CBoC Recommends National School Nutrition Program to Combat Student Hunger
Posted: September 11, 2013
Categories: Edible Education Network / Good Food Ideas for Kids / GoodFoodBites / News from Sustain Ontario
A recent report from the Conference Board of Canada, entitled “Enough for All: Household Food Security in Canada,” provides an analysis of food insecurity in Canada. “Food insecurity” is defined in the report as “a situation in which nutritious food is sometimes or always unavailable or unaffordable.” The report estimates that two million Canadians fall into this category, most of whom are children.
School-aged children are a major focus of the report, which analyzes various aspects of food insecurity and offers solutions and recommendations based on its findings. Concerning children in Canadian schools, the report recommends the implementation of “a pan-Canadian program that provides or manages funding for breakfasts or lunches and/or snacks in each school or school board.”
Summarizing the report in the Globe & Mail, André Picard reports that the Conference Board frames such programs as an investment in the education of children with high returns:
“Education is one of the most powerful determinants of health. Children cannot learn, they cannot thrive, if they are not well-nourished.
So why do we not feed kids at school? Why do we not ensure we fill their bodies with nutrition in the same way we strive to fill their minds with knowledge?
The Conference Board thinks we should. It is interesting that the call is coming from a conservative business group, not from the radical fringe. They recognize a good and necessary investment when they see one.”
Picard also points out the positive differences reported in schools with meal programs:
“It is estimated that, where there are school breakfast programs, teachers gain about 30 minutes a day in effective teaching time. That is because hungry children are disruptive and have more trouble concentrating. Schools with meal programs have better attendance, improved test scores and fewer dropouts. Good nutrition leads to better academic performance, and better prospects.”
Sustain Ontario has previously argued in favour of more comprehensive school nutrition programs as a proactive measure for ensuring the long-term health of students. Students consume approximately one-third of their daily caloric intake at school, making their hours spent learning the perfect opportunity to instil healthy eating habits and proper nutritional knowledge.
Targeting such programs at school-aged children will offset future healthcare costs by combatting the onset of conditions like Type II Diabetes. More details on the importance of student nutrition can be found in Sustain’s Backgrounder of Food Literacy, Student Nutrition, and Food Service in Schools (available on this page).