Introduction The health of students should be the main priority when it comes to eating nutritious meals. Healthy eating not only helps the body, but it reduces the risk of many diseases such as heart disease, cancer, strokes and diabetes as stated in the Dietary Guidelines for America. In addition, healthy eating can prevent them from health problems such as obesity, dental issues and osteoporosis (The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010). Healthy eating is important for their proper growth and development, and teachers can make a difference one step at a time. The United States Department of Agriculture created an easy to access web tool. The web tool “Food Tracker”, allows anybody to track what exactly it is they’re eating. This is beneficial for teachers, parents and even cafeteria staff to track what students are consuming each day. National Standards for School Meals The National Standards for School Meals provides schools with an idea of what a nutritious meal should consist of. This gives schools an accurate balance of how much grains, vegetables, fruits, dairy, and protein foods a school meal should have. Reflecting on Cesar Chaves’s breakfast and lunch, I originally thought they did a pretty good job providing the students with and appropriate meal just by observing what they ate everyday. …show more content…
In detail, the first reason is because; the physical activity target was 150 minutes peer week. The students have a total of 30 minutes of lunch each day, they use 10 minutes to play during lunch. That is a total of 50 minutes a week. Students also get 10 minutes of recess in addition to their lunch. In addition, the students only have their physical education class once a week for 45 minutes. However, the total amount of physical activities they are exposed to is a total of 145 minutes, which does not meet the target goal on the “Food
Parents always want what is best for their children. They strive to provide for them, teach them, and to watch them grow into healthy, loving individuals. Despite this many parents continue to foster a habit that may prevent the goal of good health, unhealthy eating. Americans today consume too much fat, sugar, and food in general and its shows; rates of obesity and weight/diet related diseases such as diabetes are extremely high. In order to slow and eventually put a stop to this trend parents need to not only be aware and informed, but also need to take action and institute healthy eating habits from the very beginning.
Nutrition also plays an important role in student health. Proper nutrition promotes optimal growth and development of children. Researchers generally find that a higher quality diet is associated with better performance on academic test scores and that nutritional status can directly affect mental capacity among school age children (Frisvold). Teaching students about the benefits of good nutrition will help them stay healthy throughout their growing years. “My plate” is one of the easy and interactive tools they can avail to assist them in making healthier food
In summary, parents and schools have the biggest impact on a child’s nutritional choices in many different ways. Parents must be a model for their children and show them how to make good choices in regards to food. Elementary and middle school is where children continue to grow and learn about nutrition. High schoolers display set-in-stone eating habits. However, there is always room to learn and improve. In adulthood, the best way to prevent nutritional diseases such as heart disease, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and cancer is by simply continuing good eating and exercise habits.
Wharton, Christopher M., Michael Long, and Marlene B. Schwartz. "Changing Nutrition Standards In Schools: The Emerging Impact On School Revenue." Journal Of School Health 78.5 (2008): 245-251. Academic Search Complete. Web. 14 Feb. 2014.
There is still a troubling growing paradox in hungry children and childhood obesity. Children are either getting too many or too little calories. NSLP is still criticized to this day, nonetheless they made a tremendous improvement to the program since publication of Fast Food Nation in 2001. The NSLP only provides student with 1 to 2 meals out of the day. It is up to the parents to teach and provide their children with nutritional food,“HEALTHY eating and physical activity habits are key to your child 's well-being. Eating too much and exercising too little can lead to overweight and related health problems that can follow children into their adult years. You can take an active role in helping your child--and your whole family--learn healthy eating and physical activity habits that can last for a lifetime.”(National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases). By teaching and encouraging healthy eating habits, Offer healthy food options at home and Limiting fast food and junk food. It is also important to Limit your child’s time using a TV, computer, cell phone, or game station and encourage them to participate in physical activity. A great way to do this is to sign your children up for sports. Fast Food Nation started the discussion of America’s Food epidemic, yet sadly fifteen years has later
The regulations passed by the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act make it harder than ever for schools to provide adequate nutrition to students by having such rigorous guidelines. While some schools have had no issue following guidelines, not every school is able to source viable food while staying in budget. It is vital that cafeterias are able to successfully meet guidelines, but it is also important that they provide food that students will eagerly consume as well as help them become better students.
