GBS is a highly populated school that contains many different cultures and ethnicities, and one of the biggest parts of each tradition is the food that is served on the family table each night. Some of the foods could be considered healthier than American foods, and others actually contain more fats and calories than would have been suspected.

Mary Gaydaychuk is a senior of Russian descent, and her everyday meals consist of original recipes prepared in the traditional Russian manner.

One of her main meals is motley, which is made of ground meat and decorated with fried vegetables such as onions, mushrooms, and peppers. Another common meal is godlike, which consists of lettuce rolls filled with meat and rice.

According to Gaydaychuk, the meals are often high in calories, fats, and proteins. While they are similar to American foods in terms of their nutritional value, Russian meals differ in quality and taste and are usually much more filling.

Each meal preparation in the Russian household takes several hours, and it is quite difficult to duplicate certain recipes; therefore, a lot of practice is needed to accurately recreate their taste and shape.

Sylwia Kutek,a senior of Polish decent, upholds her traditions and dines on authentic meals prepared by her family.

At home, Sylvia often eats pierogis, which resemble soft wrappings and are filled with different sides like potatoes, mushrooms, and even fruits like strawberries and cherries.

Another specialty that is prepared at Kutek’s house is rice with strawberry sauce (which not only is a healthy choice but also could be considered a delicious treat). Sylwia also eats plenty of soups such as zupa pomidorowa (tomato soup) and zupa grzybowa (mushroom soup), along with many others that are filled with plenty of vegetables.

According to Kutek, the food she eats is rather healthy. Even though it contains high–calorie ingredients, it’s well prepared, satisfies hunger, and contains lots of proteins and many types of vitamins.

Katie Zoszak, staff reporter