When the lunch bell rings, scores of juniors and seniors rush to the parking and hop in their cars to drive — sometimes too fast — to places like Safeway, Saratoga Bagels and sometimes farther places like Taco Bell.
However, going off campus during the short 40-minute lunch period — 30 minutes for lunch and a 10-minute passing period — can be a stress-inducing time crunch. Running short on time, students too often speed back to class. And financially, off-campus lunches are a losing proposition; you end up spending extra money that otherwise wouldn’t be spent when you could instead have a free school-provided lunch.
For one, I’ve seen students driving over 70 miles per hour as they rush back from Chipotle or Taco Bell in Westgate West, making what should be an 11- to 13-minute drive into an 8-minute one. As a result, many students risk getting pulled over and showing up late to class, not to mention the other potential horrendous risks of speeding.
Many students also feel peer pressure to go off campus when all their friends are doing so. Even if you were not planning to go off campus, it’s easy to get caught up in the moment, especially when everyone else is excited and already making plans. Over time, that pressure can turn occasional trips into a daily routine, even for students who don’t initially intend to go off campus.
Not to mention, when students decide to go off campus every day, the cost of food and gas quickly racks up. For a well-balanced meal of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and healthy protein, it’s hard to stay under a budget of $10, despite students’ attempts at sticking to more budget-friendly options like Safeway. For example, an average bagel sandwich at Saratoga Bagels costs around $13.
In order to stay under their budget, many students rely on fast-food options like McDonald’s or Taco Bell. While these options are convenient and affordable, they often come at the expense of nutritional value — fast-food meals are high in sodium, saturated fats and added sugars, which can negatively impact energy levels and focus throughout the school day. Alternatively, the school’s nutrition standards for free lunches require every meal to include a whole grain-rich product, fruit or vegetable and dairy or protein.
On a larger scale, fast-food chains like McDonald’s continue to face increasing criticism for their negative environmental impact. According to Green Digest, McDonald’s received low impact scores in 2024 for several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, including measures such as responsible consumption and production, climate action and good health and well-being.
How do you avoid the worst downsides of going off campus? First, limit the number of times you go. My friends and I pick two designated off-campus days weekly; both days, we stick to nearby locations like Safeway or Saratoga Bagels to give us more than enough time to return to campus. We usually pick Mondays and Fridays — Fridays because of Safeway’s $5 meal deals — like the $5 sushi platters, which are usually around $9. Secondly, every week, I add only $20 to my Apple Cash card to limit my spending. Lastly, I recommend checking the school’s cafeteria menu to see when your favorite meals, like the burritos and nacho bowl, are being served.
Personally, I always bring my own vegetables (like carrots and dip) to go with the fried chicken at Safeway or the mini bagels at Saratoga Bagels, so I don’t need to spend more money for a filling meal.
By planning, budgeting smartly and being mindful of both time and health, I can still enjoy off-campus lunch a couple of times a week without the stress of overspending. After all, lunch should be a break in your day, not a stress-inducing, potentially dangerous race against the clock.
