Research shows that healthy eating in school helps improve a kid’s health, motivation and his ability to learn and achieve. In the wake of rising rates of obesity among children, the government of UK has recently revised its school food standards to encourage healthy eating habits in school. It was after a survey conducted on elementary schools, middle schools and high schools showed that a significant portion of kid’s meals was served from fast food restaurants. Schools girls who are supposed to consume 1800 calories per day relied on two large sizes of Pizza for lunch. The changes discourage unhealthy eating by providing:

• Fruits and vegetables
• Bread, potatoes and cereals
• High-quality meat, oily fish and poultry

The foods should not contain:

• Crisps, chocolate, drinks with refined sugars or sweets
• More than two portions of battered, deep-fried or breaded food

Parents may also follow the guidelines when packing lunches, serving breakfast or dinner. So what are the benefits of healthy eating at school?

Improves Academic Performance

The learning process depletes the brain’s supply of glucose, thus the need to refuel a child’s supply using healthy lunches. The meals should include fruits, saftpresse, veggies, lean sources of protein and whole grains. Healthy meals ensure kids remain attentive during class sessions that come after lunch time.

Improves Healthy Nutrition

An adult’s eating habits are moulded during his childhood. As such, healthy school lunches lead to healthy nutritional choices throughout a kid’s lifetime. Lunches also provide a third of your child’s daily calories and allow higher nutrient intake for the day’s activity. Making healthy eating a norm rather than an occasional event helps kids appreciate the benefits of proper nutrition at an early age. However, children who are accustomed to eating fatty and sugary foods develop poor eating habits that last a lifetime.

Reduce the Rates of Obesity in Kids

School foods that contain high amounts of calories lead to excessive weight gain. They also compromise a child’s health and results in other problems when he or she is an adult. Studies show that children suffering from obesity have a higher chance of developing diabetes, hypertension and becoming overweight even when they are adults.

Consumption of Essential Nutrients

Fast foods are often nutrient-deficient and contain more fats and calories. As earlier highlighted, lunch supplies a third of a kid’s total daily calories, thus the need to ensure the foods contain essential nutrients such as vitamins A and C, calcium, iron and zinc. A well-balanced meal ensures your child’s body receives the proper nutrition.