Eating school lunch has been a part of many young Americans’ lives such as myself. The lunch program started at the end of World War II through the National School Lunch Act. It was created as a national security measure to safeguard children’s health after recruits were rejected due to diet-related health issues. Now, 80 years later, the program is still alive within schools.
In honor of 80 years of service to students, I have ranked the top five cafeteria lunches served throughout this school year.
1. Frito pie
School lunches are known to lack spice. Frito pie consists of corn chips, chili and shredded cheese. The corn chips, similar to the nachos from the tortilla station, are one of the only salted food items in the cafeteria. The sodium, along with the chili, gives it flavor that is not present in the other dishes served at the entree station. Whenever I see the pie, I smile — it is always my first choice for lunch. I recommend this dish to those who enjoy chips, meat, cheese and spice.
2. Country fried steak with dinner roll, country gravy and garlic mashed potatoes.
One concern with school lunches is the size of the portions. Meals, such as the chicken sandwich and pizza, are often small, with no sides and only an entree. Conversely, the country fried steak consists of an entree and two sides: mashed potatoes and country gravy. The country gravy, if mixed with the mashed potatoes, gives the bland side some flavor. When served together with the country fried steak, it makes a delicious mix of meat, mashed potatoes and gravy. When featured in the entree station, I often buy this lunch because of the amount of food given for the respectable cost of $3.40. I recommend this dish for those who want a bang for their buck.
3. Nachos beef or chicken
Unlike nachos, the only problem with dishes like Frito pie and country fried steak is that they are rotated every few weeks. One thing this dish has that no other does on this list is its availability. This dish is served daily, giving students the convenience to buy it whenever they want, instead of waiting for the specific day it is served. I buy this dish when the daily rotation stations – entree and daily kitchen – don’t have another option that interests me. I recommend this dish for people who want a safe and salty dish that won’t change every day.
4. Breakfast platter french toast sticks or pancakes, sausage links or tater tots, syrup and scrambled eggs.
Breakfast for lunch is classic. The cafeteria serves different variations of a breakfast platter. One of these variations is pancakes, syrup, sausage links and eggs. Another is french toast sticks, syrup, tater tots and eggs. These variations offer an array of sides and a larger portion of food compared to other dishes. The only downside is the lack of salt, and although one could argue the syrup gives the french toast sticks and pancakes flavor, syrup on eggs and tater tots should be a crime. I buy this lunch when I’m craving something sweet and syrupy for lunch. I recommend this dish for people who crave sweet food or have missed out on breakfast that morning.
5. Penne Alfredo with chicken with Italian flatbread
There’s something comforting about a dish whose name sounds warm and rich while being simple all at once. Chicken Alfredo is a delicious-sounding meal dish from even just its name. The dish is usually the first thing I choose on a restaurant menu. Though the cafeteria doesn’t serve restaurant level dishes, this version is still worthy of this ranking. The Chicken Alfredo is served with Italian flatbread, which is acceptable for school lunch quality. The alfredo sauce is the reason this dish sits at fifth on this ranking. The sauce barely gives off the alfredo taste and isn’t salted. The chicken, on the other hand, is the same chicken used at the tortilla station, which is salted. A little salt in the sauce would make this lunch so much better. Other than that, the dish is of basic cafeteria quality. I recommend this if you like alfredo and can deal with the lack of salt in the sauce.
