Athletics and nutrition are vital aspects of many Haverford students’ experiences.
Lunch is a staple of the day—a time to recharge, refuel, and relax. Admissions officers praise the dining hall’s diverse selection when talking to visitors or prospective students.
The school also prides itself on athletic success, including victorious EA Days, Inter-Ac championships, and undefeated seasons across many sports teams.
Still, until this year, the dining hall didn’t have a healthy, performance-driven food station.
The “PEAK performance station” consists of a self-serve bowl area at the end of the salad bar. The station typically has healthy carbohydrates, proteins, and vegetable sources—all of which switch from week to week. The protein source typically revolves around chicken for one week, then to alternatives to beef and turkey for the other weeks. It also has an electrolyte station, which is water infused with various fruits.
The inspiration for the station was twofold: Dining Hall Director Ms. Kimberly Sprangers wanted an option for students to get optimal nutrition, not only for athletes, but also for the classrooms.
“As a dietician, I really wanted a place in the cafeteria that had healthy options,” Ms. Sprangers said. “It was two years ago that I came up with this idea, and it has evolved. Since we didn’t use those two empty soup wells, we had the space, and we wanted to give the student body a different option.”
Ms. Sprangers especially emphasized the performance stations’ positive effect on academics.
“Having optimal nutrition is more important than people realize for academics. Maybe someone will be taking a big test in the afternoon. Good fuel will really help the mind work better,” Ms. Sprangers said.
“It has everything that you should be getting and doesn’t have a lot of unhealthy stuff.”
Andrew Walker ’27
The performance station also coincided with the removal of candy from the Café.
“The removal of the candy in the mornings was somewhat related to the performance station; we had been planning to remove the candy for a while. But it does help our school be healthier,” Ms. Sprangers said.
Many student-athletes praise the station’s nutritious aspects.
“I think the PEAK performance station is great. It helps with my focus during the school day and also on the river during long, hard practices,” Fifth Former Patch Hope said.
“It has everything that you should be getting and doesn’t have a lot of unhealthy stuff,” Fifth Form crew captain Andrew Walker said. “In rowing, when people eat unhealthy food, a lot of them [get nauseated], but I feel this station has all the necessary nutrients and stuff. It is definitely a better alternative than eating burgers or soft pretzels every day.”
But some students raise concerns.
“It’s too expensive for most people, mainly for those without a meal plan. These bowls can go up to like $20, which is a lot,” Fifth Former Christian Case said.
Sixth Former Luke Daniels shared a similar sentiment.
“I feel annoyed sometimes about how expensive lunch in general is at Haverford; it’s not just the performance station that’s overpriced, it’s everything,” Daniels said. “I have never heard anywhere else where school lunch was this expensive.”
Sixth Former Nicholas Zafiriou agreed that the station was too expensive.
“I think it’s a pricey alternative, kind of like a worse Chipotle, ” said Zafiriou, “But it’s definitely better to have than not to have. I do really like the healthy aspect of it.”
For students without meal plans, the PEAK performance station can outprice similar options outside of school, like Chipotle, Cava, Qdoba, or Sweetgreen. The chicken-rice model of lunch has proved popular, with chicken consistently running out during B-lunch.
The average chicken Chipotle bowl without extra meat or guacamole typically starts at $11-12 with tax. Qdoba has a similar price at $12-13, Cava’s bowls start at $14, and Sweet-Green is the most expensive at $17.
These options may seem cheaper than the average bowl most performance station customers get, depending on the bowl’s weight.
This leads to the question: Do Sixth Formers prefer to eat out if they want a chicken-rice model lunch?
“I don’t believe the chicken they serve at Haverford is going to taste better than Chipotle; for me, I’d go out all the time if I could; it’s also cheaper,” Daniels said.
Sixth Former Jack Ford disagrees.
“I just don’t get the benefit of going out for lunch for two reasons. One, because it’s very expensive to eat out. If you’re going to Chipotle or somewhere like that, those are very expensive restaurants or very expensive places,” Ford said.
Ford thinks packing his own lunch is the most sensible option.
“Whatever you’re getting [from nearby restaurants] is obviously getting more expensive than what you get from the school, and also definitely more expensive than the way you can pack from your house. The second reason is that the food is often not that healthy, and I know that I can make healthier decisions. If I buy healthier food from the store, I can make my own lunch beforehand and pack it myself. It’s the best of both worlds, cost and convenience.”
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