It’s lunch time and students surround the health cart, surveying all their options. Some scoop up sliced cucumber while others opt for a banana and peanut butter to add to their diet.

But a sign posted on the salad bar for teachers on January 19 stated that teachers weren’t allowed to take food from the bar. If fruits and vegetables are a healthy part of everyone’s diet, shouldn’t teachers be included?

“I was honestly disappointed with the decision,” math teacher Mr. Greg Stenlund said. “I have eaten larger portions from the health bar for 11 years now and have gotten used to eating vegetables for lunch along with yogurt, a cheese stick, and a small bag of walnuts.”

This frustrating decision was a bit confusing for most people at first. Because of the wording on the signs, teachers thought this meant they couldn’t take any food from the health bar, but Assistant Principal Mr. Lensegrav clarified this decision.

“The intent of the message was to inform us that the Healthy Snack Bar is still available to all,” Mr. Lensegrav said in an email. “However, [teachers should] limit the portion to one snack boat as the Health Bar is meant as a complement, not as a meal.”

After the message was clarified, staff reduced their portion to just one boat. This adjustment was put in place because nutrition funding is supposed to go toward the students’ new lunch program.

“I didn’t think it was ridiculous; I just didn’t understand the sudden change,” Mr. Stenlund said. “If it’s a matter of the health bar losing lots of money, it should be limited, but it should be free.”

The sudden change of the health bar caused many teachers to feel excluded. The schools are implementing a healthy veggie bar to encourage the students to eat healthier, but why not the teachers, too? 

“Since seeing the sign that teachers weren’t allowed, I haven’t really been back to the health cart,” English teacher Mrs. Amy Moore said. “Even after the clarifying email from Mr. Lensegrav, I haven’t wanted to even go near it for fear of a reprimand for a rule I didn’t know about.”

But besides being limited, teachers should be allowed the health benefits, too. Even though the food bar is meant to supplement students, teachers enjoy the addition to their meals.

“I know the funds should be used to help supplement students’ nutrition, but I also see how underutilized those veggies are,”  Mrs. Moore said. “I wonder how much of that food gets tossed out at the end of the week?”

There’s so much that could be done with the food that is thrown away, but how much is actually wasted that the teachers could contribute to eating instead of throwing it all away at the end of the day?

According to a Food Recovery study, school cafeterias “are likely to waste, on average, 27-53 percent of food served. Another study found each student, annually, will waste approximately 39 pounds of food waste and 29 cartons of milk.”

Hunger is something nobody wants to experience, and since teachers have lunch at the school, they should also be provided with the health benefits that the students get.

“Since I have been working at the cafeteria, I don’t think they should limit the health bar to only students,” senior Phu Nguyen said. “I cut [more food] whenever it gets low, and it usually takes a couple of days. It’s just a waste of time to cut more vegetables only to throw them away.”

Food waste is pretty common, and sadly it’s food that could be used to support and benefit teachers, but at the end of the day it just ends up in the trash. 

“I just think it isn’t worth it to limit it to only students when I can cut more fresh vegetables to feed the people who teach us,” Nguyen said.

The health bar not only entices students to eat healthier but also teachers. This dissuades both staff and students from eating junk food.

“Let the teachers eat as many vegetables as they would like from the health bar,” Mr. Stenlund said. “I wouldn’t add or change anything on the health bar; it is amazing. It also promotes great gut health.”