Our school lunches at Chaminade have had their highs and lows. Today’s menu includes popular items like wings, gourmet cookies, chicken nuggets, and General Tso’s chicken. However, some less popular meals remain unseen, and several favorite options, such as the ice cream bar, make-your-own burger, and pretzel bites, have all disappeared from the menu. This raises the question: Do the negatives of losing these beloved items outweigh the positives of the new food choices? 

The school lunch system today has many positives but also some negatives. We have a vast selection of packaged food and drinks, as well as appealing homemade meals every day. There has been an increase in the variety of packaged foods, such as chips and soda, expanding everyday options to fit students’ cravings. On the other hand, certain beloved non-packaged foods, such as ice cream bars or waffle fries, are missing. These items were likely big sellers in the past, so their absence raises questions about why they were removed. These negatives may outweigh the positives, considering how popular these food bar options were. The past lunch definitely had a wider selection of homemade options, but nowadays, there are more packaged foods. 

There are some major differences between the past and now, especially with the disappearance of many popular food items. Favorites like the seasoned waffle fries and the Bavarian pretzel haven’t been seen in quite a while. These items were great additions because they offered a wide variety of choices and made lunchtime feel like a daily surprise. There have also been some additions to the menu that we haven’t seen before, including the BBQ meatballs. The old variety not only satisfied students’ different tastes but also made the overall lunch experience exciting. Another feature from the past that has gradually faded away is the use of lunch billboards, which gave students a chance to see in advance what would be featured for lunch that day. The changes in the menu have clearly altered the lunch experience in ways that many students have noticed and miss. 

Comparing these two lunch experiences, it’s hard to say which is better since both have pros and cons that mostly balance out. However, the positives from the past slightly outweigh those of today. The loss of popular items like the burger bar, ice cream, and other favorites has had a greater impact than the small increase in packaged food variety. While the past still offered a good selection of packaged foods, it also included homemade options that are now missing.