difficult and often unpleasant experience.
The cafeteria, as usual, is jam-packed with lines winding past the doors. I jump up and down to get a good look at the hot lunch special, and sigh loudly when I see that it’s roasted chicken. Still hopeful, I walk over to the Panini line and repeat the process, only to find that the special is Philly Cheesesteak.
I now have three options. I can wait in line to get a salad, which is both time-consuming to buy and eat and will leave me hungry afterwards. I could make myself a sandwich in the deli consisting of cheese, lettuce, and tomato, or, I could buy myself pizza. I opt for the quickest option, and stand in the near-empty pizza line and order myself a plain cheese slice.
Sitting down to eat the pizza, I realize why the pizza line was practically empty. The pizza is nearly tasteless yet it’s gone too soon at the same time. I glance over at my friend, a pescetarian, eating her salad and wonder if I chose wrong. However, as she finishes her salad and complains of still being hungry, I know that it wouldn’t have been much of a better option.
This scenario may seem a little far-fetched. There have to be only a few days when most of the options are meat only, right?
Actually, when looking at the March calendar, only 2 out of the 24 days in the hot line are non-meat lunches, and only 3 out of the 24 days are non-meat lunches in the Panini line. If you’re gluten-free, you’re even more out of luck than the vegetarians and vegans. Every single Panini and hot lunch in the month of March contains gluten.
Emily Atkinson ’15, a vegan, explains that to her, “salad is really the only nutritious option, because besides that the only other vegetarian option is a cheese sandwich or pizza.” Emily believes that the school “could definitely work on getting more creative options like vegetable stir fry or a grilled vegetable Panini.”
Other options include making some of the dishes vegan by taking out the butter or cheese.
On the other hand, there are people like Alex Smith ‘15, who are allergic to dairy, and have practically no food options in school. Alex brings lunch from home everyday and has come to understand that the school is not able to meet her dietary needs. She comments that it “would be nice to have options in school, but not necessary.” At this point in her life, she “is aware of her restrictions” but thinks that “steps should be taken in elementary schools because those children may not understand their allergies yet.”
Nivedha Balan ’15, who also cannot drink milk and does not eat meat other than chicken, agrees that the “school can’t be convenient to each person,” which in some ways is true. While the school can address some of these problems by adding more vegetarian options, doing so may trigger demand for more options for everyone who has an allergy or dietary issue.
So, for now, those who are vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, or have allergies must deal with the conundrum to eat, or not to eat, the cafeteria food.