Nutrition
Nutrition is not only a health issue, but one that also affects a student’s ability to learn and perform well. Undernourished and poorly-nourished children attain lower scores on standardized tests, have less energy and decreased concentration, and miss more school. It is imperative that schools address the nutritional needs of students in order that all students are able and ready to learn.
Did you know?
- Only 2% of Californian teenagers meet key diet and physical activity recommendations.
- About 25% of the food that adolescents eat is considered to be junk food.
- 90% of children’s bone mass is established by age 17 through calcium intake and weight bearing exercises.
- Nationally, dental illness, including decay due to diet, results in more than 51 million hours of school lost each year nation-wide.
State Action
California has put into place legislation to improve nutrition among school-age children. Below are some examples of what California has done recently.
- SB 12 (2005): This law set nutritional standards for the food sold and served on school campuses.
- SB 965 (2005): The passage of this law prohibited the sale of soda on school grounds in student accessible areas during the school day.
- SB 80 and SB 132 (2007): These laws established nutritional standards for free and reduced price meals including regulations of trans-fats.
Teachers Make a Difference
There are many ways in which teachers can improve student nutrition through classroom based interventions and at the state or district level. Some of the recommended activities include the following:
- Provide only healthy and nutritious foods or non-food items as performance rewards.
- Promote healthy celebrations for birthdays, end of the year parties, or other events.
- Integrate health into the curriculum.
- Encourage local associations to become more aware of and advocate for programs such as Universal Breakfast, Breakfast in the Classroom, and recess before lunch.
- Become aware of the district Wellness Policy, consider participation on the Wellness Committee, and encourage local association leadership to become knowledgeable about policy language and implementation.
While the Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds project is currently in the initial planning stages and still developing resources for teachers, there are many organizations that have been working on these issues for many years and have developed useful teacher resources. Please visit the resources section of the website to learn more about opportunities to influence nutrition in your classroom, school, or district. Additionally, many creative teachers throughout California have developed innovative projects. You can learn more about this in Take Action.