We asked our Colorado Kids columnists to give their school lunch a makeover. Some want healthier choices, some want more junk food. One says the lunch ladies should be nicer. Another suggests parents volunteer in the lunchroom. Here are their ideas, in their words:
Who doesn’t like sherbet?
Lunch is very important for a growing child and is what fuels us to get through afternoon classes. Currently, each lunch includes an entrée, two sides, milk and a small sherbet cup. A few minor revisions could make it a meal to remember or look forward to:
The entrée: It needs to be simple but delicious. The entrees are usually bland or leftovers that have lost their flavor. The food needs to be hotter. By the time you get through the line and find a seat, your food is partially warm.
Sides: The only choices are fruit and veggies. I would suggest other options that are equally good but add variety, such as mashed potatoes, pasta or salad.
Milk: Milk is milk. Good for you, but boring. How about fruit juice or flavored water? The sherbet cup, however, is fine as it is. Who doesn’t like sherbet?
Rachael Murphy,11, Littleton
Fewer rules
I would change some of the rules like, no elbows on the table, and no talking when the lights are off. Then I would let everyone eat outside, instead of the basement of the church. I would also let us sit whereever we want.
I also wish lunch was our last subject, or have recess after lunch, then school would be out.
Some of our lunches are starchy, unless you put condiments on it. When I was in younger grades we had fast food on Wednesday, and I wish that we still had that.
Eva DiUbaldo,10, Aurora
Parents should pitch in
They should serve pizza and French toast for every meal! Just kidding. Everyone needs to lend a hand and help Jeffco Schools raise money to help the schools buy clean, fresh and healthy foods. Actually, I bet every school needs some help with their foods. If you have a child in school and you are looking for a way to help schools, that’s a way that everyone can pitch in.
Greta Gurdikian,9, Littleton
Healthy buffet
I would like there to be a healthy buffet with many varieties of assorted healthy foods. Some of the foods that I would include would be salads, assorted varieties of fruits and vegetables, and occasionally a few unhealthy foods. Some pros are that, with a more healthy environment, students will be more alert. The cons are that, as like me, there are some people who are picky eaters, and don’t really like healthy foods.
Meghan Cunningham,12, Parker
Vegetarian options
One thing that I would change about my school lunches would be to have more choices. At school there are usually three choices and they all involve meat, but what about vegetarians? If those students forget lunch at home one day, what happens? They would not have lunch, and that leads to a grumpy attitude for the rest of the day.
Syd Mayer, 11, Evergreen
Let us eat outside
If I could change anything about my school lunch, I would change where we eat. I personally think we should eat outside. I mean parents are always nagging us kids to go outside more often, aren’t they? Plus they could turn the lunch room into more fifth-grade classrooms so that the fifth-graders wouldn’t have to use the school trailers for their classrooms.
For those who do not wish to eat outside, the outside pavilion could be changed into a lunchroom-sized glass house. They could connect it to the side entrance of the school. That’s my dream school lunch.
Lauren Walters, 9, Denver
We need more time
First off, we need more time. By the time we get through the line and sit down we have five minutes to eat. I have learned to eat food fast, so at dinner I eat so fast that I’m done before any one else.
Second, we need more side dishes. There are only about two dishes to choose from.
Third, no whole grain. Kids don’t like whole grain food every day. It is good schools are going healthy, but allow syrup for french toast or make it good so kids will want to eat it. It is not good to eat the pizza when it has been recooked six times.
Lauren Barth,11, Lakewood
Less ick, more recycling
If I could change a few things about my school lunches, it would be that the lunch ladies spend more time on the lunches.
I would change that the brownies didn’t have hair in them, and that the hamburgers weren’t raw.
I would change that we would have more time for lunch, and that the aides would be nicer.
I would change that there would be recycle bins in the lunchroom, and that we would get to eat outside more often.
I wish that there were more tables in the lunchroom, and that all of the kids weren’t so cramped.
Lauren Hill,10, Littleton
Mom does it better
Does your school lunch need a makeover? I know mine does. It would be great if you could choose to sit inside or outside, without them telling you where to sit. School lunch always leaves you still hungry because they serve very little portions of food.
And if you’re one of the older kids, there isn’t enough food left, so you get the leftovers and it doesn’t match the menu. Most of the time, they tell you what sides to get, and the kids don’t even eat them. What a waste. This is why I always pack a lunch. Nothing better than something made by Mom.
Salina Garza,12, Westminster
More chicken, pizza, pie
I would certainly change the sloppy joes to a corndog. I would love to bring back Chick-fil-A. I love the chicken nuggets and the citrus salad.I would like to have less nachos.
I would love it if everyone would not make such a big mess, and leave it for the table monitors to clean up.
I would like the lunch staff to buy a different brand of chocolate milk, and I would like to have pizza again. I would also, finally, love them to serve shepherd’s pie.
Hannah Chung,10, Aurora
Allergic can be lonely
I have a peanut allergy, and it is not fun. I am also allergic to all nuts, seeds, legumes and peas. The cafeteria food in my school is nut-free, but it sometimes serves peas and I have to very careful. It is sometimes hard to tell the difference between peas and green beans.
I also wish I didn’t have to worry about other people’s lunches from home. There is a peanut-free table to sit at, but it can get lonely and I like to sit with my friends.
Shae Henley, 10, Highlands Ranch
Pro-fro-yo
What should I get? Fruit loops? Cinnamon cereal? Scooby snacks? A smoothie? Banana bread? Now, if only I could buy some frozen yogurt.
Frozen yogurt would be the perfect addition to school lunches. Not only is it sweet and healthier than most of the other options. It is rich in calcium, low in fats and can satisfy your sweet tooth. This frozen treat is full of probiotics, needed minerals and nutrients. This is also a good dairy alternative for those who are lactose intolerant.
Sierra Zizzo, 12, Highlands Ranch
Kristen Browning-Blas: 303-954-1440, kbrowning@denverpost.com or
Photos by Jamie Cotten, Special to The Denver Post
