Raising Student Achievement Through Better Nutrition

[Guest guest]

RAISING STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT THROUGH BETTER

NUTRITION

by Helen F. Saul, MS Ed.

(Editor's note: Ms. Saul is a tenured English

teacher in upstate New York,

and, incidentally, is also my daughter.), " Dr. Saul "

It seems only natural that by now, people would

be well aware of the

importance of eating healthy foods. However, if

you were to take a fieldtrip

through your average school cafeteria, you might

notice that the foods on

the students' trays don't reflect that thinking.

In the school's defense,

are fruits, vegetables, and whole grains offered?

Yes. Are they fresh,

appetizing, unprocessed, and low in salt and

sugar? Not exactly. In the

popular documentary Super Size Me the field

representative of Sodexho, a

company which services over 400 over our K-12

schools nationwide, stated

" [w]e are hoping through nutrition education the

students will learn to make

the right food choices without restricting what

they can purchase " (2004).

However, it is rare that I see a student taking a

large helping of the

gray-green canned peas, rubbery canned fruit, or

a large helping of lettuce

and tomatoes on their meat taco. (I like

vegetables, and even I don't eat

those.) Between a slice of pizza or a tiny

sorry-looking salad, what would

the average kid choose? By not offering

appetizing healthy foods, are we

setting the kids up to make bad choices? (Super

Size Me, 2004). In a school

district like mine where over forty percent of

the students are on free and

reduced lunch programs, they are far less likely

to come in with a (more

expensive) healthy bagged lunch. As for the

bagged lunches, they seem to

come in an array of colors, few if any of which

belong to fruit or

vegetables.

Adopting a better nutrition program in schools

will not only affect positive

changes in behavior, attendance, and overall

health, it will improve

students' ability to learn and thus raise their

levels of achievement.

Reduce problem behaviors and referrals, increase

student learning, raise

test scores, and lower dropout rates? It is an

administrator's dream. The

dream however can become a reality, and schools

have done just that by

providing healthier food choices for students.

BACKGROUND

In June of 1946, President Harry S. Truman signed

the National School Lunch

Act. " The federally assisted meal program was

established as 'a measure of

national security, to safeguard the health and

well-being of the Nation's

children and to encourage the domestic

consumption of nutritious

agricultural commodities' " (School Nutrition

Association [sNA], 2005).

Additionally, in 1966, President Lyndon B.

signed the Child

Nutrition Act and remarked, " good nutrition is

essential to good learning "

(SNA, 2005). Yet, to this day we are struggling

in our schools to get kids

to attend, behave, and achieve. " The one place

where the impact of our fast

food world has become more and more evident is in

our nation's schools "

(Super Size Me, 2004). The Nutritional Resource

Foundation, created by

nutritionist Barbara Stitt, Ph.D. and her husband

Stitt who holds a MS

in biochemistry, is dedicated to helping students

and adults alike eat more

healthy diets. They point out the humbling

statistic that " [l]ess than one

in three children and adolescents meet dietary

recommendations for limiting

intake of saturated fat, less than one in five

eats enough fruits and

vegetables. " (Nutritional Resource Foundation

[NRF], 2004). Additionally,

" .meals served at school are often more deficient

in produce than those at

home. Fast foods have overtaken school cafeteria

food and soft-drink

machines have displaced real fruit juices as well

as milk. When vegetables

are offered, they are typically the steam table

variety, overcooked and

unappetizing " (NRF, 2004). While originally

schools began providing students

with food to help improve their health,

especially those from families that

could not feed them adequately, now schools are

the ones creating health

problems for children (NRF, 2004).

DEFINING THE PROBLEM

Test scores are low, and programs such as No

Child Left Behind have shown

" little improvement " (NRF, 2005). " Most troubling

for educators are the

sluggish reading skills among middle-school

students, which have remained

virtually unchanged for 15 years, according to

the National Assessment of

Educational Progress " (NRF, 2005). Administrators

cringe at decreases in

test scores, and remaining stagnant is not much

of an accomplishment.

The School Nutrition Association (SNA) is

recognized as the authority on

school nutrition and has been " advancing the

availability, quality and

acceptance of school nutrition programs as an

integral part of education

since 1946 " (2005). They state that there is

" strong evidence on potential

adverse effects of poor nutrition and physical

activity among American

children. These findings address test scores,

concentration, absenteeism,

and attitude " (SNA, 2004).

Schools have adopted breakfast programs because

they know " that

well-nourished students that skip breakfast

perform worse on tests and have

poor concentration " (SNA, 2004). The Nutritional

Resource Foundation (2004)

further emphasized this point:

" Nutrients play a major role in learning

abilities. If children's bodies are

left deficient day after day, as are most in

America, their brains will not

function properly and they will be under

performing. Research suggests that

skipping breakfast can affect children's

intellectual performance, and even

moderate under-nutrition can have lasting effects

on cognitive development.

