Best and Worst Cafeteria Lunches

Best:

Roast beef and gravy
240 calories 11 g fat (4 g saturated) 625 mg sodium
Made from a lean cut of beef, a few slices of roast beef prove to be a relatively low-fat, low-calorie source of protein. And since cafeteria gravies are invariably of the "instant" variety, the only minor threat they pose is of adding a bit of extra sodium to the meal.

Chili with shredded cheese
300 calories 12 g fat (4 g saturated) 570 mg sodium
This cheesy, gooey mess is actually good for your kid? Hard to believe, but beyond being packed with enough protein to keep her full and focused the rest of the school day, a bean-laced bowl of red gives your kid plenty of fiber and disease-fighting antioxidants. Tastes great, is more filing, fights against cancer. what more could you want?

Tater Tots
150 calories 7 g fat (1 g saturated) 200 mg sodium
Cafeteria Tots usually avoid the harsh fry treatment in favor of a simple bake, which keeps the calorie count down.

Worst:

Turkey wrap
375 calories 14 g fat (5 g saturated) 575 mg sodium
Wraps start with the dreaded tortilla, to which the lunch ladies add fatty dressing (usually ranch or Italian), cheese (usually processed), and produce (usually token shreds of lettuce).

French bread cheese pizza
440 calories 19 g fat (6 g saturated) 930 mg sodium
The thick, doughy crust used by most school cafeterias packs on a heavy carb and sodium load, plus it provides the structural integrity for a haphazard application of cheese, doubling down on the calorie count.

Crispy chicken sandwich
400 calories 19 g fat (7 g saturated) 735 mg sodium
If they're going to take an innocent chicken breast, bread it, deep-fry it, and cover it in mayo, your kid may as well opt for the hamburger.

French fries
310 calories 18 g fat (7 g saturated) 400 mg sodium
French fries probably won't be lucky enough to avoid the boiling oil, where they soak up most of their saturated fat. More often than not, they contain as many calories as the entree sharing the plate with them.