Some people say that one of the most notable benefits of attending  Bishop’s is the food. Students coming from other schools are impressed by the many nutritious, and delicious options. “Kids from other schools used to joke about the mac and cheese at their old schools. When they turned over the tray, it stuck to the plate,” says Physical Education and Health Department Chair Coach Meghan Carr. The Bishop’s kitchen staff pays lots of attention to creating healthy meals.

Director of Food Services Ms. Sara Sweet studied nutrition at California Polytechnic State University and has been passionate about the subject for as long as she can remember. “I never thought I would work for a school because schools fed children bad food, but then I came to Bishop’s and I found the right place for me to work”, she says. “The school is supportive of us making healthy homemade food”. 

Bishop’s is constantly trying to improve food services to allow students to be as healthy as possible. “I was part of a committee that looked at the schedule,” Coach Carr explained. “Our lunches used to be 25 minutes long, and people wouldn’t even sit down to eat, so we really looked at extending the lunch period.” When asked about what needs to change, Coach Carr refers to the cup noodles at the snack bar, saying, “If you look at the amount of sodium you’re getting in the Cup Noodles, it actually maxes out your daily sodium.” 

As well as the Cup Noodles, a lot of the other options at the snack bar and the vending machines have negative health impacts. However, all the delicious baked goods are homemade by a mom. Ms. Sweet commented, “A mother makes the treats at milk break, which means that the quality of the ingredients is better than if we are getting some cheap stuff.” Bishop’s must provide some sugary options to appeal to students, but they are of high quality.

Food education is just as important as the food options provided. All ninth-grade students are required to take Health class, which covers nutrition. Coach Carr, who teaches the class, states, “We do the six essential nutrients and what you need to put in your body, but you only get that once in Health class. It would be great to get that again to talk about throughout high school…during the Health class, Sara Sweet takes us on a tour of the kitchen and we meet the staff, and then she gives us a talk about nutrition.” 

It is important for students to know how Bishop’s food is made and what they are eating so they can make healthier choices. The kitchen staff cannot control what students decide to eat; they can only control what they provide for us, which is why they are educated in Health class on nutrition. 

Bishop’s students tend to love the meals that the school provides. Bela Gowda (‘24) explained, “The meals at Bishop’s not only feel like they’re home-cooked, but they are delicious too.” Bishop’s pays a lot of attention to appealing to the students while still providing them with healthy options. Favorite lunches include ravioli, Greek day, garlic bread, and beef tacos, according to  Sophia Gleeson (‘24), Novalyne Petreikis (‘23), and Reagan Kliber (‘24) respectively.

Bishop’s food services and kitchen staff do an outstanding job of keeping our meals nutritious and delicious. Students are always excited to see what the kitchen will provide for lunch each day. “We want people to feel like they are getting enough to eat, and that lunch is a pleasurable break during the day” says Ms. Sweet. Feeding 1000 students is not easy and the kitchen staff work extremely hard to make each meal amazing.