Exploring the Meals That Fuel SUA Students

Signature main dish and daily pizza
The cafeteria offers a nutritious $5 main dish and a daily pizza for students craving a classic slice. Photo Courtesy of Kenya Perez

By Kenya Perez
February 24, 2025

TOLEDO, OH. – For countless students, lunch time signals more than just a break; it provides a chance to refuel and recharge for the rest of the day. 

Mr. Groen, the lead chef in the cafeteria, plays a crucial role in ensuring students receive meals that fuel their bodies throughout the day.

The menus typically are planned eight weeks in advance and published three weeks ahead of time, allowing staff to order ingredients on time and adhere to health guidelines.

“We always plan in advance to be prepared, and also so that the weekly school calendars can be up-to-date and students, staff, and parents can know what to expect each day,” said Mr. Groen.

There is not a certain amount of food prepared daily since there are a variety of lunch options to take into consideration.

“Based off of past usage, we prepare a predicted amount [of food],” said Mr. Groen

To try and please as many students as possible, Mr. Groen pays careful attention to both nutritional benefits and student preferences.

Understanding students' likes and dislikes is essential for striving to achieve the best possible results in both student satisfaction and food sales.

“We watch how much food is left on trays and listen to student feedback,” said Mr. Groen.

The cafeteria staff includes four staff members, including Mr. Groen, to ensure the success of the meals. Although most school lunches are well received, most of the cafeteria staff agree there is always room for improvement.

“The biggest challenges would be timing and making the right amounts,” Mr. Groen said.

Preparing large quantities of food while ensuring freshness is no easy task, and it is important to also guarantee student satisfaction. Food waste is minimized by adjusting portion sizes and examining what students are buying.

“Determining what students like is done by going through trial and error,” said Mr. Groen.

From one student’s perspective, Stacy Shuneh ‘27 claims that many of the lunches look a bit discolored and could use a little more seasoning.

“The freshness of the food, by its appearance, can be unappealing simply because it looks discolored, and to add on, the prices seem a bit high,” says Shuneh ‘27.

From another student's perspective, it was the complete opposite.

“I think the school lunch is delicious and the variety of meals is exciting,” said AnJolie Barry ‘26.

As Mr. Groen mentioned, this is a perfect example of the trial and error process to see what students like.