Promoting Healthy Eating Habits in Schools - An Overview

Introduction:

The child’s school has a great influence on their eating habits, and the child spends most of their time in the school or kindergarten premises. Moreover, they are influenced by other children present in the school of their age. So, it is very important that they learn to practice and implement healthy eating habits in the school itself. The school should promote healthy eating habits in children by making them aware of the benefits and perks of healthy eating. The kids should experience what they are learning in school.

Parents and other family members, including the assisting staff (caregivers), have a key-defining role to play too. Encouragement and implementation begin at home itself. So, they should also practice a supportive and positive attitude towards adopting healthy eating habits. The children will be motivated to see their parents follow healthy lifestyle changes. Parents can also join a nutrition committee. Therefore, a healthy and balanced school community nutrition environment can be created by the parents, family members, caregivers, teachers, and the school communities together.

Needless to say, with the cooperation of all, healthy choices will become easy choices for the children.

How Can Schools Encourage Healthy Eating Habits in Children?

Well-nourished children are better learners. Eating the right food in the right proportion and quantity boosts the memory, cognitive skills, and concentration abilities in children. Also, right eating habits promote healthy growth and better development in children, including infants and toddlers. Hence, children should be given different but healthy food options at school.

The school can take the following steps,

1. The teachers should be well-trained to teach and implement healthy nutrition among children. They should be able to promote a positive body image in school.

2. The school should offer rewards or prizes in the form of non-food items such as pencils, stickers, or even an additional playtime instead of food items that have minimum nutritional value.

3. The teachers, as well as the supporting staff, should be reminded and encouraged from time to time to be the role models of the kids for promoting better eating habits.

4. Healthy food options should be promoted and provided by vendors in school during class parties, school gatherings, events, cafeterias, or by vendors in school.

5. The lunch break should be a minimum of 20 to 25 minutes to provide adequate time for the children to chew their food properly and socialize while eating healthy.

6. Nutrition programs should be held in the school from time to time, and nutritive and healthy food items that are culture-appropriate should be served.

7. Fundraisers raised by school communities should be done in the form of non-food items instead of depending on bakery or unhealthy food choices.

8. The kids should be encouraged to drink water from their water bottles whenever they are thirsty. The water bottles should be kept at their desks.

9. The nutrition policy followed by the school should be practiced among all the branches of the school, and the parents should also be made aware of the nutrition policies and healthy eating environment.

10. Healthy cooking skills and other food skills like gardening, reading labels behind jars and bottles, avoiding processed foods, and grocery shopping should be taught in schools. Healthy, heatless cooking should be encouraged in schools as well.

11. The children should be motivated to connect to the food farmers to learn about the production of food.

12. Children should be taught about the importance of greens on their plate. They should be made aware of the fact that though the greens may taste dismal but they are very important for their overall physical and mental development.

13. Parents should be made aware of the school meal programs.

14. Children should be encouraged to begin their day in school by eating a healthy breakfast.

15. School meals should include milk, whole cereals, fruits, and green vegetables to promote healthy eating. The key ingredients that should be included in a child’s diet are calcium, proteins, and fibers.

16. The students should be taught the importance of key nutrients in their diet.

17. Various field trips should be organized to the farmer’s land as well as the school kitchen.

18. The nutrition chapter should be made part of the kids' curriculum and included in their syllabus. The education regarding nutrition will empower them to learn basic life skills of cooking healthy meals and preparing healthy beverages. For instance, the curriculum can include,

    • Counting the pictures of fruits and vegetables.

    • Learning fractions by ingredient measuring exercises for a recipe.

    • Growing green and healthy vegetables at school.

    • Gain knowledge about cultural aspects and traditional significance of any regional or seasonal food.

Why Is Promoting Healthy Eating Habits Important in Schools?

It has been found that healthy students are better academic learners. Research studies have shown that healthy eating habits and practicing healthy lifestyle changes are linked to the overall academic growth and achievement of children. Students who participate in the school's healthy meal programs get better grades and have improved memory, improved cognitive skills, standardized exam scores, and increased attendance. When the children are well-nourished, they can grasp better and learn and comprehend things more effectively.

A healthy and nutritious diet also prevents all forms of malnutrition. It also protects against several noncommunicable diseases and other health problems commonly seen in poorly nourished children. Increased marketing and production of packaged foods, modernization, switching to urbanization, and changing lifestyles have made a huge impact on the dietary patterns of children. Hence, it is important to raise awareness about clean eating habits among children.

Conclusion

Promoting healthy eating habits in schools helps improve a child's focus, memory, and attention. It also improves the overall growth and mental development of children. Children who eat healthy food tend to stay more healthy. They do not fall sick easily. The schools should promote healthy and nutritious food items by providing accurate knowledge about nutrition, including healthy meal options, educating the parents about their food policies, asking teachers to be their role models, and encouraging children to finish their tiffin during school hours.