In the past few years, DoorDash and similar delivery services have become increasingly popular among students. From Chick-Fil-A to Wingstop, many students feel that the option to order fast food directly to campus is more efficient. Yet, while convenient, the increase in fast food consumption has led to much discussion about the impacts on student health.
For freshman Swetha Mantha, the occasional DoorDash purchase is fine, but on most days, she prefers to take her lunch from home or at the cafeteria. Mantha prioritizes the nutritional factors and fresh produce that she knows the school and homemade meals offer as opposed to the processed foods that tend to be associated with DoorDash.
“Homemade food and cafeteria food is definitely more local and freshly prepared. But fast food, it’s all pre-made so you don’t know how old it is, or where it’s coming from,” Mantha said.
In addition, SCHS Food Service Operator Alena Marecek has seen school-provided options improve over the years. According to Marecek, the district has begun offering more items that are made from scratch and locally produced at the Peterson Middle School Farm.
“Well, definitely, we have more fresh food. For example, today there was cabbage from the farm. There was a squash from the farm,” Marecek said. “The more salads and more fresh veggies we offer, the kids will try because sometimes it’s something they’ve never even tried before.”
Physical education teacher Brett Hall has observed psychological aspects associated with the increase in DoorDashing. He believes that much of the thought process that comes with students’ decision to buy fast food is from the tendency to act on impulses rather than needs.
“When you feel that you have a choice of ‘What do I want to eat?’ as opposed to ‘Hey, what do I need to eat? What’s here at the cafeteria?’ you’re obviously going to choose what you want as opposed to need.”
Hall mentioned that early habits are often formed during childhood. He understands that eating unhealthily can set the stage for a cycle of dependency, making it harder to break those habits later in life.
“(According to) the normal statistics in America, you hit the age of 40, you go to your doctor and they say you need to change everything in your life. The person lasts maybe two weeks, and then they fall off the table,” Hall said. “Food is emotionally tied to those things that they want, so we want to build those habits now.”
To ensure students have the necessary knowledge to make decisions about their well-being, eating habits included, Health is a required class for all at SCHS. Senior Amit Gat feels that many students can benefit from taking Health because it will enable them to understand the importance of healthy eating.
“They can learn what food actually does to them, and they can pay attention to what’s happening with their mood, their mental health,” Gat said. “When I was eating unhealthy foods, I just felt worse all the time, and I felt more tired, so it is good that people are more aware of it earlier.”
Though opinions differ on how restricted students’ access to DoorDash should be, Gat acknowledged that eating healthy is not always going to be easy.
“I think the main thing is to just watch what you eat,” Gat said. “You don’t have to have a perfect diet, but at least be conscious of what you’re putting in your body and the effects it’s having on you.”