Mystery Meat, Where does it come from? 

Have you ever wondered what’s really in our school lunch? It’s important to know what students are being fed everyday, and what ingredients play a part in the food we eat on a day to day basis. In the Carter high cafeteria most of our meats if not all are Battered Poultry meat, while yes it can have good effects it also comes with its downsides. Battered Poultry Meat contains 300 to 700 mg of sodium which can cause elevated blood pressure and increase the risk of heart disease when eaten regularly. The thick batter is usually made from white flour and pre-fried in hydrogenated oil before being frozen, this can cause bad cholesterol as well as weight gain. While Knox county cafeterias are under strict regulations and have to follow the USDA National School Lunch program to meet nutritional requirements, the meat being mixed with water, binders, and starches, decrease the nutritional value keeping them from meeting nutritional requirements. Frequent consumption over many years causes a higher risk of developing juvenile type 2 diabetes, and colorectal cancer. Some may argue that the cafeteria uses real whole meat, and they do. However all the extra ingredients added to preserve the shelf life of the meat takes away from the nutritional value students are supposed to be getting daily. All in all I think students should be more concerned about what ingredients are in the lunch we have eaten for years, and what potential risk they could pose to our health in the long run.