Typically, everyone believes that school lunches are bad. This could be because they ate something at school that they didn’t like or caused food poisoning. School Lunches are critical to most students being the meal they eat every day in school. Most schools have stepped up their game in the nutritional value that a student can get from school lunches. let’s see more about “Are School Lunches Bad For Students?”
There has been a change in the food nutrition standards for meals served in schools now. These guidelines help in providing safe meals and also help the students positively because the schools are made to follow their rigorous or risk food inspection low rating. Various studies have shown that free or reduced-price meals help a lot in so many ways. We shall bring to light the various ways in which school lunches affect students.
Advantages of School Lunch
Free or Low price Food
Who doesn’t love free or low-priced food? It’s safe to say we all do. Let’s face it, either as high school students or college students eating free lunch every day or not having to spend a lot on lunch every day helps to cut back a lot on our spending. Also not having to decide on or cook what to eat for lunch is a blessing in disguise, especially during midterms or exams. Students who are on a low budget can eat free food every day and still get to eat nutritious and healthy meals. A lot of people do not know this but this might be the only meal some people get to eat throughout that day, shocking right? A lot of families live below the poverty line and cannot free their kids more than once a day, therefore that food you think tastes disgusting might be a slice of paradise for someone else. So, don’t be in a hurry to throw it in the trash.
It helps regulate your health
All school guidelines on what percentage of calories the meals can contain. The new guidelines for schools also have to tell schools to increase the number of vegetables and fruits given to the students for lunch.
It reduces the rate of obesity
Studies show that 2 in 10 children in the US suffer from obesity due to the high amount of calories and fatty foods they eat. School lunches follow certain nutrition guidelines which help the student eat healthily and well, thereby helping to regulate their calorie intake.
It helps Food Insecurity
School lunch helps more than we know it. Receiving free or reduced-price school lunches, according to one estimate based on national statistics, reduces food insecurity by at least 3.8 percent. Receiving a free or reduced-price school lunch at the start of kindergarten reduces the likelihood of household food insecurity, but paying full price for school lunches increases the likelihood of household food insecurity. Food insecurity among children is worse during the summer when many do not have access to the nutritious meals provided by school meal programs throughout the school year.
Disadvantages of School lunches
Danger to Health
I know I said that school lunches can be nutritious, but the keyword is if the school follows the nutrition guidelines religiously. Sadly, this is not the case for some schools. Nutritional deficiencies in school lunches have far-reaching consequences. A child who consumes excessive amounts of fat, sugar, sodium, or processed foods, as well as insufficient vitamins and minerals, is more prone to develop chronic health problems over time. Diabetes, kidney stones, bone loss, cancer, and heart disease are just a few of the possibilities. Active children who require more calories than the federal calorie allowance are also in danger and may become weak, exhausted, or sick during sports and activities.
Academic performance
Students who eat unhealthy meals are more likely to perform poorly on tests and struggle with schoolwork. Long-term consequences are also present. Lack of critical nutrients at meals can affect children’s IQ, memory, fine motor skills, social skills, and language skills far into adulthood. Poor eating habits in children can affect sleep patterns, which can affect cognitive behavior and academic performance.
Conclusion
For school-aged children, lunch is especially important. As adults or college students you need to eat a healthy lunch, most times we generally don’t eat breakfast because we are in a hurry to catch up with the bus or train. Lunch is the most important meal of the day in dozens of countries. Midday meals aren’t typically a priority in 9-to-5 situations, but making time for a healthy lunch can be beneficial both psychologically and physically. When your focus and concentration are waning, re-energize your body by eating several hours after breakfast. If you’re feeling tired, even a small lunch might help you re-energize and feel ready to face the next several hours. Lunch also keeps your metabolism active, especially if you have a somewhat active metabolism. As students too, you need to eat lunch. Good luck!
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is It Ok If I skip Lunch?
When trying to reduce weight or decrease calories, it’s typical to want to skip lunch, but this technique rarely succeeds. Persons who habitually miss meals tend to weigh more than people who eat often throughout the day, according to the Weight-Control Information Network. Skipping lunch might increase your hunger later in the day, leading to overeating or unhealthy food choices. So, no it is not ok to skip lunch. Try as much as possible to eat something no matter how little.
- In what ways can you make school lunches better?
You can ask the students what they would like to eat, you can make it a survey. Make sure to include healthy but delicious food choices to choose from. Also, try to increase the amount of time given to lunch hour. Do not cut their time shut. You can also make sure the cafeteria staff has proper sanitary training and the cafeteria is always neat and appealing.
