I came from a catered Catholic School. This new subject was foreign to me. You ask what is this dreary and complicated subject that I am so confused about? It is lunch. That half hour block where you can chose to eat, talk to friends, or do unfinished homework was my torturer. Why did I find this so confusing? Simple, it was repulsive.

At my old school this had never been a problem. Everyday, we received food from a different place. One day could be Cheesecake Factory and the next would be Papa Johns. Even if you did not like the food that was served, it was always edible and you could tell what it was. I could count on one hand the times I brought my lunch to school, usually the days that seafood was served because I am allergic. But, there I was on the first day at my new public high school, appalled and contemplating whether or not to even eat.

I know I am not the only person who has experienced this. I was stuck on whether or not to starve because I could not stomach the nauseating food that would have to pass through my mouth. As an alternative, I resolved that I would never purchase anything that was not packaged from the school lunch lines. This led me to the snack carts. Filled with candy and sugary drinks, what high school student would not pick from the cart versus the revolting food lines. This led to another problem, how I, the healthy national swimmer, gained 10 pounds in my first quarter at this new school even though I was swimming over 20 hours a week!

Soon after, my parents noticed my changed eating habits and how I demanded unhealthy foods at home. This “junk food” had changed my whole life and attitude. My parents made me take my own lunch to school that they would make for me every morning or else I would go to school and buy more junk. The weight melted off me and I was able to continue improving my swim times. I have realized that my new goal in life is to not get more healthy foods in schools but make them more appealing and less nauseating.