We all know how important it is for children and teenagers to eat a healthy and well-balanced diet. Many families rely on school lunch programs to provide a nutritious meal every day, but one teenager is speaking out after sharing photos of what her school was serving.
With many students fully back into the routine of school, a number of stories concerning school lunches have made headlines.
There have been reports of students being denied lunch because of unpaid lunch debt, and other students who have been told that their homemade lunches are “unhealthy”.
Now, one high school student is speaking out on the topic after she shared a photo of her school-provided lunch to Facebook.
Maryn Holler is a student at Apollo High School in St. Cloud, Minnesota. According to her Facebook post, she paid $3.00 for her school lunch.
The lunch consisted of baby carrots, marinara sauce, and a hot dog bun with melted cheese.
“I thank God every day that my family has the money where I get to go home and eat actual food,” she said in her post.
She went on to explain that for many kids at her school, this is the only meal they get.
“There are kids at this school who this is ALL THEY GET TO EAT, and we were given a hotdog bun with cheese. It’s honestly sad to know that we go to school and pay around 3 dollars for something that cost .50 cents to make,” she said in her post.
Since sharing the photos on Facebook, Maryn’s post has gone viral.
Many people have commented saying that the meal was more expensive than what their school districts charge and less nutritious.
Others have called the meal “embarrassing”.
Some Facebook users called for the school to issue refunds over the lunch.
Some Facebook users also commented on the lack of protein in the meal.
It’s clear that this lunch wouldn’t be able to provide most high school students adequate nutrition to get through the day.
Since posting her photos on Facebook, Maryn was able to get her school district’s attention.
After meeting with her school principal, she said she has a meeting lined up with the district’s nutritionist.
“This is the start of something that could forever change my district,” she said in a Facebook update.
By speaking out, Maryn could help improve the lives of her fellow students who rely on these lunches to provide a healthy, filling meal.
