The sudden disappearance of a once beloved school lunch treat left many students to wonder where it went, and as a lost memory– there hadn’t been a sweet explanation till now.
The Linden cookie, a small package of two large individual cookies, was previously distributed to students in the school cafeteria during lunchtime. There had been two variants– chocolate chip, and butter crunch. The disappearance of these treats began with the 2024 school year, marking the removal of a familiar snack off future menus. So, here comes the big question– where did the missing cookies go, and why?
“The sugar. They [those in charge of deciding school lunch] stopped with the juice, the sugar, and chips. Everything has to do with dietary,” stated Robin, an Edison lunch room worker of nine years, when asked about the disappearance of the Linden cookies.
Robin shared that the lunch aids do not receive updates on the school lunches until they are provided the menu for that month by their managers.
The Office of Food and Nutrition Services (OFNS) is a department under the New York City Department of Education (DOE) responsible for the regulation and nutrition of school-provided meals. Providing nearly 900,000 free meals to New York City students every day.
“At NYCPS, we’re proud to uphold strong nutrition standards while serving nearly 900,000 free meals to students every day. We remain committed to ensuring every student is well-fed and ready to learn,” according to a statement shared by New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) Associate Press Secretary, Isla Gething.
The Office of Food and Nutrition Services has made sustained efforts to limit sugar, ultra processed foods, and deli meats, prioritizing meals that support student health and learning. Menus are informed by student taste tests and regular surveys to ensure the food served is both nutritious and appealing to students.
Despite this, students have differing opinions regarding the removal of these cookies, and the contribution towards nutritious standards the OFNS claims to uphold.
“The removal of the cookies is unjust and makes school lunches more depressing, because school lunches already aren’t very good,” said Krishna, an Edison Senior and wrestler.
Through the lens of nutrition, students also mention that they choose not to eat the school lunch continuously based on nutrition alone.
“Schools still serve things like French fries, pizza, and burgers. Removing cookies doesn’t really fix the nutritional problem—it just gives students less food they actually want to eat,” Krishna said.
Robin acknowledges that younger students require regulation due to their inability to properly make decisions about their own diet– but points out the difference between kindergarteners and teenagers.
“At this age y’all know how to eat and maintain. I can understand the kindergartners. You know, those kids don’t know, they’re going to eat 20 cookies if you let them. But at y’all’s age…” Robin states, “I think they should let y’all choose what y’all want to eat. Do y’all really like the menu? Because it doesn’t always look tasty. And they give y’all the same thing every day.”