States could require schools to serve healthier and more affordable meals than they currently are. They could have meals that all had the recommended amounts of grains, fruits, vegetables and protein for children. They could also ensure that it would be cheap for students to eat wh...
The lack of health standards for lunches and other foods in schools are a leading cause of obesity in children. According to studies, children who eat school lunches consume forty more calories each day compared to those who bring their own lunches (Schanzenbach 703). Elizabeth Jackson, a medical doctor at the University of Michigan Health System, reported that children who eat school lunches are over two times more likely to eat fattier foods and more sugary drinks (“Children”). In the past decades, the government has attempted to develop effective lunch programs that limit the intake of unhealthy foods that children eat. The 1995 policy, “School Meals Initiative for Healthy Children,” required school lunches to meet one-third of the recommended number of calories, protein, and certain vitamins and minerals (Schanzenbach 686). Although this policy has been put into place, the government has not enforced it well enough. According to a recent study, only six percent of U.S. schoo...
Williamson, D. A., Han, H., Johnson, W. D., Martin, C. K., & Newton, R. L. (2013). Modification of the school cafeteria environment can impact childhood nutrition. Results from the Wise Mind and LA Health studies. Appetite, 61, 77–84. doi:10.1016/j.appet.2012.11.002
Active teens require 2000-5000 calories a day(Kids Health). The healthy choices may be available but, are kids really eating the food? According to the statistics on waste, the answer to this question is”No”. The Healthy Kids Hunger-Free Act originated in 2010, new updated guidelines implemented in 2012 include the following: increase amounts of fruits and vegetables, calorie limits according to age group, reduction in fats and sodium. All schools were required to implement the changes in 2012-2013. One of the changes implemented because of the enormous amount of waste was “offer versus serve”. In the updated guidelines, this was another requirement. The term “offer versus serve” was coined to reduce waste: students can decline some of the food offered that they do not intend to eat (USDA Food and Nutrition Service n.p.). This confirms the fact that students were not eating the healthy choices that were being served. As a result the calorie intake for a student was now a health risk since they are not getting enough to support their growing bodies. Another point to be seen with the caloric guidelines and putting a cap on the caloric intake of a child is that these figures do not consider and athlete; who needs double or triple the caloric intake to support 2 hours of training in the morning and 2-3 hours after school, or the
Moreover, the controversy over cafeteria food is whether or not it is healthy for all students from elementary schools to colleges. Numerous factors lead to unhealthy eating in schools and on campuses. Sometimes options with better nutrition are offered, but when there are, they tend to be less appealing than the unhealthy foods which turns to obesity. Many schools are undergoing budget cuts and changes, and healthy food tends to take a back burner when deciding where the limited amounts of money should go (Gupta). Unfortunately, when schools do have healthy ingredients, the food is usually prep...
The health of students is very important. Schools should feed students healthy and nutritious foods. Schools should not be serving students fried potato items such as french fries. Schools should not serve fried foods in general.
Educational institutions have the potential to, first and foremost, educate and assist the young people of today with making the positive, healthful choices necessary to maintain good health. Over 4,500 students have been followed in recent research studies and these “thousands of sixth graders who participated in a school-based health program were less obese by eighth grade than a group of similar children who did not, according to a new study done for the National Institutes of Health” (Rabin). Schools need to create health programs focused on assisting all children suffering from being overweight or obese. Policies such as fitness programs, nutrition classes, and healthful meals can even impact every student by creating a strong foundation and awareness of the negative, long term effects associated with practicing unhealthy habits. Although the financial expenses would be necessary, the adaption of scho...
Eating habits refers as what and how people eat, and our selection of food. Every human being have to eat food to survive, and food also produces immunity against disease. Every meal is organized mixtures of food items served at a certain time throughout the day. Most people are adjusted with the habit of eating three meals in a day (breakfast, lunch and dinner). The first meals we eat is in the breakfast, in general breakfast consist of lighter food as compare to lunch and dinner. People believe that having a good breakfast will help you to increased concentration in your classroom or work. The second meals we have is in lunch, in general lunch consist of re-energizes your body. People believe that having a lunch can renew your energy and
Exercise and eating healthy are two of the most important things you need to do to take care of your body properly. Both exercise, and eating healthy, have many advantages and benefits. They help with multiple things needed throughout your life. These things include growing physically, mentally, and if you are religious, spiritually as well. All of this adds up to your body functioning in the highest and best way possible.