School lunches are unpopular due to lack of taste; but when put to the test, Eisenhower’s lunch results are unexpected.   

 Students have been throwing away lunches the “healthier” they get, according to the National School Lunch Program.

After taste testing these so-called tragic lunches to see if the rumors were true, the results were shocking. To students’ surprise, the lunches were not as tragic as they expected. 

On Monday, we tried Italian sub sandwiches with apple slices. First impression: the sandwich itself was actually packed with vegetables, including banana peppers, lettuce and tomatoes.

“The sandwich, in itself, was not bad. It was just lacking some flavor. If Italian dressing was added, it definitely would have tasted better,” senior Ava Kaspari said. 

For a school lunch, it was a pleasant surprise from the first bite. It wasn’t as slimy as I always imagined school lunches to be. Although this wasn’t my favorite throughout the week, it certainly wasn’t the worst.

On Tuesday, we continued our school lunch tasting with a spicy chicken sandwich and fries. First impression: the sandwich looked boring; it didn’t have any lettuce, pickles or tomatoes. 

“The sandwich itself had too much seasoning on it for me. The curly fries were on the soggy side, but not terrible,” junior Christopher Griffiths said.

When I tasted this sandwich it was probably ranked on the lower end of my list. It was spicier than what I imagined and I hate spicy foods, so I wasn’t all for this sandwich.

On Wednesday, we ate the infamous Bosco Sticks with marinara sauce. This looked like a plain breadstick, but surprise — there was cheese inside.

“The cheese literally melted in my mouth. It was paired super well with the marinara sauce,” Griffiths said. “So yummy.” 

On Thursday, we sampled pasta, chicken and broccoli, covered with marinara sauce. Upon first glance, this seemed like it would be a good combo. The chicken, however, was placed underneath the mariana sauce which didn’t work.

“The chicken was soggy because it was at the bottom of the bowl; the pasta, however, was pretty good,” Kaspari said.

This entree presents the right concept, but was lacking because of the marinara sauce’s placement. The sauce seemed to be on the bitter side; the broccoli, however, was steamed well and very tasty.

To finish off the week, on Friday, we savored the Turkey Boom Club Wrap with apple chips. The wrap looked like something from a cafe— it was wrapped nicely and filled with tasty ingredients including: tomato, lettuce, cheese, turkey and chipotle mayo.

“I’m literally the pickiest eater ever; I don’t like a lot of foods. The wrap, though, was shockingly good. I will be getting it again,” senior Gabriella Gjonaj said.

This wrap was a great way to end the week; it was actually very good. It had a spicy chipotle mayo in it that complemented the wrap well. 

This whole week of taste testing foods, I’ve come to realize that school lunches aren’t that tragic and some options are actually good. It is important to venture out and try new things. Trying these free school items can actually be beneficial because it expands food preferences. Bon Appetit.