School lunch is a bigger part of our day then we realize. All morning you are just trying to make it to 5th period, and after, you now have energy for your last couple of classes. Of course everyone has different preferences as to which lunches are best and which lunches are worst, however we began to find a common belief as to which reign supreme and which lunches you should bring lunch that day.
The lunch schedule has a pattern. Every Monday is pizza, Wednesday is a different chicken meal, and Friday is a special. On Mondays, there is also the option of paninis which are made different each time. Nacho box, sunnut butter and jelly or fluff, and salads are always options. The deli bar is open as well each day but we decided to focus on the main meals.
After spending four years eating the same lunch, we asked a few seniors what they thought about school lunch and their favorites and their least favorite meals. The end consensus was that popcorn chicken is the best option of them all. Sometimes they come with mashed potatoes, which according to some is the best side of them all.
A close second was turkey and gravy.Only trailing four votes behind popcorn chicken, what makes turkey and gravy so good is the consistent mashed potatoes. Mashed potatoes can take any average lunch and turn it into a top contender.
Coming in at number three is chinese take out. With the combination of the cool takeout box, the sauce on the chicken and rice, and the fortune cookie, you can’t go wrong.
Some honorable mentions include: taco day (because you can load them up with toppings) and build a burger (with options of cheese, bacon, pickles and much more)
On the opposite end of the spectrum is mozzarella sticks. Mozzarella sticks come with about six sticks, marinara sauce, broccoli, and a bread stick. The reason for the last place finish is everything. The sticks themselves aren’t great because the cheese is not very cheesy and is almost separate from the breading. Then the sauce is very watery and won’t really stick to the sticks, it just runs off. “They should have a paninis as an option on friday if it’s mozzarella sticks” says senior Ross Lojek.
There are some who aren’t really fond of the lunches however they don’t have a choice but to buy lunch such as senior Steve Particelli. “It is pretty terrible most of the time” explains Steve.
One of the things that can make or break a school meal is the sides. Some sides worth mentioning: Yogurt parfaits, Happy New Year flavored ice, Rice krispies
Stacy Cashman, one of the lunch ladies at Triton thinks that “popcorn chicken is probably the most popular.”
However, some of the teachers such as Richard Dube and Patrick Sheehan love the quality and value the school lunch offers. “I think it’s the best value this side of Market Basket.” comments Dube. He usually has lunch with Sheehan and Ben Colby, all are supporters of the school lunch.
Sheehan said, “It’s spectacular and predictable.”
Although there are mixed opinions about how good the school lunch is, it could always be worse and there is room for improvement.