School lunches in America tend to serve ultra-processed foods in the form of snacks, drinks, and ready meals. These foods contain more salt, fat, sugar, and preservatives, and are often associated with a higher risk of chronic diseases including obesity.
Angela, a sophomore at Skyline and former student in Korea, remarks, “I was shocked at the lack of balanced nutrition in school lunches after coming to America, how do students survive on this?” In South Korea lunches are served with a variety of nutritious foods that are minimally processed and low fat. Similarly in Japan and France school lunches are freshly cooked, and contain a sufficient portion of vegetables, providing a very filling and nutritious meal for students.
In the United States, the U.S. Department of Agriculture sets dietary guidelines for school meals to ensure students get enough fruits, vegetables, low-fat milk, whole grains, and protein foods, they do not prohibit highly processed foods, nor do they discourage schools from serving unhealthy foods such as pizza and corndogs. These food choices adopted in American School lunches can lead to chronic illness.
Childhood obesity is a large problem in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control, “approximately 14.7 million U.S. youths aged 2–19 years have obesity,” which roughly translates to 20% of kids in America. In comparison to only 5.9% of Japanese children are obese.
With these alarming statistics, our government and school systems need to implement healthier foods for school lunches. Although serving healthier school lunches will be more costly, healthier meals will combat childhood and adolescent obesity and foster healthier lifelong eating habits.
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