LAUSD’s food quality is to blame for students skipping meals and developing unhealthy food habits.

The problem begins with the cafeteria meals. All LAUSD food is packaged. These foods can be unappetizing. Although the LAUSD constantly tries to change the menu over and over, students always dislike the food.

Cafeterias should have a survey on which are the favorite lunch dishes at school. Meals like triangle tacos, chalupas, hot wings and spaghetti, which seemed popular, randomly get discontinued without announcement.

This leaves meals that are much less appealing than spaghetti, making students skip lunch. Cafeterias could serve one of the popular foods every day, so students always can resort to that if they don’t like anything else.

I ate in school cafeterias almost my whole life, but I finally gave up this year. I either bring my lunch or wait until I get home to eat.

Because of the unsavory dishes served in the cafeteria, students then turn to snacks provided by the vending machines or the student store. Although the snacks in the vending machines pass the nutritional standards, it does subconsciously plant the idea of trading in real foods for snacks.

Students spend a lot of money through the week lined up at the vending machines or the student store. Since these students are already spending money at these two places, it would be better if the school provided actual food items instead of chips and popsicles. Meals should contain protein.

Schools should provide students better, more appealing foods, rather than unlimited snacks. Surveying students and letting them be more in control of their meals would be a good solution.

This way more students will have full stomachs and be able to focus in class. In addition to surveys, schools should be able to sell actual food items from food carts or the student store. There used to be food carts selling appetizing meals and juices.

Every meal during the day is important and every student should be able to enjoy a meal at school.