When the class of 2017 came to Hollis Brookline High School, the format of lunch changed for good. Cookies for just one dollar that were the size of a fairly large donut stopped being sold. School lunch is now all whole wheat products and prices are increasing. Changes were made as part of Michelle Obama’s movement for higher nutritional standards; they were not made by the lunch ladies at HB. Now, students are being offered a main lunch such as pizza day, deli sandwich bar, crispy or spicy chicken sandwiches, or an alternative lunch along with salads, yogurt, or sandwiches.

The standard lunch cost is $2.70 for the main entreé, a fruit or vegetable, and a carton of milk. “There was a price increase mandated by the USDA,” said lunch coordinator Lyn Bill. In addition to accommodating a price increase, Bill continued, “We are definitely trying to get more fresh fruits and vegetables available, and more vegetarian choices.” There is also a snack bar that sells snacks like vegetable boxes, chips, Rice Krispie treats, ice cream, and assorted drinks. Students can pay for lunch with their school account or cash and they can get money on their school accounts by an online account called myschoolbucks.com. They can also bring in a check.

A common issue during lunch is shortage of food. There are three lunches, and some days the cafeteria runs out of the primary entreé before all of the lunches are over. Sadie Hudzik ‘17 explained, “I wanted a pizza quesadilla during [a recent] lunch and they had already run out.” Sometimes there is not enough food prepared for all of the students in all three lunches, and students don’t get their first choice.

“We have to look at the production records of previous days to help decide how much food to make. We normally don’t run out of food but if we do there is always a second choice or something we can make up quickly. It is hard to predict how much lunch to make because they don’t wanna waste a lot of food because that gets expensive,” Bill said.

For many students, bringing lunch is a better option than risking not having their first choice meal. “My mom makes my lunch because I don’t always want whole wheat,” said Megan Shoults ‘17.

Now that everything is whole wheat and more fresh fruits and vegetable are being offered, the lunch employees hope to make food tasty and healthy for all.