Confusing Words
Confusion Surrounding Maclay’s Nutrition Policies
Since the start of the 2026 school year, Maclay has been encouraging students with different ideas about nutrition. Through both assemblies and lectures, Maclay has tried to help students understand what they should typically be eating. On Aug. 21, 2026, Middle School P.E. Coach and Associate Head Swim Coach Averi Lewis hosted the first Upper School assembly to cover the topic of nutrition.
“Nutrition’s really varied. But, at the end of the day, students should have a well-balanced diet,” Lewis said. “Ideally, they should be getting food from every food group. So, things like grains, fruits, vegetables, proteins and healthy fats.”
The assembly itself was very informative; however, it did leave students with a few questions regarding the school. Many were left questioning whether Maclay themselves practiced what they were preaching due to the unhealthy options available around campus.
“It never made sense to me why they sold cake slices at TruBru,” an anonymous student said. “They sell stuff like that, but then tell us at these assemblies it isn’t good for us to eat.”
Although it is a fair argument to say that the assemblies share ideas about nutrition without acting on them, it is very important to know the purpose of the assemblies. The faculty behind the assemblies host them in an attempt to teach students what choices are better for their bodies; that way, students can make the right choices while still eating foods that they like.
“I think at a certain point, you have to think about the fact that you guys are about to be in college, you know, you're very soon going to be making decisions for yourselves as adults,” Lewis said. “You're going to be faced with choices in the lunchroom or the cafeteria, in your dorm building in college or wherever life takes you. Soon, you are going to be in the real world where you have to make your own decisions about food. To us, it’s about educating on how to make the right choices, not telling you not to eat foods that may be unhealthy.”
Another key detail to note is how the items around campus are chosen. The items selected are meant to be “grab-and-go” snacks that still meet a healthy threshold while being something students want. An example of this is the Goldfish sold at TruBru, which is a safe food that, although maybe not the best for you, is still an enjoyable snack and is fine when eaten in moderation. In addition, the school itself has been making an effort to align themselves with the healthier program.
“I think we’ve always been going in a healthier direction when it comes to what we sell,” TruBru Manager Jarod Bates said. “As an example, this year, we’ve worked on getting Gatorade Zeros into the mix to replace the higher sugar regular Gatorades.”
Keeping in mind the purpose of the assemblies and the work that those in charge are making to shift towards this healthier initiative, it is obvious that Maclay is trying to align itself with the policies they encourage. However, there is one glaring issue that remains.
“I never understood why they don’t label some of the stuff,” an anonymous student said. “I get their logic behind the lectures and stuff, but how can we even try to be healthy without knowing what’s in our food?”
Indeed, the lack of labeling on foods around campus could be a major issue. Regardless of the healthy approach the school is hoping to achieve, not having labels on certain items means that buyers do not actually know what they’re eating. An example of this are the cinnamon rolls at TruBru, which, although being a very popular item, do not have labels discussing what ingredients are used to make them. It does raise the question: How can we be expected to make healthy decisions if we don’t even know what we’re eating?
Besides the lack of labeling, it is evident that Maclay is trying to become a healthier school; whether it be through teaching its students how to choose what they should eat or changing items to be healthier, the effort can be seen.
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