Can you believe that my school is now selling Pop Tarts in our snack shack? The “cub” shack is a student run committee that sells food during the 20 minute break/recess in the morning. I get to work in there every Wednesday and from my observations, we probably sell over 60+ snacks per day. The 60 snacks that people buy are the really unhealthy, junky snacks that include soda, candy, chips, cookies, and all that stuff. The reason that people buy these harmful items is because that’s all the Cub Shack has to offer. Apart from some La Croix cans and sparkling water, literally everything else in the cub shack is complete junk. I looked at the nutrition facts on a package of Cinnamon and Brown Sugar Pop Tarts and all I can tell you is that you don’t want to know.

My opinion on this snack shack is simple. Sell healthier foods and get rid of the some of the bad foods. The tittle is a little extreme, so maybe we’re not talking about carrot sticks. What I am talking about is healthier foods that still taste great. Sometimes I get a little hungry during break, but don’t want to buy all the detrimental foods the cub shack offers. For people like me, there’s not really a good solution. Below is a list of some healthier snacks that I feel would allow students to buy more enjoyable items while not consuming large amounts of over-the-top processed foods.

1. Baked Version Of Chips: Have you ever tried baked Cheetos or baked Lays? To me, it tastes exactly the same as non baked. It turns out that these baked versions are a decent amount healthier than their counterparts. So far, I know that the cub shack sells Doritos, Barbecue Lays, Salt and Vinegar Lays, Pringles, Hot Cheetos, and probably something else. If we could swap these snacks with the baked ones, then bingo! I mean, there’s no stopping people from buying chips!
2. Pretzels, Pirate’s Bootie, Trail Mix Ritz Crackers, etc: Another way to limit the amount of calorie consumption is just by putting in healthier options. The foods listed aren’t the greatest, but they aren’t the worst either. You gotta start somewhere!
3. Yogurt: I’ve never really been a fan of yogurt, but I do know that lots of people eat it for a snack. Like the snacks above, yogurt isn’t the best, but it’s still a great improvement from Hello Pandas. Yogurt unfortunately contains a good amount of sugar, but it also gives you calcium and vitamin B-12 (energy booster). For these reasons, yogurt should definitely be sold at the cub shack because it will hopefully take away from the consumption of other horrible items.
4. Fruit: Everyone under estimates plain old fruit. It’s one of the best snacks available. The cub shack should serve bananas, oranges, and apples as those are the easiest to eat. I find that those fruits fill you up especially quickly and will keep you satisfied till lunch. I don’t know about you guys, but I can snack on fruit forever. It just never gets tiring and it gives you plenty of vitamin c.
5. Beef Jerkey Or Meat Sticks: Simply put, protein is a lot healthier than any sort of carb. Beef jerkey and meat sticks can be sodium heavy, but at least it’s not fried potatoes or tortilla. I love beef jerkey especially because it’s one of those “just right” snacks where your mouth and your stomach are in agreement. By adding these two foods, maybe customers would realize that there are other forms of delicious foods too!So obviously something has to be done about the cub shack. I don’t think that we should get rid of everything because people can buy the unhealthy stuff it if they want. My whole idea is to provide options for people that don’t want the junk. Options that still taste good. However, overwhelmingly injurious items such as pop tarts or soda need to get out because they may taste good, but they’ll hurt you greatly in the long run. I know it sounds confusing, so think about it this way. Pop tarts to carrot sticks.