Persuasive Essay On Healthy School Lunches

According to the School Nutrition Association 29.6 million school lunches are served in the US daily ( ). These school lunches are a big contributor in the obesity epidemic and falling test scores. The fatty, greasy, and sugary lunches have an impact on kids all over the world. The current and next generations are growing up without the proper fuel. Something needs to change. Schools need to be serving healthier foods. Nutritious food has been linked with concentration, development, and long term health. Healthy eating habits start in early life, school lunches can make a big difference. No loving parent should have to worry about their child’s life expectancy and quality of life being shortened. Health and weight problems start with the

5). Good food is beneficial towards teachers as well, ”… If the brain is focused, kids are less likely to be distracted by other students and external forces” ( “The Benefits of Healthy School Lunches and How They Impact Performance.” par. 20). Even adults struggle to concentrate while hungry says “The Benefits of Healthy School Lunches and How They Impact Performance.” (par. 1). Children are seen as wild when they can't concentrate but in reality they need a good meal break. Test scores are a result of this. Better grades come from kids who can pay attention and retain knowledge. The development of kids is reliant on the food they eat. You hear that “there’s nothing like a home cooked meal,” but some kids don't have access to this. School is where most children spend most of their time, so why is the proper food not being supplied? The CDC says, “It's important for students to have enough time to eat, connect with peers, and enjoy their meal. Having enough seat time is linked to more consumption of fruit, vegetables, lunch entrées, and milk, and less waste” (par. 4). This statement backs up how important food is in our lives. Kids need to be able to be social while outside of the classroom. Lunchtime is a great opportunity for children to branch out and have a break from their work. Having time to

These are both very valid points. However, there are ways to prevent both of these. The most common food allergies are milk, fish, eggs, seafood, peanuts, soy, wheat, and tree nuts (“Food Allergies: What You Need to Know.” par. 4). You may think this would make accommodations extremely difficult for each kid but that's not true. There are also programs to pay for students' breakfast and lunch. With the proper knowledge on how to handle allergies along with programs to pay for food, there should not be an issue. The FDA states that, “In a typical classroom of 25 students, at least one student is likely to be affected by food allergies”(par. 3). Also, the School Lunch Program as well as the Breakfast Program both work to pay for kids who cannot afford food. With both of these aspects brought to light there should be no problem supplying food that is beneficial to school children. The billions of dollars spent on school lunches by the government should go towards something worth it. While it may seem like allergies and money would be a setback, with the proper training and funding they are