For HHS students, lunchtime has always been an escape from the high-stress atmosphere of a school day.  However, with the start of the 2016-2017 school year came new restrictions in the cafeteria.

Previously, salt and pepper packets had been free for anyone to take, but recently the school has taken away the salt. Junior Alex Schutz specifically is unhappy with the new changes made, and feels that he should not have to comply.

“It’s my decision if I want to eat salt,” Schutz said. “As an individual, I can control what goes in my body.”

While this change may be inconvenient to many students, don’t be upset with HHS’s cafeteria staff.

When asked why salt was removed from the cafeteria, Sodexo employee Ronnie Donahue says that President Obama is behind the change. Donahue also noted that it was primarily for health reasons.

President Obama and First Lady Michelle have long been advocating for healthy eating among children and young adults. Throughout his eight years in office, Obama’s administration has changed the nutrition standards for school meals, making a direct impact in places like the HHS cafeteria.

With the Obama administration set to be replaced in the coming days, many question how long-lasting these school lunch changes, such as the removal of salt, will be. While President-elect Donald Trump’s fondness for junk food is well noted, his stance on food policies, specifically nutrition standards, are currently unknown.

Nevertheless, the Obama family’s influence on health and nutrition will remain cemented within Americans for years to come.