Here at Hope, we understand the importance of a healthy and balanced diet in school. But we also know how challenging it can be to promote healthy eating to children.
Every school wants to promote a healthy lifestyle, improve snacking and incorporate healthy eating in their livelihood as part of their everyday living. Parents are also desperate to give their kids a healthy diet, not just in school but at home too.
So, we’ve put together a guide to help you encourage a healthy lifestyle for your class.
The importance of healthy eating in schools
You’ve probably heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But did you know that snacks are just as important?
Healthy snacks are an essential part of a growing child’s diet. Childhood is a critical time for growth and development, and snacks provide essential nutrients, that children need between meals. This means your class should have a nutritious mid-morning and mid-afternoon snack at school.
Some of the benefits of healthy snacks at school include:
A boost in energy
Snacking between meals helps children meet their daily nutritional intake and maintain a healthy diet. Did you know less food intake to the body makes the stomach smaller? Making sure children in schools have meals or snacks between their studies can help increase kids’ productivity as it gives them the energy to do so.
We have heard many stories from children and parents about how difficult it is for some children to concentrate at school when they are hungry, especially if they haven’t eaten breakfast before starting school. Healthy snacking can help children concentrate and learn while being hungry can make them irritable and tired.
A healthier metabolism
Snacks are a great way to help children improve their metabolism. When kids eat snacks between their meals, it helps them get the most out of their metabolism. This can help them with school and test results because it enables them to be more focused and alert for longer periods.
However, when kids are eating meals with lots of food but not snacking in between, it may slow down their metabolic rate. This is because the body isn’t being used as much as it should be when they’re eating snacks in between meals as well.
When children have snacks consistently throughout the day, it helps them perform better in school. There’s nothing worse than being hungry right before a big test or presentation! You want to make sure pupils are getting enough nutrition so they can always stay alert during those important moments that matter most to them.
Improved cognitive function
As children grow, we want them to have the best possible education and life. And one of the most important parts of this is ensuring that they have a healthy diet.
Eating plenty of fruit and vegetables, while drinking lots of water and getting a good amount of exercise will make them feel better in themselves, which can help them to concentrate and learn better in school. It also helps their bodies to grow healthily, keeping them fit and healthy for years to come.
Children can be notoriously difficult to feed when it comes to healthy foods, but with a little persistence, you can sneak some good stuff into their diets! Try serving up tasty snacks in classrooms like bananas or apples.
Include lots of fruit and vegetables in a child’s diet from an early age – this will make it easier for them to adjust as they get older and begin to make their own food choices. Encourage them to eat more by making it fun – for example, ask them what fruits and vegetables come in different colours!
Schools play an important role in shaping lifelong healthy eating habits by offering nutritious meals to children.
How to incorporate healthy eating in school
We have come up with some ideas to help you promote healthy eating in your classroom:
Encourage children to start their morning with school breakfast
Did you know that starting off the day with a good breakfast can help children to perform better in their class? A good breakfast can give your brain the fuel it needs to function better, and it can also help a child’s mood. Not only this will make them great learners, it can also help them be more focused and engaged.
Serve healthy snacks as part of their everyday eating routine
Start by leaving snacks on the table in your classrooms such as chopped vegetables like cucumber, celery, or even ready-to-eat fruits such as apples and grapes. This will motivate and encourage pupils to snack more, promoting healthy eating in your school.
Teach children more about nutrition
Nutrition is an important part of a child’s education. Teaching them about the food they eat and where it comes from helps them make healthier choices for themselves.
One way to do this is by growing food in the classroom. Having students plant seeds and care for the plants will help them learn what it takes to grow food. It also shows them that healthy food can be delicious!
Another way to incorporate nutrition into lessons is by introducing kids to different cultures’ cuisines. This teaches students about different parts of the world while also showing them how other people eat—and why they eat that way.
The best part about these snack ideas is that they encourage students to eat healthier. Snacks that will help them stay focused in class and have the energy they need to get them through their day. All kids deserve a school day where they are full of energy and their bodies can focus on learning.
Did you know that having a healthy, balanced diet and exercising is just as important for teachers as it is for students? That’s right – as teachers, we often forget to have snacks between meals or even exercise outside of our work hours. At Hope, we have created a guide to: keep fit and active during a pandemic to help you too.