In recent years, First Lady Michelle Obama has been working on lunch programs to help improve the way kids eat all across the country. It has reached Malden, and a new lunch program was introduced, tackling the issue of “no more frozen food” for the students.
The new program is run by a private company named Whitson Culinary, that was chosen by Superintendent of Malden Public Schools Dr. David DeRousi. The lunches are weekly chosen by the two chefs that run the program and the plates vary in taste and origin, from Mexican nachos to American burgers to Italian pizza. The program is “committed to providing wholesome, high-quality menus, prepared fresh daily from locally sourced ingredients whenever available and in season.” as said by the Whitson Company website.
One of the most liked features by the students at Malden High School is the salad bar. Although the company was not sure they would have enough people to work at the bar and assist all the students, Principal Dana Brown convinced the team to bring the salad bar again. Many students were happy and are now hoping to bring the famous “chicken cutlet” back that many adore.
Although it was just introduced, students at Malden High seem to have different opinions as to whether they like it or not.
Sophomore at Malden High Sumaya Aden, 16, says the program is “very beneficial for the students who like the choices but [she thinks] some students cannot eat the same thing every day.” Aden believes the school should bring even more variety of food choices, as well as the famous chicken cutlet dish, considering “the students loved it” as Aden states.
If you count with a good attendance record, as well as good grades, the school will grant the twelfth graders with what i called their “senior privileges.” Throughout the school day, those who count with the privileges are allowed to leave the school for a short amount of time, usually to visit such places as Dunkin Donuts or New York Pizza and buy food or drinks. Not only seniors, but also underclassmen take advantage of those privileges to eat food from the outside, rather than the school lunches.
The amount of students who usually consume lunch from other places, and the amount of students who don’t tolerate the food from the school affects the lunch program. Brown says it is “too soon to judge the company,” and they should be given until the end of the school year to show what they are truly capable of doing.
Malden is now one of the many cities throughout the country that have been influenced by Obama’s healthier eating choices. This program has only been around since the school year began, and has lots of time to improve in what the dislikes of the students are. It is a great variety of healthier food, and it affects the children in a more positive way than the very famous “frozen” food that was served. –Candela Diaz
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