Bodies crammed together. Voices raised in anticipation. Extensive lines of the hungry. These are all distinct characteristics of the Kinnelon High School old cafeteria during unit lunch.
The KHS cafeteria has a section where students can order hot sandwiches fresh off the panini press. Until a few weeks ago, students were able to fully customize their sandwiches, including bread type, protein, toppings, and sauce. Recently, sandwiches have no longer been customizable, and students can instead choose to order from three preset order options (see image). Students are still able to omit ingredients from their sandwiches; for example, ordering option three without chicken. However, building a sandwich from scratch is no longer a possibility.
The reason for the switch? According to administrator Hannah Sappio, the lunch line needed to be shorter for students to get custom sandwiches. The line affected the overall efficiency of the cafeteria and the wait for student food was extended.
said sophomore Erika Wang.
The extensive line to buy sandwiches proves their popularity. They are a healthy and convenient option for students who do not bring lunch from home.
According to NiDirect, “The teenage years are a time of rapid growth and development, so a healthy balanced diet is particularly important.”
Sophomore Manali Patel says that sandwiches provided a break from eating hot foods like pizza and chicken tenders.
“I don’t like eating fatty foods all the time. A sandwich is healthier and has some vegetables in it,” said Patel. Although the preset sandwiches are still popular among students, some miss selecting ingredients for their food.
Custom sandwiches allowed students to tailor their food to their tastes. Wang misses the freedom of making her sandwich because “she does not have to worry about toppings she does not enjoy.”
Sophomore Polina Shardakova-Scorzafava misses customizing sandwiches for a different reason: her strict wrestling diet. Maintaining her weight is part of the competition that continues off the wrestling mat. According to Shardakova-Scorzafava, this includes not eating many lipids, and choosing whole wheat wraps over white wraps.
“Choosing exactly what goes into my sandwich allows me to control my calorie intake and perform to the best of my ability at my sport,” said Shardakova-Scorzafava.
Although tasty, there have been some changes to how the sandwiches are made. The bread has been switched from ciabatta to pita, shrinking the size of sandwiches. This has received mixed feedback from students.
“You’re paying the same amount for a smaller portion…and I’m a hungry gal,” said Patel. Other students like Shardakova-Scorzafava echo her concerns, saying that “the bread is half the size of what it normally used to be, and it’s a lot thinner.”
However, most students still enjoy the sandwiches, as the line is out the cafeteria door every day during lunch.
“I do think the current options, like the Caesar wrap, are still good,” said Wang. Even though custom sandwiches are no longer available, the cafeteria will continue to provide healthy food for students.
