It seems that everyone has been noticing that their sandwiches are now made with whole wheat buns. This isn’t a coincidence; the cafeteria hasn’t run out of white buns.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the OCPS school board have issued stricter nutritional requirements for school meals.

"The buns on all sandwiches are now wheat including the biscuits during breakfast and breadsticks," said Cafeteria Manager Joe Eisenbise who in compliance with the new guidelines is serving more healthful food.

Other changes to our meals that the USDA requires is the elimination of processed high-sugar juice box drinks during lunch. Students now are offered water or milk with their lunch, although juice is still served with breakfast.

In addition, instead of chips being offered with a meal the cafeteria offers fresh fruit such as apples, pears, and orange slices. And all lunches also must include a vegetable.

That is why now when students get their lunch they have to take at least one vegetable or one fruit.

While OCPS tries to find food items that students would like through yearly taste-testing by students of new food selections, not all students are happy with the changes.

"I think that the school lunch is already overpriced and now that they have taken all the good food out like the white bread buns, I will not be paying for it." said junior Cathy Gonzales.

Junior Julissa Perdomo is also not too happy with the changes.

"I think it’s good that they are trying to make the school lunch healthier, but they need to provide more choices for the ones that do not like wheat buns or for those that enjoyed the cookies."

While other students dislike the new lunch guidelines others like the changes. Junior Tristan Ingram stated, "I enjoy the new lunches because it keeps me healthy, even while in school."

But not all of the new guidelines have been issued by the USDA, some such as the elimination of cookies come from the OCPS school board.

Actually, the guidelines are only the beginning. Next year, school meals should be even more healthful.

"The USDA has guidelines for lunch that they try to make healthier every year. For example ,let’s say that this year the guidelines are 1000mg sodium per lunch, next year they would try to go to 900mg sodium per lunch.

This way they don’t surprise the 750 students we serve during A lunch or the 700 students during B lunch with completely different lunches and make them stop eating it," stated Mr. Eisenbise.