Would you eat a donut cheeseburger?

You might have if you ate school lunch on Sept. 2, North Platte High School served  a donut burger.–something that you would usually see at a fair-themed food truck, not a health-centered high school cafeteria.

The burger consists of two glazed whole wheat donuts (in place of where bun would be) and, obviously, the hamburger and cheese; it was also served with french fries along with whatever the person chose for their sides.

Some students selected the unusual choice. “I’m confused,” laughed  sophomore Bella Hardy. Junior Hayden Thatcher also thought it was funny. “It’s not bad, but it’s not great,” he said.

Superintendent Ron Hanson is one of the people who is responsible for helping choose what company prepares NPHS school lunches “I like it; I think there’s lots of nutritional offerings available,” he said.

Hanson is also happy with the amount of choices that our school offers. “We didn’t have these choices back in my day,” he said. “We went through one single line and you got what was made.”

School food service providers are required to follow government nutritional regulations said Sodexo General Manager Diane Heine. However, the USDA only targets three things: sodium, fats and calories– not sugar. She said the donut burger meets health guidelines.

The cafeteria offers a variety of menu options. “We can make [the food] as healthy as [the USDA] wants, but the kids might not eat it,” Heine said. “We want to make [school lunch] student-centered,” she said.

Hanson believes it’s up to students to choose healthy options. “People make bad choices,” he said.

The donut burger will be served again to North Platte High teens on Oct. 1.

A look at lunch at North Platte High School.