Children who are hungry are more likely to have

behavioral, emotional, and

academic problems at school. "

So, now many schools give students breakfast. But

what kind of breakfast are

they eating? While we might maintain that we have

come a long way and we

have nutrition guidelines in our schools that

must be followed, we still

have children who are undernourished and

underachieving, and our test scores

are not where we want them. According to Abram

Hoffer, a medical doctor who

also holds a Ph.D. in nutrition, " [o]ver 75

percent of our current diet

consists of processed food. This diet is

deficient in fiber, too rich in

processed fats, too rich in simple sugars, and

deficient in vitamins,

minerals, and essential fatty acids. It is also

too rich in additives.Food

additives decrease the nutritional quality of

foods " (Hoffer, 1999). Jane

Hersey, National Director of the Feingold

Association of the United States,

a group dedicated to helping children and adults

apply scientifically proven

dietary techniques for better behavior, learning,

and health for over 30

years, further emphasizes that " [t]ypically, the

reaction [to food

additives] will be one of these: a change in

behavior, a change in the

ability to focus and learn. "

Why would we want to detract from the very skills

and behaviors students

need in order to be successful?

For some kids, the meal at school may be the only

one they get that day. But

we should be reminded that " [c]hildren at all

socioeconomic levels are at

risk for poor nutrition " (NRF,

2004). As the number of parents in the workforce

increases, children are

left to fend for themselves when preparing meals

at home (NRF, 2004).

Therefore, it is our responsibility to make the

meals they eat at school of

the highest quality. This benefits not only the

child, but also the entire

climate, culture, and success of the building.

A parent should be tuned into whether or not

their child is getting the

proper nutrition. Lendon , M.D., known

nationally as " The Children's

Doctor, " asks parents to tune into statements

like these during a school

conference: " I know he knows the work, but he

won't put it on paper " ; " He

won't work up to his ability " ; " Some days he has

it; the next day it's gone "

(1979). " These words suggest that nutritional

factors are a part of the

explanation. The off-and-on phenomenon is the

clue to fluctuating blood

sugar.nutrition is the key factor in helping this

particular child " (1979).

Reading through the recent report released by the

School Nutrition

Association, 2005 School Nutrition Market Trends:

Environmental Scan Update,

I found that pizza was named the top entrée

during the 2003-2004 school

year. In the same report it was indicated that

" [p]oor nutrition and

physical inactivity are shown to cost schools

academic achievement and

significant amount of funding " (2005). Perhaps

they have considered that the

two may be related?

HOW DO WE FIX IT

If good food is available, children will eat it

(NRF, 2004). Dr. Lendon

insists that " [w]hat is needed is for

somebody to do something about

the avalanche of junk food, which increasingly

displaces nutritious food in

the diets of these kids and disposes them to

rampage " (1979). If we want to

increase the success of a nutrition program, we

need to remove the junk, and

then add the nutrients. " There is rapidly

accumulating evidence that a child's

ability to learn can be improved by .the

improvement in general nutritional

status through removing junk foods from his daily

diet, " says Dr. Abram

Hoffer (1999). This starts with setting

standards: What foods will we serve

in our schools?

In an alternative charter school in Appleton,

Wisconsin, they have adopted a

nutrition program that goes above and beyond the

requirements. This is their

goal:

Get everyone eating five servings of fresh fruit,

fresh vegetables, and

whole grains every

day.

Promote and serve more fresh fruits and

vegetables.

Eliminate food with artificial coloring,

artificial flavoring and

sweeteners.

Encourage parents and kids to pack healthy

lunches.

Teach basic nutrition concepts.

Reduce children's intake of hydrogenated fat,

saturated fat, sugar, and

caffeine.

The above will, among other benefits, increase

attendance in school and

work, and improve the behavior and learning

ability of students (NRF, 2004).

Not only do you feed them right, you tell them

why they are being fed this

way and how to make their own healthy food

choices. " Several studies have

shown that when schoolchildren are introduced to

a new food in school,

become familiar with it and learn about its

origins and food value, they are

more likely to eat it in the lunchroom and

encourage their parents to serve

it " (NRF, 2004). Ultimately, we want children to

learn how to make good food

choices on their own, as they won't always have

the school to rely on.

GOOD OUTCOMES

Is this goal being met? In this day and age even

" computers are now helping

school foodservice workers ensure that the meals

offered in schools comply

with nutrition standards, " and yet " it is another

challenge altogether to

ensure that students consume the nutritious foods

provided " (SNA, 2005).

However, if there are no unhealthy choices

available, it will be difficult

for a student to eat a meal that is not

nutritionally beneficial to them.

Here is a sample of the foods now available for

students in the breakfast

and lunch program in Appleton, Wisconsin.

The Appleton Central Alternative Charter School's

Lunch Menu:

1) Bottled water, 100%juice, milk, and blended

energy drinks.

2) Whole grain foods free of additives, dyes,

artificial preservatives and

saturated fats.

3) A salad bar filled with dark green lettuce,

tomatoes, carrots, cucumber,

mushrooms, olives, peanuts, sunflower seeds,

broccoli and cauliflower,

boiled eggs, whole-grain croutons, home-made

applesauce, cabbage, peach and

pear slices, pineapple and fruity salad.

4) Meats including lean pork, chicken, turkey,

and fish.

5) A variety of spices, soymilk products and tofu

are used as natural flavor

enhancers.

6) Meals are cooked on site. No frying in a

grease product.

