The Difference in Nutritional Value Between School Lunch and Fast-Food

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The Difference in Nutritional Value Between School Lunch and Fast-Food Pink slime, gray burgers, enough preservatives to mummify a small dog: all examples of what a child attending a public school could be eating in school day. Although awareness concerning childhood obesity has been spread, the food being consumed in schools is still unsatisfactory. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have said that obesity rates have doubled in children and tripled in teenagers since 1980, leading to type two diabetes and other health concerns (Yeoman). This is no doubt due to the new fatty foods being produced and served in the lunch room. The National School Lunch Program has set standards on what school lunch should be like, but these standards are rarely met by schools (Curtis). Furthermore, this only applies to the school lunch being prepared, and not for everything being sold; cookies, candy, and chips don't have any requirements. The food that is served has been preserved with large amounts of sodium and frozen in order for it to be stored for months before use, which is very unhealthy. The meat being imported doesn't even meet popular fast food companies' standards, and because of this, it's been concluded that school lunches are actually less healthy than fast food. Companies such as Sodexo ship large quantities of food to schools all over the country. Because this food is frozen, it can be bought a long time in advance and saved until it's needed. The vast majority of this food has already been cooked, and only needs to be reheated, therefore it can be ready for consumption in a short amount of time. This is very important for large schools with multiple lunch periods because the cooks don't have much time to prod... ... middle of paper ... ...quality than that of a fast food company’s. In order for anything to change, awareness must be spread. People need to find out about the conditions in the schools before it's too late. Obesity rates are higher than ever and will only continue to soar unless eating habits are changed. Regulations need to be enforced and fatty foods need to stop being sold. School districts need to stop worrying about how much money they're making, and start worrying about the health of the future generation. This food is killing them with every bite, and the effects can be seen on the inside and out. However, with effort from the government, the general population, and the students of America, this can be stopped. Eating habits can be changed and health can be restored. All it takes is one choice in the lunch room: the choice to refuse pink slime, gray burgers, and sodium chloride.

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