[dropcap]S[/dropcap]alty tortilla chips, dripping with yellow nacho cheese, and topped with a scoop of ground beef is a typical lunch for students. But what many may not realize is that entree of nachos by itself has 491 calories, 656 milligrams of saturated fat and 20 grams of total fat. One slice of the a la carte Cici’s cheese pizza has 150 calories and 330 mg of sodium. While many students complain about school lunches, few know the nutritional facts. None of these numbers include other toppings offered through the pizza line.

Despite these high calorie intakes, students still enjoy the variety that the pizza line offers.

“It provides variety, and it’s a popular choice, it’s different. The same with the subs,” Associate Principal Mike Rasmussen said of the SMS pizza line and its benefits.

Different snacks and drinks are also served in the pizza line. A common choice from the pizza line or snack bar is the Otis Spunkmeyer cookies with two cookies per bag, 130 calories per chocolate chip cookie, and a C nutrition grade. One cookie a day can add up to 650 calories at the end of a school week.

The cafeteria rotates a different scheduled lunch every two weeks with new items such as scalloped potatoes, sweet potato coins, and new drinks to include in a basic lunch. The school provides basic food based on the pyramid-suggested requirements. The lack of or too much of a certain nutritional element can harm students’ health and energy at the end of the day. Skipping a meal can also add up to a higher calorie count at the end of the day because it can make the body believe it’s having a shortage of fuel and therefore starts saving calories to provide the body with energy later on, according to freedieting.com, which also suggests eating about every two to four hours or about six small meals a day.

The school is trying to ensure a healthy lunch by now asking students to include a cup of fruit or vegetables with the lunch purchased in the cafeteria, but not all students follow this, or just throw away the healthy cup they have gotten.

Not all the students realize this new rule exists, since they can substitute a hot lunch or sandwich with something like a Snickers ice cream bar (180 calories) served at the snack bar. Rasmussen revealed the reason behind having smoothies on Monday.

“It goes with the meals that are served on Mondays. It’s healthy, fruit based, a different path to get nutritional value, also [because of] our contract with Smoothie King,” Rasmussen said.

A 20-ounce smoothie has 340 calories, 10 calories from fat, and 64 grams of sugar. Rasmussen said that he’s never dealt with parent complaints about school lunches.

However, students frequently complain among themselves.

“It’s not enough time, [and] the lines are too long,” junior Kristina Smith said about the 30 minute lunch time. She admitted that she hardly ever finishes her lunch, but Rasmussen thinks the allotted time is plenty.

“[There is enough time] to eat lunch and socialize,” Rasmussen said. “I see people finish their lunch all the time, 30 minutes is adequate.”