The Appleton Central Alternative Charter School's

Breakfast Program:

1) Bottled water, 100%juice, milk, and blended

energy drinks

2) Whole grain foods free of additives, dyes,

artificial preservatives and

saturated fats.

3) Granola, peanut butter, almond butter, natural

fruit preserves, fresh

fruits.

(Nutritional Resource Foundation, 2004)

According to the Nutritional Resource Foundation,

outcomes of this Wellness

and Nutrition Program included " increased ability

to concentrate in the

school setting, more on task-behavior, increased

cognitive development,

ability to think more clearly, objectively, and

rationally, and dropouts and

expulsions may be dramatically reduced " (2004).

Teachers and principals have

observed that " [g]rades are up, truancy is no

longer a problem, arguments

are rare, and teachers are able to spend their

time teaching " (The Feingold

Association, 2003). Their superintendent, Dr.

Scullen, noted that the

kids are coming to school, expulsions are rare,

the drop-out rate is almost

nil, and although he expected a healthy diet

would improve behavior, he was

surprised that it had such an impact on academic

performance (The Feingold

Association, 2003). A teacher commented, " We

noticed a change from the

get-go. All teachers reported that students were

able to concentrate for

longer periods in class " (NRF, 2004). They have

seen a " tremendous change "

in their students' behavior for the better.

The Whitefish Central School in Montana has also

adopted this program. Over

the past three years, " [t]eachers report that

they have gained between 10

and 15% additional teaching time since the

children have calmed down and are

more alert and able to focus. This is reflected

in the fact that the school

now ranks academically in the 76th percentile in

the state " (,

2004). They also found that " [t]here has been

another change in the

cafeteria: the amount of food wasted has been cut

in half, from 85 to 100

pounds per day, to about 45 pounds " (,

2004).

Other schools with similar desired outcomes are

also showing success. " .[A]

recently released study by WestEd, a nonprofit

research, development and

service agency, found that California schools

with students who routinely

engaged in healthy eating and physical activity

had larger subsequent gains

in test scores than other schools. 'These studies

show what we have known -

that healthy school meals play a critical and

positive role in students'

development and learning process,' said Donna

Wittrock, president of the

American School Food Service Association " (SDA,

2003).

In the Elementary School in Leavenworth,

Kansas, the Eat, Exercise,

Excel program left a principal commenting,

" Discipline will no longer be an

issue in this building " (2004). We know that if

our students aren't well

behaved, that won't learn much. If they are

removed from the room because of

discipline problems, they learn even less.

WHAT DOES IT COST

Adopting a program like the one in the Appleton

School District " costs about

the same as any other school lunch program "

(Super Size Me, 2004). Perhaps

the question we should be asking though is not

what does it cost, but what

will it cost if we do not adopt a strong

nutrition and wellness program in

our schools.

Action for Health Kids (AFHK) recently released a

report titled The Learning

Connection that summarizes evidence demonstrating

the negative impact poor

nutrition, inactivity and weight problems can

have on student achievement.

According to former US Surgeon General and

founding chair of AFHK, Dr.

Satcher, " The Learning Connection examines the

impact of the root causes of

childhood overweight and reveals a strong link

between children's health and

academic success. This report provides insight on

possible costs to schools

as the result of poor nutrition, inactivity and

weight problems, and makes

the case for additional research to find more

definitive data. " Although

more research is needed to fully understand the

link between poor nutrition,

physical inactivity and academic achievement, the

consequences The Learning

Connection presents for the learning process as

well as to school budgets

are striking. .The report also quantifies dollars

that schools lose when

children are absent from school -- small amounts

for individual students but

this can add up. Particularly, the report

demonstrates that, " Even an

average school with a high absence rate based on

poor nutrition and physical

inactivity would lose from $95,000 to $160,000

per year in state aid " (SDA,

2004).

Our students are not the only ones that cost the

district money when they

are not healthy, sick teachers cost money too.

" The Appleton, Wisconsin

Alternative High School serves fresh, homemade

foods that the students and

faculty enjoy. The full cost for this

transformation was only about $20,000

per year- a fraction of what schools now spend to

address the learning and

behavior problems that are being caused, in part,

by junk foods " (NRF,

2004). The principal LuAnn Coenen said, " I can't

buy the argument that it is

too costly for schools to provide good nutrition

for their students. I found

that one cost will reduce another. I don't have

the vandalism. I don't have

the litter. I don't have the need for high

security " (The Feingold

Association, 2003). One teacher noted that,

" We're concerned about new band

uniforms. We're concerned about the football

team. We're concerned about

textbooks. Why not be concerned about nutrition?

Nutrition should be part of

the general operating budget " (The Feingold

Association, 2003). A member of

the Board of Education in the L.A. Unified School

district observed, " It's

not about money, it's not about economics, it's

about health " (Super Size

Me, 2004).

