Better Nutritional Options in Schools

Not long ago, few people knew about the importance of nutrition and how it affects performance in school. I could refer you to hundreds of articles but instead, I will share a personal anecdote.

When I was in my early twenties, I worked for a foster care agency in San Diego called New Alternatives. The agency had received a government grant, to implement a wellness program, and help take care of the children who lived there.

The program was drafted to improve the physical and psychological health of the children through the use of alternative healing methods such as yoga, meditation, chi gong, and diet. All the new group activities were optional for the kids. However, the dietary changes were mandatory, given that most of the children ate every single breakfast, lunch, and dinner, at the foster home’s cafeteria.

The new meal plan program eliminated the use of fried foods from the menu, as well as other heavily processed and oily foods. More importantly, the new meal plan included a large salad bar, something that at the time was unheard-of in most foster homes and schools around the country.

My job at New Alternatives was to track data, and use statistics to measure changes in the student’s physical and psychological health. The changes our team noticed during the first months of the program were extraordinary. Weight measures for obese children was dropping, their class grades were improving, and their psychological scores were progressing.

The most important change was in the relationship between the children and the staff members. Everyone seemed to be talking about the positive changes in the children’s behavior. After several months of study, our conclusion was that dietary changes was the most direct cause for these improvements, given it was the only thing all children were required to do daily.

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