School cafeteria food has never exactly had a reputation for being the tastiest choice in town. But recently, students around the nation have been targeting their complaints toward first lady Michelle Obama.  

If you search #ThanksMichelleObama on Twitter or Instagram, you will find plenty of photos of bland-looking cafeteria food.

The first lady promotes healthy eating and exercise as a way to overcome the country’s obesity problem. But being an advocate for nutrition doesn’t mean she responsible for cafeteria food, said Mary Szafranski, Arizona Health and Nutrition Services Division associate superintendent.

“It’s enhancing and bringing it more attention, but what she does doesn’t directly affect what the regulations are,” Szafranski said.

But the regulations have changed throughout the years -- most recently with the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act. The legislation, which passed in 2010, set guidelines for all food sold in schools around the nation, including limits on calories, sodium and fat.

Some students at Maryvale High School think their school meals have gotten smaller. But Szafranski said the portion sizes of school food in Arizona haven’t changed recently. The food isn’t getting smaller, but the students could be getting bigger, she said.

Meals served at school may not be enough for every student, such as an athlete who requires more calorie intake to sustain their activity, Szafranski said. If a student does not feel satisfied with the amount of food served during meal time at school, Szafranski suggested bringing a small snack to school to get him or her through the day.

School meals have to follow guidelines set by the federal government, but the particular food served may differ between states, counties and cities. Each school has to have a certain amount of fruits, vegetables and whole grains to meet the federal standards. The menus change between each district.

Szafranski said school meals aren’t necessarily created to fill students up, but to give them the nutrients they need to grow into healthy adults.