SUPPORT

In order for any change to be accepted, people

need to be shown the

advantages of doing it. If your district is not

ready for a full-blown

nutrition program, there are ways to gradually

introduce healthy eating

habits. Here are some steps to consider:

Use soy yogurt for dressings and tartar sauce,

use reduced fat mayonnaise,

use whole grain flour, have fresh fruit

available, try lower fat cheeses,

reduce amount of butter used in cooking, offer

vegetarian toppings on

pizzas, use lean meat, eliminate the deep fryer,

limit the choice of hot

dogs or foods high in salt, bad fat and coloring

to no more than once

monthly, remove salt shakers, offer low-in-sugar

breakfast items, and

clearly define the limits of fat and sodium that

you expect in the foods

served (Evers, 1995).

As with any change, " t starts with leadership.

You have to believe that

what you're going to do is going to work, and

then you have to have the

teachers on board. Once you are able to convince

them, it is pretty simple

to get the kids to follow " (Eat, Exercise, Excel,

2004). Schools around the

country are trying to get kids more interested in

school lunches.

In National City, Calif., the School Board passed

a resolution proclaiming

the week National School Lunch Week. Legislators,

board members and parent

groups have been invited to " do " lunch with the

district's students.

Materials include posters, bookmarks and a parent

newsletter.

In County, Col., every day has a themed

menu with items such as Rift

Valley Baked Chicken and Call of the Wild Carrot

Sticks. The district also

will have special giveaways for parents and

children and Take Your Family to

Lunch Day.

In Polk County, Fla., the Discovery Academy will

become wild: tiki huts will

cover each terminal at the end of the lunch line,

vines and animals of every

description will adorn the walls, a homemade full

sized Jeep will be on hand

and special surprises will be given away to

students. Child nutrition staff

will be sporting animal aprons and headdresses. A

skit on the importance of

good nutrition will be presented, and students

will walk under a life-sized

giraffe to receive their lunch. (SDA, 2003)

Now we just have to make sure that all the foods

that are offered to kids in

school are extremely nutritious. If we are going

to get them excited about

food, we had better make sure it is the right

kind of food.

The Nutritional Resource Foundation has developed

a comprehensive plan for

approaching a nutrition program in schools. They

offer research to back it

up, examples of written policy their project

districts adopted, and

templates for administrators to send home and to

the media. This makes

implementation just that much easier.

The information is out there. There is research

to back it up. As leaders in

the business of helping kids, we must do what our

students need and give

them the competitive edge. Higher test scores,

better attendance, and

reduction of behavioral problems; it's not just

an administrator's dream, it

can be an administrative reality.

References:

, K. (2004, Sept). Montana school cleans

up the playground, then the

food. Pure Facts, 2.

Eat, Exercise, Excel [VHS] (2004). Wichita, KS:

The Center for the

Improvement of Human Functioning.

Evers, C. (1995). How to Teach Nutrition to Kids.

Oregon: Carrot Press.

Hersey, J. (Undated). Healthier Food for Busy

People: 20 little rules to

help you navigate the supermarket. andria,

VA: Pear Tree Press, Inc.

Hoffer, A. (1999). Dr. Hoffer's ABC of Natural

Nutrition for Children.

Ontario, Canada: Quarry Press, Inc.

Impact of Fresh, Healthy Foods on Learning and

Behavior [DVD]. (2004).

Manitowoc, WI: Natural Ovens, in connection of

the Nutritional Resource

Foundation.

Nutritional Resource Foundation. (2004). Roadmap

to Healthy Foods in Schools

[Guide]. Manitowoc, WI: Author.

Nutritional Resource Foundation. (2005, Oct.).

Test Scores Move Little in

Math, Reading:Improvement Appears Slight Since No

Child Left Behind.

Retrieved November 1, 2005, from

http://www.nutritionalresourcefoundation.org/index.php#four

School Nutrition Association. (2004, Nov.). AFHK

Reports Show Link Between

Nutrition & Academic Achievement. Retrieved

November 1, 2005, from

http://www.schoolnutrition.org/Index.aspx?id=883

School Nutrition

Association. (2005, Oct.).

Helping School Kids Reach Nutritional Excellence.

Retrieved November 1,

2005, from

http://www.asfsa.org/Article.aspx?

SMDOCID=bhsgml_2005_10_28_27766_917861681-0045-

KEYWORD.Missing & SMContentSet=0

School Nutrition Association. (2005). Program

History & Data. Retrieved

November 1, 2005, from

http://www.schoolnutrition.org/Index.aspx?id=71

School Nutrition Association. (2003, Oct.).

School Lunch: Something to Get Wild About.

Retrieved November 1, 2005, from

http://www.schoolnutrition.org/Index.aspx?id=944

School Nutrition

Association. (2005, Jan.).

SNA Releases New Report on School Nutrition

Market Trends. Retrieved

November 1, 2005, from

http://www.schoolnutrition.org/Index.aspx?id=931

, L. (1979). Feed Your Kids Right: Dr.

's Program for Your Child's

Total Health. New York: Mc-Graw Hill.

Super Size Me [DVD]. (2004). New York, NY:

Kathbur Pictures, Inc.

The Feingold Association of the United States.

(2003). Behavior, Learning &

Health: The Dietary Connection [brochure].

Atlanta, GA: Author.

DID YOU KNOW:

The most popular items sold in grocery stores

are:

Number One: Carbonated beverages

#2: Milk

#3: Breakfast cereals

(Cereal: History in a bowl. A & E Productions,

2005)

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_______________________________________________

[Guest guest]

RAISING STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT THROUGH BETTER

NUTRITION

by Helen F. Saul, MS Ed.

