In our close-knit community of Wilsonville, we have plenty of restaurants, fast food options, and grocery stores to choose from, but how many of those offer healthy, less processed alternatives? You could stop at McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Taco Bell, Dutch, and Starbucks without driving over a mile.

Being able to drive opens more options for high schoolers for lunch. It means they aren’t restricted to eating the pizza or lunches provided by the school. It means they don’t have to fight for an open table at The Pointe (which is being taken over by underclassmen) or even sit on the hallway floors.

However, the alternative option is going out for lunch and getting processed unhealthy food. Other than getting a 12-meal at Chipotle, the only other lunch options in Wilsonville are fried, processed, or high-calorie. The question that the city should be answering is what to add and where.

Fortunately, the answer to where is simple. We’ve recently had many closures, such as the movie theater, Fries, Shari’s, Noodles and Co, etc. Maybe it’s time to add food carts such as Corner 14 or the Willamette Garage, or a grocery store such as Trader Joe’s or New Seasons.

Junior Kylie McCormick says she gets school lunch occasionally when she doesn’t go out for lunch. “But when I do, they are sometimes healthy, but that’s only because of the little veggie bar they have. The actual meal isn’t usually healthy because it’s like burgers or pizza or something like that,” she shares.

“My favorite places are like Safeway, Chipotle, and McDonald’s,” says McCormick. She notes that she wishes there were more healthy and less expensive options for lunch, “We do have some healthy places, but they are pretty expensive.” For a student with or without a job, not only is getting lunch every day unhealthy, but it’s a drain on your bank account.

Avery Jacobs also agrees, mentioning that even though she goes out for lunch often, she doesn’t always get anything because it is unhealthy and expensive. However, it’s still better than staying at school. Avery notes that she frequently has to pack her lunches because neither the school lunches nor food around town have healthy/affordable options.

To truly care for a student’s health is to provide them with nutritional meals, either in school or around town. It’s essential to even have the option to choose a healthier lifestyle, especially for those on a budget or able to drive far. At the very least, students are further educated on nutrition and given an outlet for less processed groceries.