Top-Rated Free Essay
Preview

School Lunches

Good Essays
712 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
School Lunches
Will a healthy breakfast or a healthy lunch provide any benefit to our children? This a question many have asked and some have even doubted. What does breakfast really do, if the school provides my child with a sugar filled cereal rather than oatmeal and fruit will it really make a diffrence. Is lunch really that important to a child, pizza rather than a healthy meal, milk rather than a sugar filled soda? Should it really matter what type of food your child eats at school or whatever they eat is ok because they ate? There have been debates for years on this topic, from the cost to the health benefits a

healthy lunch can provide a child. One of the largest debates was the cost. In one case study in

one year the nation’s schools provided over 5 billion lunches with roughly 28 million lunches at

reduced or for free thus costing the government 8 million dollars. Most school across the U.S,

provide free or reduced lunch 49 percent of meals served, were free, 10 percent were reduced

price, and 41 percent were full price. However there are many programs in place to help offset

the price of providing a healthy meal to our children. The USDA provides two forms of federal

support to the NSLP an agricultural entitlement as well as cash subsidatorys. The USDA’s role in

the NSLP is to provide students with a healthy lunch while removing surplus and making sure

the farmer maintain a profit.

Many children arrive to school starving especially on Monday’s since sum have not

eaten anything over the weekend. What does this do their minds and body’s. Ten years ago we

could find vending machines filled with sugary unhealthy snacks. The schools provided

unhealthy lunches with provided really no nutritional content. The outcome students where on

sugar highs, the obesity rates went up greatly, as well as behavioral issues. Once schools became

mandated and followed what was set by the government changes started to occur. Many schools

started to see better grades, the children where more alert and aware. The obesity rates started to fall due to the removal of vending machines and high in sugar foods from the school menu. The

biggest thing the schools noticed was the behavior of the students changed. The schools where

having less behavioral problems then they were before. Students seemed more willing to learn

and attiudes started to change.

One in five families are not able to provide their children with enough food so the school

meals are sometimes all the children eat during the day. Children were not getting the vitiams

They needed, many falling below standards set by doctors. Children were below weight due to

not eating at home then coming to school and getting an unbalanced meal. The health concerns

were overwhelming. Just think if you only ate once a day, sometimes only five days a week you

would be starving as many of our children are doing. Once schools started providing healthy

meals, things started to change. Children were becoming healthier, their focus increased and

behavioral patterns changed. Doctor’s where seeing less patients with malnutrition and more

children at the standards they should be. The children are now getting two healthy meals a day,

which provide them the vitiams and minerals they need to grow and thrive. There are some

school systems to have put in place weekend meals for the children as well. They try to provide

the children meals during the weekend so they stay healthy and are not starving.

School lunches are not the answer to everything, but they are providing are children with the nutrients they need to stay healthy. This is a step in the correct direction. The schools are

working with the government as well as the community to provide the children two healthy

meals a day, the have seen a great response to this. The children seem to be happier and healthier

and more focused during the day. This is just one step to keeping our children healthy. The more

we as a group do for our children the more they will strive in the future. School lunches are just a

stepping stone to help provide the children with a great nutritional future.

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    New federal guidelines designed to get kids to eat more healthful meals have taken effect with the new school year. Targeting fat, sodium and calories, the rules aim to increase the fruits, vegetables and whole grains in school lunches.…

    • 455 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Schools lunches have been in the news a lot over the last few years. Parents want their children to have health, tasty, and affordable food. With raising health concerns, fuel prices, food cost, and unemployment rates, it is getting harder to meet all the demands. Also, let us not forget the fussy eater and food allergies that are on the raise across the globe.…

    • 1328 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Everyday, kids go to school and hope that the food that what they are getting today from the cafeteria is good. In reality, they are met with sickening and repulsive food that even the wretched sight of it makes them vomit. To fix this problem, schools should include more delectable foods that are healthy and delicious to students. Even though some may argue that having healthy food and drinks at school is good, in reality, many students do not even end up eating it or they feel exhausted for the reason that vegetables do not fill a student’s stomach.…

    • 656 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    My healthy initivative is to have a Breakfast in Schools Program. This is to people who don't have time or don't eat breakfast in the morning for numerous reasons. The School can provide breakfast before school or the first 15 minutes of Period 1. According to the Healthy Food For All Program his will help students in class with, punctuality in 81% of schools, student attendance by 83% of schools, student behaviour in 90% of schools, student academic outcomes in 76% of schools, student concentration in 95% in schools and students' social skills in 89% of schools. 67% of teachers in Australia find children coming to school hungry and 23% see it getting worse.…

    • 114 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Not Eating Breakfast?