(Editor's note: Ms. Saul is a tenured English

teacher in upstate New York,

and, incidentally, is also my daughter.), " Dr. Saul "

It seems only natural that by now, people would

be well aware of the

importance of eating healthy foods. However, if

you were to take a fieldtrip

through your average school cafeteria, you might

notice that the foods on

the students' trays don't reflect that thinking.

In the school's defense,

are fruits, vegetables, and whole grains offered?

Yes. Are they fresh,

appetizing, unprocessed, and low in salt and

sugar? Not exactly. In the

popular documentary Super Size Me the field

representative of Sodexho, a

company which services over 400 over our K-12

schools nationwide, stated

" [w]e are hoping through nutrition education the

students will learn to make

the right food choices without restricting what

they can purchase " (2004).

However, it is rare that I see a student taking a

large helping of the

gray-green canned peas, rubbery canned fruit, or

a large helping of lettuce

and tomatoes on their meat taco. (I like

vegetables, and even I don't eat

those.) Between a slice of pizza or a tiny

sorry-looking salad, what would

the average kid choose? By not offering

appetizing healthy foods, are we

setting the kids up to make bad choices? (Super

Size Me, 2004). In a school

district like mine where over forty percent of

the students are on free and

reduced lunch programs, they are far less likely

to come in with a (more

expensive) healthy bagged lunch. As for the

bagged lunches, they seem to

come in an array of colors, few if any of which

belong to fruit or

vegetables.

Adopting a better nutrition program in schools

will not only affect positive

changes in behavior, attendance, and overall

health, it will improve

students' ability to learn and thus raise their

levels of achievement.

Reduce problem behaviors and referrals, increase

student learning, raise

test scores, and lower dropout rates? It is an

administrator's dream. The

dream however can become a reality, and schools

have done just that by

providing healthier food choices for students.

BACKGROUND

In June of 1946, President Harry S. Truman signed

the National School Lunch

Act. " The federally assisted meal program was

established as 'a measure of

national security, to safeguard the health and

well-being of the Nation's

children and to encourage the domestic

consumption of nutritious

agricultural commodities' " (School Nutrition

Association [sNA], 2005).

Additionally, in 1966, President Lyndon B.

signed the Child

Nutrition Act and remarked, " good nutrition is

essential to good learning "

(SNA, 2005). Yet, to this day we are struggling

in our schools to get kids

to attend, behave, and achieve. " The one place

where the impact of our fast

food world has become more and more evident is in

our nation's schools "

(Super Size Me, 2004). The Nutritional Resource

Foundation, created by

nutritionist Barbara Stitt, Ph.D. and her husband

Stitt who holds a MS

in biochemistry, is dedicated to helping students

and adults alike eat more

healthy diets. They point out the humbling

statistic that " [l]ess than one

in three children and adolescents meet dietary

recommendations for limiting

intake of saturated fat, less than one in five

eats enough fruits and

vegetables. " (Nutritional Resource Foundation

[NRF], 2004). Additionally,

" .meals served at school are often more deficient

in produce than those at

home. Fast foods have overtaken school cafeteria

food and soft-drink

machines have displaced real fruit juices as well

as milk. When vegetables

are offered, they are typically the steam table

variety, overcooked and

unappetizing " (NRF, 2004). While originally

schools began providing students

with food to help improve their health,

especially those from families that

could not feed them adequately, now schools are

the ones creating health

problems for children (NRF, 2004).

DEFINING THE PROBLEM

Test scores are low, and programs such as No

Child Left Behind have shown

" little improvement " (NRF, 2005). " Most troubling

for educators are the

sluggish reading skills among middle-school

students, which have remained

virtually unchanged for 15 years, according to

the National Assessment of

Educational Progress " (NRF, 2005). Administrators

cringe at decreases in

test scores, and remaining stagnant is not much

of an accomplishment.

The School Nutrition Association (SNA) is

recognized as the authority on

school nutrition and has been " advancing the

availability, quality and

acceptance of school nutrition programs as an

integral part of education

since 1946 " (2005). They state that there is

" strong evidence on potential

adverse effects of poor nutrition and physical

activity among American

children. These findings address test scores,

concentration, absenteeism,

and attitude " (SNA, 2004).

Schools have adopted breakfast programs because

they know " that

well-nourished students that skip breakfast

perform worse on tests and have

poor concentration " (SNA, 2004). The Nutritional

Resource Foundation (2004)

further emphasized this point:

" Nutrients play a major role in learning

abilities. If children's bodies are

left deficient day after day, as are most in

America, their brains will not

function properly and they will be under

performing. Research suggests that

skipping breakfast can affect children's

intellectual performance, and even

moderate under-nutrition can have lasting effects

on cognitive development.

