I go to the school’s cafeteria every day for lunch, but most times I don’t eat. When I walk into the cafeteria I see students being herded like cattle to the lunch lines.

When I get to the counter I check what they’re serving to make sure it’s good because quite a few items don’t taste good. Today is mac and cheese day meaning I don’t eat. I’ve tried the mac and cheese before and it tasted runny and bland so I stay away. I do this on most days because the food doesn’t taste good, and it turns out there’s a good reason.

To be honest, I don’t think people realize how bad school lunches are for you, and I don’t just mean its foul taste. If you’re looking for something healthy for lunch, you won’t find it in most school cafeterias.

From 1998-to 2007 when there was an outbreak of norovirus disease in quite a few schools. According to publicschoolreview.com, about 7,500 students contracted norovirus from school cafeteria food. After that, there were reports of another 2,000 school sicknesses within those years, despite investigators not being a bull to determine the exact cause I have my suspicions on what caused it.

Most school lunches are unhealthy because of the excess of fat, sugar, and sodium. According to livestrong.com school lunches have a poor nutritional value and high fat which is contributing to obesity and other weight gain problems in kids across the United States. In 2012 the U.S. government updated their school breakfast and lunch programs which made lunches have fruits and vegetables and also made half-grain lunches whole grain. Although not all schools adopted this program meaning not all students are getting healthier and less fattening choices for lunch.

According to abcnews.go.com, in the year 2002, primetime producers did surprise inspections of school cafeterias and what they found was mortifying. There were dead rodents very close to where the food was being made, cockroaches scurrying across the floor, dishwashers that don’t clean the lunch trays kids eat off of every day, and the food is kept at a heat where very dangerous bacteria could thrive. To be honest, if I were you I’d just get Mcdonald’s cause at least their food tastes good.

Most schools need to make healthier lunches so we can live longer and be healthier.