School lunch was first invented in America in Philadelphia and Boston during the late 1800s. The goal was to feed children nutritious meals and teach them important food choices, such as the positive effects that fruits and vegetables can have on their health. One of the first meals served on a weekly basis looked something like this:
Monday: (1) Baked beans and a roll, 5 cents (2) Cocoa or milk, 2 cents; crackers or ice cream, 1 cent
Tuesday: (1) Vegetable soup and a roll, 5 cents (2) Same choice as Monday
Wednesday: (1) Creamed beef on toast and a roll, 5 cents (2) See Monday, Dates 1 cent
Thursday: (1) Macaroni with tomato sauce and a roll, 5 cents (2) See Monday. Jam sandwich, 1 cent
Friday: (1) Creamed salmon and a roll, 5 cents (2) See Monday
However, in the past decade, school lunch has drastically changed. Research has been done to provide the best nutrients and balanced meal for children. A massive change happened in 2012, when former first lady of the United States, Michelle Obama, implemented rules and regulations around the world on school lunch. These rules gave schools higher quality, properly nutritious meals for students, especially for those of low-income families. Because of these changes, the Steinbrenner lunch menu from January 30 to February 2 now looks like this:
Tuesday-Spicy Chicken Sandwich, Crispy Chicken Sandwich, Barbacoa Beef Street Tacos, Santa Fe Black Bean Tacos, Lettuce Tomato and Cheese Salad Cup, Seasoned Black Beans.
I will be reviewing Tuesday’s meal option, the Spicy Chicken Sandwich. This thing is horrid. It’s oddly soggy, and has a terrifying, orange 40 type of color. However, the bun looks fine, and is good. As I take a bite, I realize the chicken is as bad as it looks! It’s rough and chewy, with a weird high level of spice in it. Somehow, this sandwich manages to be spicy and flavorless at the same time. My tongue is tingling, but with no seasoning. Although, the bun was good, soft and with a slight sweet flavor. Overall, this gets a 3/10
Wednesday– Pizza Sticks, Marinara Cup, Grilled Teriyaki Chicken, Fried Rice, Sweet Chili Peas, Fresh Cucumber Slices.
Wednesday’s meal option, the Teriyaki Chicken Fried Rice, was surprisingly delightful. The looks of this meal had me suspicious at first, but once I took a bite it exceeded my expectations. The chicken was soft, warm, and grilled while also being thrown in a sweet and savory teriyaki sauce. The rice, though a little dry, didn’t taste too bad. The rice improved drastically when mixed with the teriyaki sauce, which enhanced its flavor and dry texture. Overall, this meal may not look the most appealing, but its surprising flavor pulled through to give it a 7/10.
Thursday– Ranchero Pizza Melt, Four Cheese Pizza Slice, Creamy Homemade Mac and Cheese, Super Food Salad
The Four Cheese Pizza served on Thursday was disappointing. The pizza itself was very greasy, so much so that the paper covering the pizza was coated with grease. As I take a bite into the slice, the cheese is tough and has no stretch to it. The sauce has an okay flavor but was cold. Lastly, the dough of the whole pizza was hard and crunchy, but it tasted good. The best I can give this pizza is a 5/10, it had a few redeeming qualities but also a few gross ones.
Friday– Southern Style Chicken Bites, Buffalo Chicken Bites, Corn Bread Muffin, Black Bean Burger with Creamy Salsa, Sweet Potato Fries with Cinnamon Dip, Fresh Baby Carrots with Ranch
Sothern Style Chicken Bites were great but had one major flaw. Unlike its sandwich counterpart, these nuggets were crispy and seasoned nicely. However, they were very dry. You could drown them in ketchup, but the chicken by itself was dryer than a Popeye’s biscuit. The chicken by itself gets a 6/10, but when smothered in ketchup brings it up to an 8/10.
