Have you wondered why kids have a hard time concentrating in class? Have you noticed a difference based on the foods they eat? If you have young children in school you have likely seen the type of foods being served during mealtimes. These aren’t exactly the meals that one would hope for their child. Not only do they typically lack all the nutrition kids need in such a developmental stage but they also don’t provide the healthy, whole foods that lead to higher concentration and learning in the classroom.
How can a child eating chicken nuggets and having drinks loaded with sugar possibly be able to focus through a math period?
When I was growing up, my elementary school did not have a cafeteria so it was our parent’s responsibility to send us to school with a packed lunch that we would eat in our individual classrooms. It wasn’t until I got to high school that I got to indulge in all the goodies that school cafeterias had to offer. Whether it was pizza or French fries it seemed like such a treat to have these options at school and not have to ask permission to eat them. Lucky for me I was still young and not financially independent so my opportunities to indulge in such foods were few and far between.
Unfortunately, that is not the case for most children in schools where these are the types of foods being served each and every day and many children rely on these meals. To help communicate how poorly children are being fed and the importance of eating healthy meals, a teacher in Illinois committed to eating school lunch just like her kids every day in 2024. I love the idea of a teacher experiencing the impact food has on the body and brain to better understand how the kids are functioning. Even better I love that each meal is being photographed and blogged.
To really experience your kids’ lunch visit Fed Up with School Lunch Blog and start talking to your school administrations and tell them how important it is to have healthy meals with whole foods for your kids and all kids.