Have you ever eaten any of the options offered to students during lunch? Pizza, burritos, and cheap snacks are the only things offered. Every day, students eagerly pile their plates with these unhealthy items, either because they have no choice or simply don’t mind. Non-nutritious school lunches negatively impact students’ health.
School Food Affecting Children’s Health
To preserve one’s physical health and well-being, junk foods should be consumed in moderation. Nevertheless, students who consume these foods daily can face risks of obesity. As of now, over 17% of adolescents are overweight and school lunches only contribute to this number. Childhood obesity yields multiple negative psychological impacts. These can lead to a negative lifestyle and possibly even a difficult life. In the long run, adolescent obesity can also develop into an increased risk of diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.
A lack of nutritional meals can lead to a decrease in concentration, which can lead to dropping grades. It requires more energy to digest unhealthy food, which can mean that your body is working overtime. Unhealthy food impacts not only physical but mental health as well.
We interviewed a few students from a local high school regarding their thoughts on school lunches. All students had eaten school lunch at least once, agreeing that though the food was good, they’d prefer home lunches as they’re far more nutritious. One of them brought up how “they definitely don’t follow the standard doctor [protocol] where it says [about] a daily cup of veggies because most things [offered] are carbs.”
Why Do Schools Offer Unhealthy Food, Knowing It’s Detrimental To Health?
Money is a huge factor when deciding the lunch for hundreds of thousands of students. Unhealthier foods are cheaper as they cost less money to produce than healthy food. Junk food can be produced in bulk and stored for months. Moreover, artificial chemicals and preservatives can be added to make them more appetizing.
Recently, due to new legislation, public schools are mandated to offer free meals to any children who need them. In the past, students would often not eat breakfast or lunch because of their financial situation. Due to this new rule, students can now eat lunch for free and not be hungry. Unfortunately, the government doesn’t provide enough funds to schools for healthy food. Because of this, districts are forced to offer cheaper food at the expense of students’ health. Whatever money the government provides often goes towards meat, dairy, and egg products which account for only a minuscule portion of a meal. At times, schools look towards corporations for meal funding. Most corporations don’t prioritize student health, caring more about business and profits.
Why Should Schools Provide Healthier Foods?
Healthier foods can improve sports performance, student grades, and physical/mental health. Check out this article for more details about this broad topic.
Taxpayers pay thousands of dollars for public schools to treat their children well. This includes serving nutritional meals to growing children. Many families who don’t have the time or resources to provide meals for their children rely on school lunches. Parents should be able to trust the government to provide their children with the nutritious meals they deserve.
Introducing students to healthy meals at a younger age can have a positive impact on their future. It is likely that as adults they will maintain a healthy lifestyle. Other positive impacts of healthier eating are increased concentration, better physical health, and a better attitude.
How Can This Issue Be Solved
Students that were interviewed gave their thoughts on how they think school lunches can be improved.
One student said, “I think adding a large variety of healthier options to the menu will go a long way in making sure people are fed good food. Making healthy food free and putting prices on unhealthy foods will encourage people to lean towards the healthier option.”
Another student suggested incorporating veggies into the offered food and decreasing the number of carb-loaded food. They think that “making the salad bar mandatory like you have to take at least one vegetable”, could also create healthy habits.
These ideas are possible ways to encourage schools to provide healthier foods. Here are some ways you can help as well!
- Sign a petition
- Communicate your concerns to student representatives
- Donate to a fundraiser or organization that promotes healthier meals for schools
- Use your voice to make this issue heard. Share posts on social media and spread the word
- Send letters or emails to the institutions in charge (government representatives, school committees)
- If possible, bring home-made meals to boost your personal health and avoid contributing to the school issue
tl;dr
Millions of kids get school lunch every day. Unfortunately, these meals consist of items such as pizza and chips, which aren’t healthy. Unhealthy foods can negatively impact the lives of many growing children because of their poor nutritional content. Some reasons for poor nourishment are lack of government funding and easy accessibility. Despite this, families and taxpayers deserve healthy food for their children. To make a change, research how you can support a healthy food movement in your local area.