High School Students Rank NHS Lunches

School lunch plays an important role as an American classic, and as a solution for hungry high school students. The cafeteria staff do us a service every day by keeping students' fed and ready to learn. To honor their hard work, journalists Laurel Soward with the help from Lily Dejordy from the RePort have rated school lunches from Newburyport High School’s cafeteria during PSAT week.

#4: Popcorn Chicken Salad

Ranked at 4th is the popcorn chicken salad, due to its uncanny similarity to spaghetti noodles. The popcorn chicken had a dry taste that left an unsavory flavor on the tongue. However, the caesar salad was, “Actually really good for school lunch” as stated by Soward, because of its tasty dressing and crispy croutons. Soward later reported that she wouldn’t go out of her way to try the meal again.

#3: Pizza

Newburyport High School’s pizza is good, but it isn’t great. The cheese and sauce that top the pizza have the same flavor of any cheese pizza ever, which adds an element of normalcy. Even though it’s a basic lunch option, school pizza is a classic. 

#2: Macaroni and Cheese

Ranked second overall, the macaroni and cheese at NHS receives an 8/10 from Soward and Dejordy. The mac was the perfect amount of creamy, and if you like buffalo sauce, the dish tastes even better. The grilled zucchini on the side added a refreshing taste, while the carrots and hummus proved to be a flavorful snack. The only downside about the meal was the breadstick, which was flavorless and a little hard. Soward mentioned that “ [She] doesn’t even like mac and cheese, but this one’s good”.

#1: Grilled Cheese

The overall winner of the school lunch showdown is a crisp cheese sandwich with a side of tomato soup and spiced pears! Although there was no cheese pull, the grilled cheese was buttery and nicely toasted, which added a cozy feeling to a cold day. The tomato soup was flavorful, even though it was watered down. In addition, the pears were doused in a layer of cinnamon, which gave the mealy fruit a bearable taste. All in all, the grilled cheese dipped into tomato soup was rated a stunning 9.5/10. 

All in all, the school lunches of the week were all unique yet classic to Newburyport High School, and Soward and Dejordy can’t wait to review more upcoming menus.

Laurel Soward and Lily DeJordy