Articles and Information from GA Foods

It’s Back-to-School Season 2018! This is the time of the year when parents are bombarded with… well, everything! Between school supply lists, new school clothes or uniforms, teacher meet and greets, first day photos, and finding the perfect backpack, the last thing on a parent’s mind is packing a healthy lunch. Meals at school are essential to student health and well-being. They ensure that children have the nutrition they need to learn.

My son was a picky eater and always at the bottom of the weight percentile on his growth chart. As a Registered Dietitian, I thought I could make him healthier lunches from home. But studies have shown that school meals are healthier than meals from home. School meals are rich in lean proteins, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. School meals also limit unhealthy fats and sodium.

This week is National Summer Food Service Program Kickoff Week, a program that ensures children and teens have access to nutritious meals when school lets out. Federal assistance, through the program, is provided to state agencies and non-profit sponsors to help children receive nutrition when school is not in session. Nearly 21.5 million children are eligible for this program, yet only 1 in 6 of them currently receive this according to a 2016 report from the Food Research Action Center.

Poor nutrition during the summer months affects the child's academic performance during the school year. It is one of the many reasons the summer program is essential. While in school, students across the country are eating healthier than ever thanks to the Hunger-Free Kids Act. Students are receiving meals with whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean protein, and low-fat dairy, which are low in sugar, fat, and sodium. Summer feeding programs continue these great meals and help students return to school ready to learn.

Planning meals for child nutrition programs is not easy. You have to take into consideration federal nutrient requirements, food budget, kitchen equipment, and available staff. Plus, you have to use foods that appeal to children!

In multiple schools across the United States, students eat their lunch before heading outside for recess. Emerging evidence suggests that scheduling recess before lunch may offer many benefits, including better behavior, less food waste, increased ability to focus, and improved academic achievement.

Today's schools are facing many obstacles to achieve their academic goals; poverty, bullying, technology, no child left behind, budget cuts, and student health, just to name a few. All of these issues are making it more challenging, and schools are having to adapt quickly to be successful with their students. 

Since 1962, the U.S. has been celebrating National School Lunch Week in appreciation of the National School Lunch Program. This year's celebrations will run from October 10^th to 14^th with the theme 'Show Your Spirit'. The theme was chosen to remind students, parents, and school officials that a healthy school lunch is a big part of enabling children to get through the day. 

Food insecurity in children is a significant problem in the United States. According to United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates, 7.8 percent of American households with children were food insecure* in 2015 – a percentage that amounts to 3 million households that were unable to provide adequate, nutritious food for their children. Additionally, in 247,000 households, food security was characterized as very low, indicating periods of disrupted eating patterns and reduced food intake.

As children head back to school, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics encourages everyone to celebrate Kids Eat Right Month™ by ensuring children are properly fueled to grow and succeed.

Throughout the school year, many children rely on school meal programs to keep hunger at bay. Due to food scarcity in the home, these meals may be the only substantial nutrition some of these kids receive each day. However, when summer break arrives, many of these child nutrition programs end and kids are left hungry. This is when they require community assistance to fill the gap. Here are ways that communities can get healthy summer meals to children in need.

The Summer Food Service Program

Summer should be a time of rest and fun. It should also be a time for kids to develop in healthy ways so that they can learn things quickly when the new school year begins. Children living in poverty are at a disadvantage in summer because they no longer have access to the meals they normally get in school.

Hunger leads to increased illnesses and delayed development, which puts these children behind their peers when school starts again. If you wonder what can be done about this, you aren’t alone. Many people are unaware of government resources that are available for providing free summer meals to kids. One of the biggest programs is the USDA’s Summer Food Service Program, which provides reimbursement for organizations offering summer meal programsfor eligible children. If you want to mobilize a new summer food service for hungry kids in your area, your first step should be to look over the USDA’s programguidelines and contact them for assistance.