Children who are hungry are more likely to have

behavioral, emotional, and

academic problems at school. "

So, now many schools give students breakfast. But

what kind of breakfast are

they eating? While we might maintain that we have

come a long way and we

have nutrition guidelines in our schools that

must be followed, we still

have children who are undernourished and

underachieving, and our test scores

are not where we want them. According to Abram

Hoffer, a medical doctor who

also holds a Ph.D. in nutrition, " [o]ver 75

percent of our current diet

consists of processed food. This diet is

deficient in fiber, too rich in

processed fats, too rich in simple sugars, and

deficient in vitamins,

minerals, and essential fatty acids. It is also

too rich in additives.Food

additives decrease the nutritional quality of

foods " (Hoffer, 1999). Jane

Hersey, National Director of the Feingold

Association of the United States,

a group dedicated to helping children and adults

apply scientifically proven

dietary techniques for better behavior, learning,

and health for over 30

years, further emphasizes that " [t]ypically, the

reaction [to food

additives] will be one of these: a change in

behavior, a change in the

ability to focus and learn. "

Why would we want to detract from the very skills

and behaviors students

need in order to be successful?

For some kids, the meal at school may be the only

one they get that day. But

we should be reminded that " [c]hildren at all

socioeconomic levels are at

risk for poor nutrition " (NRF,

2004). As the number of parents in the workforce

increases, children are

left to fend for themselves when preparing meals

at home (NRF, 2004).

Therefore, it is our responsibility to make the

meals they eat at school of

the highest quality. This benefits not only the

child, but also the entire

climate, culture, and success of the building.

A parent should be tuned into whether or not

their child is getting the

proper nutrition. Lendon , M.D., known

nationally as " The Children's

Doctor, " asks parents to tune into statements

like these during a school

conference: " I know he knows the work, but he

won't put it on paper " ; " He

won't work up to his ability " ; " Some days he has

it; the next day it's gone "

(1979). " These words suggest that nutritional

factors are a part of the

explanation. The off-and-on phenomenon is the

clue to fluctuating blood

sugar.nutrition is the key factor in helping this

particular child " (1979).

Reading through the recent report released by the

School Nutrition

Association, 2005 School Nutrition Market Trends:

Environmental Scan Update,

I found that pizza was named the top entrée

during the 2003-2004 school

year. In the same report it was indicated that

" [p]oor nutrition and

physical inactivity are shown to cost schools

academic achievement and

significant amount of funding " (2005). Perhaps

they have considered that the

two may be related?

HOW DO WE FIX IT

If good food is available, children will eat it

(NRF, 2004). Dr. Lendon

insists that " [w]hat is needed is for

somebody to do something about

the avalanche of junk food, which increasingly

displaces nutritious food in

the diets of these kids and disposes them to

rampage " (1979). If we want to

increase the success of a nutrition program, we

need to remove the junk, and

then add the nutrients. " There is rapidly

accumulating evidence that a child's

ability to learn can be improved by .the

improvement in general nutritional

status through removing junk foods from his daily

diet, " says Dr. Abram

Hoffer (1999). This starts with setting

standards: What foods will we serve

in our schools?

In an alternative charter school in Appleton,

Wisconsin, they have adopted a

nutrition program that goes above and beyond the

requirements. This is their

goal:

Get everyone eating five servings of fresh fruit,

fresh vegetables, and

whole grains every

day.

Promote and serve more fresh fruits and

vegetables.

Eliminate food with artificial coloring,

artificial flavoring and

sweeteners.

Encourage parents and kids to pack healthy

lunches.

Teach basic nutrition concepts.

Reduce children's intake of hydrogenated fat,

saturated fat, sugar, and

caffeine.

The above will, among other benefits, increase

attendance in school and

work, and improve the behavior and learning

ability of students (NRF, 2004).

Not only do you feed them right, you tell them

why they are being fed this

way and how to make their own healthy food

choices. " Several studies have

shown that when schoolchildren are introduced to

a new food in school,

become familiar with it and learn about its

origins and food value, they are

more likely to eat it in the lunchroom and

encourage their parents to serve

it " (NRF, 2004). Ultimately, we want children to

learn how to make good food

choices on their own, as they won't always have

the school to rely on.

GOOD OUTCOMES

Is this goal being met? In this day and age even

" computers are now helping

school foodservice workers ensure that the meals

offered in schools comply

with nutrition standards, " and yet " it is another

challenge altogether to

ensure that students consume the nutritious foods

provided " (SNA, 2005).

However, if there are no unhealthy choices

available, it will be difficult

for a student to eat a meal that is not

nutritionally beneficial to them.

Here is a sample of the foods now available for

students in the breakfast

and lunch program in Appleton, Wisconsin.

The Appleton Central Alternative Charter School's

Lunch Menu:

1) Bottled water, 100%juice, milk, and blended

energy drinks.

2) Whole grain foods free of additives, dyes,

artificial preservatives and

saturated fats.

3) A salad bar filled with dark green lettuce,

tomatoes, carrots, cucumber,

mushrooms, olives, peanuts, sunflower seeds,

broccoli and cauliflower,

boiled eggs, whole-grain croutons, home-made

applesauce, cabbage, peach and

pear slices, pineapple and fruity salad.

4) Meats including lean pork, chicken, turkey,

and fish.

5) A variety of spices, soymilk products and tofu

are used as natural flavor

enhancers.

6) Meals are cooked on site. No frying in a

grease product.

