Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Solon students have been online for school. You may have noticed that your meals have either become healthier, unhealthier or mainly stayed the same. Since there is a change in availability and convenience, some students have completely shifted the food they eat. Some enjoy these adjustments more than others. 

Participating in the new at-home-schooling is affecting all students differently. With lunch beginning at 11:25 a.m. and concluding at 12:05 p.m., students find themselves with an extra 15 minutes to eat their lunches. 

Caesar Salerno, a Senior at Solon High School, prefers having the extra time as a ‘free period’ that provides him with time to go places rather than just eating at home. This increases his intake of food since he doesn’t have to worry about fitting his lunch into his lunchbox. 

“[With a free period] I could get food with my friends in the middle of the day,” Salerno said. “But I wouldn’t be able to do that with only a 25 minute lunch period.”

While having this extra time provides students such as Salerno with the ability to go out to lunch with friends, some students are finding it harder to adjust to these changes. Solon High School Sophomore, Ester Baek, struggles with having to plan what she’s going to eat, providing her with less time. 

“I find myself grabbing either a really light snack or ordering something that’s easy to get,” Baek said. 

Baek states how she grabs something quick such as a granola bar or fruit at home, while at school she would’ve packed a more balanced meal of a sandwich, fruit and a granola bar. She also adds that her water intake has dropped significantly since she began online school. 

Providing students with the opportunity to have free time during their lunch period provides both ups and downs for everyone. ‘Blockout’ is being offered for Juniors and Seniors in the upcoming ‘Hybrid Learning Model’, as students arrive back to school on Oct. 19. This option gives those students an alternative to the provided school lunch. 

While some students already packed their own lunches, others have been finding alternatives for lunch time. Students who don’t want to eat school lunch are now able to adjust accordingly and eat what they enjoy. Students such as Solon High School Junior, Jakob Oldenburg, sees this as an opportunity to have a larger selection in what he’s eating. 

“I have a bigger variety and I get to choose what I want to eat,” Oldenburg said. “Versus the school having to choose what I am supposed to eat.”

Meal prep has been a help for some of the students who have parents that aren’t working from home. Salerno has his mom prepare his food the night before, so he can quickly heat his lunches during the 40 minutes. Salerno would rather socialize and get a quick in-school lunch than having to prep and plan what he will be eating. 

“I will cut up an apple or a cucumber and eat something small and fast,” Salerno said. “But nowhere near as easy as getting in-school lunches.” 

In addition to the efficiency of eating food at home, athletes are encouraged to keep the same diet and routine. Specifically those athletes are encouraged to eat foods that get them energy they need. Having more time to eat at home has provided those student-athletes with quicker and simpler ways of eating the correct nutritional meals.  

“When I eat at home, I can make what I eat at home right then and there,” Oldenburg said. “I eat a specific set of things every day because I’m an athlete and I need to fuel my body the right way.”

Oldenburg enjoys having more time to prepare proteins like eggs and ground beef. Being able to freshly cook the food he needs is something he prefers doing instead of buying a school lunch everyday. His usual in-school meal includes a provided school lunch and additional snack line items such as gummies and cheeseburgers.  

While athletes keep their bodies fueled, other students eat meals that are geared less towards their health. The food choices some students make are more out of convenience, which is something that may be necessary for those in a hurry. 

Baek is a watergirl for the football team and doesn’t need as much energy as Oldenburg and Salerno who play football. They need a higher calorie intake to fuel their bodies for their daily practices. The students who may not play sports can eat foods that don’t provide them with as much fuel. 

“A huge role in what I eat is my plans for that night,” Baek said. “There are not many cases where I truly need a lot of energy after school, therefore I never feel the need to eat anything that will keep my energy up really high.”

With the school dropping prepared food off via school buses to students with a free lunch, it ensures that everyone is able to eat a full meal. According to the SHS website, each meal contains foods from each of the major food groups including protein, grains vegetables, fruits, and dairy. 

Lunch is an important time for students to be able to wind down and relieve some stress. Having this extra time between classes is beneficial for most students. There are both advantages and disadvantages to having lunch at home. Students are all handling lunch differently and are determining what works best for them personally. 

“Some benefits of eating at home are that I can take my time and I don’t have to be rushed to eat anything,” Baek said. “I can definitely say that I like eating at home a lot more.” 

Providing students with the opportunity to have free time during their lunch period provides both ups and downs for everyone. ‘Blockout’ is being offered for Juniors and Seniors in the upcoming ‘Hybrid Learning Model’, as students arrive back to school on Oct. 19. This option gives those students an alternative to the provided school lunch. As well as providing many Juniors and Seniors to have the freedom to continue eating lunch at home or go out to eat.