Christian Bateman
// The real solution to feeding America’s youth is not what we expect //
Providing K-12 students with access to nutritious meals should become a priority for educators in the United States. Though the CDC’s nutritional guidelines recommend 2-3 cups of vegetables per day as a primary source of nutrients, only 2% of students reportedly meet this dietary standard. The impacts of such malnutrition on the developing brain is devastating, as research has shown it to impair students’ abilities to focus and absorb information in the classroom. Education reformists and public health officials need to take a more creative approach to ensure that their students receive proper nutrition.
The evidence is clear: America is in the midst of an obesity epidemic. According to government funded research conducted in 2016, roughly 36% of the U.S population is obese, making the U.S the 12th most obese country in the world. In addition, nearly 20% of adolescents in America fall into this category––But why? It is well known that eating habits are generally developed early in childhood and throughout one’s youth. While biological factors are at play, economic factors have a profound impact on how children eat. Because of the high cost of eating a healthy diet, many low-income children do not have access to the fresh fruits and vegetables necessary for a healthy diet. Instead, they turn to processed and inexpensive foods, high in fats and sugars. Since many of these students take meals at school, it seems essential that if schools want to maximize their students’ chances of success, they take responsibility for feeding America’s youth the right way.
Legislative action has been taken to address this issue, but it has been so far largely ineffective. Backed by Michelle Obama, Congress passed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, organizing programs that provide food year round. In addition, nutritional requirements for school meals were implemented, requiring schools to provide one-half a cup of fruit for breakfast and one full cup of fruits or vegetables for lunch each day. However, since then, food waste has gone up by 56%, suggesting that the offerings are so unappealing that children are still not getting the nutrition they need. Schools, administrators, and policy makers have an obligation not only to provide students with the means to meet recommended nutritional requirements, but also to ensure that the requirements are actually met.
The idea that school lunches simply need to taste better is one gaining momentum in some regions. Dan Guisti, the former Chef de Pâtron of Noma–– a three Michelin starred establishment located in Copenhagen, Norway––has established a new model for school lunch. He and his team have implemented a gourmet approach to the school cafeteria, teaching school staff how to prepare foods both nutritious and high in quality at the cost of four dollars per meal. Through his organization Brigaid, Guisti has revamped school lunch menus throughout New York, Connecticut, and parts of Virginia. While there has not been substantial data collected on the results, one large district in New York saw a staggering 500% increase in the number of salads purchased in the school cafeteria. While feeding thousands of children is no easy task, Guisti has continued to work with students to provide meals which they enjoy. According to Guisti, “there’s quite a rhyme or reason why they do and don’t eat things…If it tastes better and there’s more flavor, they’re gonna eat it.”
Ultimately, schools and administrators need to begin placing a focus not only on how they can provide meals of high nutritional value at a bargain, but also on how they can make these meals as appealing as possible. Proper nutrition is essential to ensuring that students reach their full potential in the classroom by maximizing their cognitive functions. Providing students with nutritious meals is not enough. Schools need to help kids actually meet the recommended dietary standards by improving the taste of the meals they provide. Such a change would radically improve public health among American youth.