    • 484 Words
    • 2 Pages

    America faces the huge problem of obesity. How many cases do you think could be avoided if they merely ate breakfast? Breakfast is so important it has the capabilities of changing a generation. Unfortunately what people perceive as breakfast is not really nutritious. Most college students think breakfast is grabbing a pop tart pack and leaving. True eating that will provide them with that morning boost but nutritiously is not helping them or their bodies. So people need to learn how to eat breakfast and a Healthy breakfast.…

    • 484 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Important of Breakfast

    • 454 Words
    • 2 Pages

    * Breakfast provides children with the energy they need for improved memory, concentration, and productivity ,attention, creativity, and mood, behaviors and school performance…

    • 454 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Breakfast Speech

    • 708 Words
    • 3 Pages

    • Eating anything for breakfast is better than going without. Soul curry magazine website, energy breakfast, retrieved November, 25, 2011. It’s said that children/teens that eat breakfast actually have more positive attitude about school. They do better on test and even miss school less often.…

    • 708 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Nutrition and Breakfast

    • 396 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Do you know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day? A good breakfast provides the nutrients that people need to start their day off right. Studies show that children who eat a good breakfast do better in school than children who do not. Studies also show a link between participation in the School Breakfast Program and improved academic performance and psycholsocial behavior. Children who eat a good breakfast tend to perform better in school, and have a better attendance and decreased hyperactivity. Children who don't eat breakfast tend to perform not as well, and also tend to have behavior problems such as fighting, stealing, and not listening to their teachers (Dr. Ronald Kleinman, Harvard Medical School). The School Breakfast Program provides a nutritious meal to children who might otherwise not eat breakfast, and is designed to provide children with one-fourth of their daily nutrients. This program offers fruit, cold cereal and milk daily, and some Coldwater Schools buildings also offer a variety of hot dishes like breakfast pizza, pancake wraps, and oatmeal. If your child eats breakfast at home, choose a breakfast withmilk, fruit and cereal(grain product). These three foods can provide for a good breakfast. Eating a healthy breakfast does not need to take a lot of time. In the next column you will find some quick and healthy breakfast ideas.Myths and Facts about Eating BreakfastMyth: It is okay ro skip breakfast, because it is not an important meal of the day.Fact: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day! Myth: Eating breakfast will make you tired during the day.Fact: Breakfast provides the energy needed to start the day off right! Myth: A healthy breakfast consists of high protein, low carb foods such as eggs, sausage & bacon.Fact: A healthy breakfast consists of milk, fruits, and cereal. Myth: Children who eat breakfast tend to have poor performance in school.Fact: Children who eat a good breakfast perform better in…

    • 396 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Cited: Kleinman, R. (1998 March). New Harvard research shows school breakfast program may improve children 's behavior and performance. KidSource Online. Available at: http://www.kidsource.com/kidsource/content4/breakfast.html…

    • 1806 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    They say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day but many students of our generation disregard the importance of this meal. In the past years, as a student of Saint Louis University-Laboratory High School, I’ve learned that many of our schoolmates believe that breakfast is not necessary. They say, it can only make them fat so skipping this important meal is their way of dieting. Others don’t even bother to prepare nor eat breakfast because they wake up late in the morning and they are afraid to be late in school. Unfortunately, for some they skip this meal because of financial problems. And lastly, the worst and the most annoying reason I’ve heard from our schoolmates is that they are lazy or just don’t feel like eating! Before anything else I would like to ask you a question. Do you eat breakfast before going to school? Why or why not? If you ask me, yes I do eat a heavy meal before classes. And you should too, for many reasons.…

    • 577 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    For another thing, the fitness after you eat for breakfast or skipping it. Taking breakfast helps wake you up and do better at work and school. For those eat breakfast they are more alert and have energy to improve memory that required the retention for new information, plus do better tests than those who skip it. Whereas, skipping breakfast will only make you feel weak and even more tired when it comes to afternoon. For instance, a hungry child be disinterested and irritable when confronted with difficult tasks. So, no doubt adults need breakfast as much as children do.…

    • 430 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    School Lunches

    • 389 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Childhood obesity is a hot-button issue for parents, teachers, and the medical experts with different ideas and solutions on the issue. Some blame it on genetics, others say its a lack of physical activity and poor lifestyle choices. This has often led to the topic of school lunches, should schools only offer healthy options? Yes…

    • 389 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Good Bad Food Essay

    • 624 Words
    • 2 Pages

    School lunch is an issue in schools throughout our country. Many parents, teachers, as well as students tried to tackle this problem; but it still remains an issue. Dana Woldow, who’s been involved with this school lunch problem since 2002 once said to congress “Try school cafeteria food in your district. Then see if you continue to make the same decisions about how you fund the program.”(Dana Woldow) Schools serve lunches that lack all the nutrients we need as children for your typical breakfast and lunch. Children in school should be served freshly cooked meals, but are served pre-cooked re-heated meals. Nearly all schools have vending machines or snack bars; the snacks available are chips, cookies, sodas, pizza, etc. Students are surrounded by unhealthy food options. Every child has to eat at some point throughout the day, if you’re not packing your child’s meals they are bound to fall into the unhealthy food choices.…

    • 624 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    United States Department of Agriculture (1998). New Harvard research shows school breakfast program may improve children’s behavior and performance. Washington, DC: USDA.…

    • 1933 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    We can have better at work and school. Studies have shown that adults who eat a healthy breakfast are more efficient during their workday than those who do not. Children who don’t have breakfast get sleepy at school, have a harder time paying attention, and tend to eat more junk food later in the day. Kids who do eat breakfast get higher test scores and perform better in sports.…

    • 884 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays