Success is on the Menu: How School Meals Support Student Achievement
September 24, 2024
Across California, school is in full swing. Kids and parents are getting back into the rhythm of schoolwork, homework and extracurricular activities. With so much packed into the day, it’s more crucial than ever that students get what they need to succeed.
Academic achievement begins long before kids sit down at their desks. Study after study shows that fresh, healthy meals are critical to doing well in school. Since students consume more than a third of their daily calories at school, school meals play a central role in supporting students’ physical health, mental health and classroom performance.
Here are just a few of the ways that fresh and healthy school meals lead to better educational outcomes for California kids:
- Energy, Concentration and Performance
Starting the day with a nutritious, fresh breakfast allows kids to show up to school ready to learn, giving them better energy, concentration and memory. As a result, they show across-the-board improvements in reading, math, science, social studies and overall GPA. Students in schools that serve healthy lunches perform better academically and score higher on standardized tests. - Good Food = Good Mood
When kids feel good, they’re able to do and be their best. Youth with healthy diets have higher self esteem and better overall mental health. And eating fresh, healthy meals has been shown to improve classroom behavior and reduce the rates of school discipline and suspensions. - Healthy Body, Healthy Mind
Proper nutrition is crucial for brain development. Not getting enough protein, iodine, iron, folate, zinc, vitamin B12 or other key nutrients, can have a major impact on kids’ cognitive abilities. Healthy school meals also help kids stay physically healthy, so they miss fewer days of school.
Every child deserves the opportunity to realize their potential. That’s why School Food Professionals throughout California are working hard to make sure that all kids have access to healthy meals that can help them thrive.
At every step along the way, from sourcing ingredients to planning and cooking meals, School Food Professionals give students what they need to achieve. By incorporating farm-to-school programs, expanding scratch cooking and developing tasty new menus and recipes, they’re cooking up success for our kids in the classroom and beyond.