Nutrition & Healthy Eating
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The link between nutrition and learning is well documented. Good nutrition is essential for students to achieve their full academic potential, full physical and cognitive growth, and lifelong health and well-being. Developing healthy eating habits at a young age can reap benefits for a lifetime and schools play a critical role in helping children learn and practice healthy eating habits.
Think about it.
Children spend over six hours a day at school and many eat two or more meals there, which can be the majority of their daily caloric consumption. In addition, schools are places for teaching and learning and are the ideal setting for children to gain knowledge of proper nutrition and build comfort with healthy foods and eating patterns.
Think about it.
Children spend over six hours a day at school and many eat two or more meals there, which can be the majority of their daily caloric consumption. In addition, schools are places for teaching and learning and are the ideal setting for children to gain knowledge of proper nutrition and build comfort with healthy foods and eating patterns.
What can schools do?
- Serve school meals that meet all federal and state nutrition standards and are appealing to students. Nutrition standards have been strengthened for breakfast, lunch, and after-school snack program with the passage and implementation of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 that requires more fruits, vegetables and whole grain servings and limits the amount of sodium, sugar and fat in meals (see Laws & Regulations). School food service can develop and market kid-friendly recipes, mix up their menus and excite their student customers. They can utilize locally grown fresh foods and ensure students and families have input and can provide feedback on the program.
- Try using the Smarter Lunchrooms Scorecard for simple, no-cost or low-cost strategies that lunchrooms can use to increase participation, improve consumption of healthy food, and reduce food waste.
- Enforce competitive foods laws/regulations. Gone are the days when soda, candy and fried chips are allowed to be sold to students in vending machines, school stores and a la carte lines in the cafeteria. All Competitive Foods (foods/beverages sold outside of the reimbursable meals program) must meet strict state/federal nutrition standards. This includes school fundraisers like bake sales with brownies and cookies and other treats of low-nutritional value. Competitive foods that do not meet nutrition standards cannot be sold before, during and up to one hour after the school day (see Laws & Regulations).
- Provide comprehensive nutrition education. Schools must provide nutrition education to students and should model healthy messaging throughout the school setting. Nutrition lessons can be taught as part of a Health/Physical Education curriculum and also integrated into other subjects such as math, language arts and science in all grades.
- Make the school cafeteria a central place for nutrition education and promotion. Signage, food placement and promotion, celebrations, artwork and announcements can reinforce positive nutrition messages and increase positive perceptions of the healthy meals program.
- Ban advertising and marketing of foods/beverages that can’t be sold in schools. If it can’t be sold, it shouldn’t be advertised or allowed to be marketed to students. Such practices undermine strong wellness policies and allow for commercialization of children.