The Appleton Central Alternative Charter School's

Breakfast Program:

1) Bottled water, 100%juice, milk, and blended

energy drinks

2) Whole grain foods free of additives, dyes,

artificial preservatives and

saturated fats.

3) Granola, peanut butter, almond butter, natural

fruit preserves, fresh

fruits.

(Nutritional Resource Foundation, 2004)

According to the Nutritional Resource Foundation,

outcomes of this Wellness

and Nutrition Program included " increased ability

to concentrate in the

school setting, more on task-behavior, increased

cognitive development,

ability to think more clearly, objectively, and

rationally, and dropouts and

expulsions may be dramatically reduced " (2004).

Teachers and principals have

observed that " [g]rades are up, truancy is no

longer a problem, arguments

are rare, and teachers are able to spend their

time teaching " (The Feingold

Association, 2003). Their superintendent, Dr.

Scullen, noted that the

kids are coming to school, expulsions are rare,

the drop-out rate is almost

nil, and although he expected a healthy diet

would improve behavior, he was

surprised that it had such an impact on academic

performance (The Feingold

Association, 2003). A teacher commented, " We

noticed a change from the

get-go. All teachers reported that students were

able to concentrate for

longer periods in class " (NRF, 2004). They have

seen a " tremendous change "

in their students' behavior for the better.

The Whitefish Central School in Montana has also

adopted this program. Over

the past three years, " [t]eachers report that

they have gained between 10

and 15% additional teaching time since the

children have calmed down and are

more alert and able to focus. This is reflected

in the fact that the school

now ranks academically in the 76th percentile in

the state " (,

2004). They also found that " [t]here has been

another change in the

cafeteria: the amount of food wasted has been cut

in half, from 85 to 100

pounds per day, to about 45 pounds " (,

2004).

Other schools with similar desired outcomes are

also showing success. " .[A]

recently released study by WestEd, a nonprofit

research, development and

service agency, found that California schools

with students who routinely

engaged in healthy eating and physical activity

had larger subsequent gains

in test scores than other schools. 'These studies

show what we have known -

that healthy school meals play a critical and

positive role in students'

development and learning process,' said Donna

Wittrock, president of the

American School Food Service Association " (SDA,

2003).

In the Elementary School in Leavenworth,

Kansas, the Eat, Exercise,

Excel program left a principal commenting,

" Discipline will no longer be an

issue in this building " (2004). We know that if

our students aren't well

behaved, that won't learn much. If they are

removed from the room because of

discipline problems, they learn even less.

WHAT DOES IT COST

Adopting a program like the one in the Appleton

School District " costs about

the same as any other school lunch program "

(Super Size Me, 2004). Perhaps

the question we should be asking though is not

what does it cost, but what

will it cost if we do not adopt a strong

nutrition and wellness program in

our schools.

Action for Health Kids (AFHK) recently released a

report titled The Learning

Connection that summarizes evidence demonstrating

the negative impact poor

nutrition, inactivity and weight problems can

have on student achievement.

According to former US Surgeon General and

founding chair of AFHK, Dr.

Satcher, " The Learning Connection examines the

impact of the root causes of

childhood overweight and reveals a strong link

between children's health and

academic success. This report provides insight on

possible costs to schools

as the result of poor nutrition, inactivity and

weight problems, and makes

the case for additional research to find more

definitive data. " Although

more research is needed to fully understand the

link between poor nutrition,

physical inactivity and academic achievement, the

consequences The Learning

Connection presents for the learning process as

well as to school budgets

are striking. .The report also quantifies dollars

that schools lose when

children are absent from school -- small amounts

for individual students but

this can add up. Particularly, the report

demonstrates that, " Even an

average school with a high absence rate based on

poor nutrition and physical

inactivity would lose from $95,000 to $160,000

per year in state aid " (SDA,

2004).

Our students are not the only ones that cost the

district money when they

are not healthy, sick teachers cost money too.

" The Appleton, Wisconsin

Alternative High School serves fresh, homemade

foods that the students and

faculty enjoy. The full cost for this

transformation was only about $20,000

per year- a fraction of what schools now spend to

address the learning and

behavior problems that are being caused, in part,

by junk foods " (NRF,

2004). The principal LuAnn Coenen said, " I can't

buy the argument that it is

too costly for schools to provide good nutrition

for their students. I found

that one cost will reduce another. I don't have

the vandalism. I don't have

the litter. I don't have the need for high

security " (The Feingold

Association, 2003). One teacher noted that,

" We're concerned about new band

uniforms. We're concerned about the football

team. We're concerned about

textbooks. Why not be concerned about nutrition?

Nutrition should be part of

the general operating budget " (The Feingold

Association, 2003). A member of

the Board of Education in the L.A. Unified School

district observed, " It's

not about money, it's not about economics, it's

about health " (Super Size

Me, 2004).

SUPPORT

In order for any change to be accepted, people

need to be shown the

advantages of doing it. If your district is not

ready for a full-blown

nutrition program, there are ways to gradually

introduce healthy eating

habits. Here are some steps to consider:

Use soy yogurt for dressings and tartar sauce,

use reduced fat mayonnaise,

use whole grain flour, have fresh fruit

available, try lower fat cheeses,

reduce amount of butter used in cooking, offer

vegetarian toppings on

pizzas, use lean meat, eliminate the deep fryer,

limit the choice of hot

dogs or foods high in salt, bad fat and coloring

to no more than once

monthly, remove salt shakers, offer low-in-sugar

breakfast items, and

clearly define the limits of fat and sodium that

you expect in the foods

served (Evers, 1995).

As with any change, " t starts with leadership.

You have to believe that

what you're going to do is going to work, and

then you have to have the

teachers on board. Once you are able to convince

them, it is pretty simple

to get the kids to follow " (Eat, Exercise, Excel,

2004). Schools around the

country are trying to get kids more interested in

school lunches.

In National City, Calif., the School Board passed

a resolution proclaiming

the week National School Lunch Week. Legislators,

board members and parent

groups have been invited to " do " lunch with the

district's students.

Materials include posters, bookmarks and a parent

newsletter.

In County, Col., every day has a themed

menu with items such as Rift

Valley Baked Chicken and Call of the Wild Carrot

Sticks. The district also

will have special giveaways for parents and

children and Take Your Family to

Lunch Day.

In Polk County, Fla., the Discovery Academy will

become wild: tiki huts will

cover each terminal at the end of the lunch line,

vines and animals of every

description will adorn the walls, a homemade full

sized Jeep will be on hand

and special surprises will be given away to

students. Child nutrition staff

will be sporting animal aprons and headdresses. A

skit on the importance of

good nutrition will be presented, and students

will walk under a life-sized

giraffe to receive their lunch. (SDA, 2003)

Now we just have to make sure that all the foods

that are offered to kids in

school are extremely nutritious. If we are going

to get them excited about

food, we had better make sure it is the right

kind of food.

The Nutritional Resource Foundation has developed

a comprehensive plan for

approaching a nutrition program in schools. They

offer research to back it

up, examples of written policy their project

districts adopted, and

templates for administrators to send home and to

the media. This makes

implementation just that much easier.

The information is out there. There is research

to back it up. As leaders in

the business of helping kids, we must do what our

students need and give

them the competitive edge. Higher test scores,

better attendance, and

reduction of behavioral problems; it's not just

an administrator's dream, it

can be an administrative reality.

References:

, K. (2004, Sept). Montana school cleans

up the playground, then the

food. Pure Facts, 2.

Eat, Exercise, Excel [VHS] (2004). Wichita, KS:

The Center for the

Improvement of Human Functioning.

Evers, C. (1995). How to Teach Nutrition to Kids.

Oregon: Carrot Press.

Hersey, J. (Undated). Healthier Food for Busy

People: 20 little rules to

help you navigate the supermarket. andria,

VA: Pear Tree Press, Inc.

Hoffer, A. (1999). Dr. Hoffer's ABC of Natural

Nutrition for Children.

Ontario, Canada: Quarry Press, Inc.

Impact of Fresh, Healthy Foods on Learning and

Behavior [DVD]. (2004).

Manitowoc, WI: Natural Ovens, in connection of

the Nutritional Resource

Foundation.

Nutritional Resource Foundation. (2004). Roadmap

to Healthy Foods in Schools

[Guide]. Manitowoc, WI: Author.

Nutritional Resource Foundation. (2005, Oct.).

Test Scores Move Little in

Math, Reading:Improvement Appears Slight Since No

Child Left Behind.

Retrieved November 1, 2005, from

http://www.nutritionalresourcefoundation.org/index.php#four

School Nutrition Association. (2004, Nov.). AFHK

Reports Show Link Between

Nutrition & Academic Achievement. Retrieved

November 1, 2005, from

http://www.schoolnutrition.org/Index.aspx?id=883

School Nutrition

Association. (2005, Oct.).

Helping School Kids Reach Nutritional Excellence.

Retrieved November 1,

2005, from

http://www.asfsa.org/Article.aspx?

SMDOCID=bhsgml_2005_10_28_27766_917861681-0045-

KEYWORD.Missing & SMContentSet=0

School Nutrition Association. (2005). Program

History & Data. Retrieved

November 1, 2005, from

http://www.schoolnutrition.org/Index.aspx?id=71

School Nutrition Association. (2003, Oct.).

School Lunch: Something to Get Wild About.

Retrieved November 1, 2005, from

http://www.schoolnutrition.org/Index.aspx?id=944

School Nutrition

Association. (2005, Jan.).

SNA Releases New Report on School Nutrition

Market Trends. Retrieved

November 1, 2005, from

http://www.schoolnutrition.org/Index.aspx?id=931

, L. (1979). Feed Your Kids Right: Dr.

's Program for Your Child's

Total Health. New York: Mc-Graw Hill.

Super Size Me [DVD]. (2004). New York, NY:

Kathbur Pictures, Inc.

The Feingold Association of the United States.

(2003). Behavior, Learning &

Health: The Dietary Connection [brochure].

Atlanta, GA: Author.

DID YOU KNOW:

The most popular items sold in grocery stores

are:

Number One: Carbonated beverages

#2: Milk

#3: Breakfast cereals

(Cereal: History in a bowl. A & E Productions,

2005)

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