Jack Gordon was sitting at the lunch table when he noticed all of his friends were eating delicious meals that they packed. Starving from a hard day of class, Jack reached into his backpack to join the feast only to find that he left his packed lunch at home! Jack felt an overwhelming sense of dread as he realized he now needs to purchase lunch from the cafeteria. “Not another disgusting half cooked chicken sandwich!” exclaimed Jack. But wait! As Jack strolled in to check out the meals, he was astounded to see a variety of options such as burritos, stir fry, and paninis. 

Similarly, Wheaton Warrenville South High School’s cafeteria has revamped its selections to include a variety of delicious meals for students to consume. In the past, the cafeteria contained the same monotonous products that many deemed unfavorable compared to the new additions. Currently, there has been a surge of popularity with the new treats. 

The general consensus of the student opinion was worded perfectly by student Skylar Thaker as she claims, “I love it! It’s fresh and much healthier.” Out of the 52 Wheaton Warrenville South students surveyed, 93% of those who regularly eat lunch typically prefer the new products over the old.

Student, Carly Briggs regularly packs her lunches but was very pleased with the new options made available to her and other students, “If I ever forget my lunch or want something else, there are some good options for me over there.” Not only do the new food options aid those who regularly eat lunch, they also aid those who generally bring packed lunches. Like in the earlier example, it is in human nature to make mistakes such as forgetting your lunch. With the current transition, students are now extremely satisfied with their back up options. 

Dr. Deanna is an internationally known speaker, author, and scientist. “[Variety] means you have continual access to a wide supply of vitamins and nutrients,” said Dr. Deanna. “If for some reason your supply of a particular nutrient is interrupted from one source, you have plenty of other sources from which to get that particular nutrient, making it easier to retain homeostasis, or stability.” Dr. Deanna also continues on this topic by explaining, “When you eat the same food again and again, you increase your risk of developing a food intolerance or allergy to that food.” 

Additionally, research at Campbellsville University reveals the essential truth: “By providing healthy lunches, schools can help their students perform better in the classroom and improve their overall health.” Not only do the new additions aid in the pleasure of the students, but it also aids their performance. Evidently, variety in a diet proves to be of utmost importance to the lifestyle of students.

Clearly, providing new nutritious options to the cafeteria comes with a surplus of advantages. The options prove to be extremely essential to all students with their performance, satisfaction, and overall health. 

Like many others, the student Felix Correa expresses contentment with the change: “It’s quite practical. It allows everyone to have a variety to choose what they like. It eliminates the same old boring lunch, bringing back the feeling of being excited for lunch.”