by Mackenzie Hahn

Eating a nourishing, nutrient-filled lunch is essential to support students’ health, well-being, and ability to learn in the classroom. Because of this, the Eau Claire Area School District participates with the National School Lunch and Breakfast programs, designed to accommodate “1/3 of the recommended dietary allowances for protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, calcium, and calories.” This is important to take into account because one cannot expect schools to serve the typical American’s favorite greasy, salty foods. However, my review of the lunch at Memorial will be purely based on a “yumminess scale” and does not take nutritional value into account. The yumminess scale starts at a 1 (not very yummy) and goes to a 5 (extremely yummy). That being said, this is how I have ranked a (shortened) week of meals provided by the school district. 

Tuesday, October 22 – Chicken quesadilla and a banana

I thought that this quesadilla was wonderful. Most quesadillas are very greasy. For example, the HyVee gas station variety is soaking wet from the grease, which is not an exaggeration. However, this quesadilla was flavorful and for the most part, easy to eat. A dilemma I encountered on this day was that when I attempted to pick it up and eat it, the two folded parts of the quesadilla came apart, which makes everything more difficult when you only have one free hand because you are very busy. Also, I didn’t have any utensils, so eating it was not only difficult, but also messy. The banana was fine. Because of the inconvenience, I am rating this meal a 3. 

Wednesday, October 23 – Cheeseburger with baked beans and applesauce 

It is difficult to make an enjoyable cheeseburger that is “healthy” in respect to the school lunch program’s standards, so when I wrote this review I tried not to let my vision of what a “good burger” is influence the yumminess scale. The cheeseburger meat was filling and the cheese was just fine. I really don’t have much to say about it, as it doesn’t stand out to me. On the other hand, the baked beans and applesauce were flourishing with delectable flavors. My yumminess rating for this meal is a 4.

Thursday, October 24 – Hot ham and cheese sandwich with grapes

In my opinion, you can never go wrong with a ham and cheese sandwich of any temperature. I also thought the ham to cheese ratio was perfect; there was so much cheese that it stuck to the package. The pairing of grapes provides for a balance of sweetness and saltiness. On the yumminess scale, I must rate this a 4, as most of the grapes looked more like prunes, which is not yummy. 

Friday, October 25 – Macaroni and cheese with dinner roll, mixed vegetables, and cucumber slices

This meal was so colorful and aesthetically pleasing, it had to be used as the picture for this story. The vegetables really fill you up, the bread is perfect for dipping, and the macaroni is pleasantly cheesy. To me, it felt like all of the macaroni was on the bottom while the cheese was all on top, and I wish it was more mixed in. Overall, I found this meal very satisfying, so I will give it a 5. 

From my observations, school lunch is a great way to gain nutrients you may not get from a meal at a fast food restaurant or gas station. One could argue that these places may have better tasting food than the food provided by our school, but it is generally a good way to save money and avoid the inconvenience of driving or walking somewhere else. There weren’t any aspects that were so terrible I could not eat my lunch, so maybe it does not deserve the bad reputation it gets. It is also worth noting the variety of foods offered at the a la carte section of the cafeteria, some of which having “unhealthier” foods that we seem to love. Thankfully, when you need some lunch, there is something, or close to something, for everyone at Memorial.