There’s a common consensus that school lunch isn’t exactly fine dining.

A regular query one might have while eating a pizza that seems greasier than butter is whether school lunches are healthy or not. Well, actually, in a simple calculation of calories, the answer is yes. This is likely due to Washington state’s extremely strict regulations concerning school lunch. However, many nutrients in the school lunch can only be found in the fruits and veggies from the salad bar.

Bear with me as we delve into some numbers. The average school lunch entrée has 4-5 grams of fiber, with some outliers having as little as 2 grams of fiber while the average high schooler needs 25-30 grams of fiber daily. Moreover, the necessary caloric intake of a teenager is roughly 2000-3000 calories every day. In November, the mean number of calories per school lunch entrée consistently appeared to be 478. If a student has one entrée, an apple (58 calories), and a chocolate milk (130 calories), then they will intake 666 calories total, which is roughly 100 calories less than the state minimum requirement for lunch.

So, what do these numbers tell us? The school is relying on students to take food from the salad bar on top of the entrée to reach the optimal number of calories and nutrients required. Even just getting a serving of green peas or garbanzo beans can easily make up for the difference. Granted, though there is a lacking in a few grams of fiber and a couple hundred calories, this is far from life threatening.

It is important to remember that eating the entrée alone is just one part of having a fulfilling and balanced school lunch.