Free lunch still has its costs

ANITA BEROzA

Free lunch and breakfast have been offered to Carlmont students for months. While this food program provides many students with easy access to meals they might otherwise struggle to find, not every student can eat the food available.

The food offered is quite healthy, meeting United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Nutrition Standards for school lunches. Each dish averages only about 333 Calories, seven grams of sugar, and 17 grams of protein per entrée item. However, students with certain dietary restrictions can’t eat the food served at Carlmont.

For instance, some Jewish students keep kosher, meaning they avoid eating foods not permitted by the Torah. Eden Feuchtwang, a Jewish senior, is one such student.

“I try to be as religious as possible, just to keep up the tradition, and so that I have some connection to my community. I kind of like how it kind of places limits,” Feuchtwang said. “Depending on how religious you are, you can consider certain things as not kosher and certain things as kosher.”

While the personal reasons and exact rules Jewish students may follow differ, many who eat kosher can encounter difficulties.

“I’ve had the deli sandwich, and I’ll realize that it’s ham instead of turkey. Then I’ll be like, well, I can’t eat that.” Feuchtwang said.

Some Muslim students may face similar difficulties. According to the Halal Foundation, halal (lawful or permitted) indicates which activities Muslim people are allowed to take part in, much like kosher for the Jewish. Regarding foods, halal has similar but different requirements to kosher, including not eating certain kinds of meat, like pork.

Meat that can be eaten, like chicken, needs to be killed in a specific manner, with requirements like the animal must be killed via a single cut to the jugular vein and carotid artery. No information on the Sequoia Union High School District (SUHSD) nutrition site indicates whether or not certain meal items, if any, are halal.

However, Many, like Feuchtwang, have been able to find solutions.

“There’s usually an alternative [entrée item],” Feuchtwang said.

However, not every student can do the same for other dietary restrictions. The SUHSD menu lists none of the breakfast options as gluten-free, and only the cereal is dairy-free. Students with celiac disease, for example, cannot eat any of the entrée items Carlmont provides since all have wheat.

Students who are vegetarian or vegan also have limited options. Cereal and the veggie pita pocket are the only vegan items (just one for breakfast and lunch, respectively), and the vegetarian options are not much more numerous.

“USDA’s school meal programs have a wide-reaching impact on the health and well-being of our nation’s children,” said Tom Vilsack, Secretary of USDA. “Now, more than ever, America’s children need access to healthy and nutritious foods.” According to the Food Research and Action Center, school meals have undeniable benefits for students— including lower risks for obesity and negative health impacts. Let’s make them available to everyone.