Children raised by war survivors have a unique attitude to food. They are reluctant to throw leftover food away. Paring tubers (e.g. yams, potatoes or plantains) is done with precision. Not an inch of the tuber is wasted. And nutrition is hardly mentioned. Everyone is grateful to have enough to eat. Food is regarded as a tool for sustenance and, occasionally, for health.
As we entered the information age, attitudes began to change. As the years progressed, nutritionists took center stage in medical facilities, schools and research institutes. Their roles? Championing the cause of good, healthy and balanced diets.
These days, parents are becoming more aware of the link between proper nutrition and academic performance. Still, some parents wonder how to strike a balance. Isn’t there a risk of overfeeding the children? They ask. Won’t stuffing the child with food make him or her sleep during classes? And of course, parents have to contend with the reports released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention concerning obese children and overweight young adults.
Although most parents want to make sure that their children are on the right diet, they do not know the most important facts about children’s nutrition. In this article, we outline the most important aspects of the link between nutrition and academic success. We also show how to improve your child’s school performance.
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What Makes A Nutritious Diet?
A nutritious diet includes unprocessed carbohydrates, plant and animal-based proteins, vegetables and fruits. A recent survey showed that most children’s diets lacked nutritious food options. According to the survey, over ninety per cent of the children weren’t getting the daily recommended amount of vegetables. Seventy-five percent of the children in the survey weren’t getting the right amount of fruits as well. These children were on diets that had more than the recommended amounts of solid fats and (processed and unprocessed) sugars. Not only were such children more likely to be overweight and unhealthy, they were less likely to do well in subjects that required critical thinking, logic, and problem solving skills.
Poor Child Nutrition Leads To Poor Health and Academic Performance.
Medical journals are filled with well-researched essays that prove that poor child nutrition can have dire health consequences. According to studies, poorly nourished students are more likely to be diagnosed with heart-related diseases and obesity. Poor nutrition and lack of exercises can adversely affect the child’s performance in school.
Experts recommend that children’s meals should contain all the food groups, especially vegetables and fruits. The idea is to help boost the brain function of the students. Studies have also shown that schools which prioritize feeding programs and physical education record better academic performance among its students.
Breakfast Like A King.
It is impossible to discuss the associations between academic performance and nutrition, without looking at the evidence that shows the important roles of breakfast.
Before I delve into this aspect of nutrition, I’d like to say this: don’t skip breakfast. Encourage your child to eat a nutritious breakfast. Breakfast is avowed to be the number one nutritional factor that affects academic performance.
According to research, the frequency and composition of the student’s breakfast can affect academic performance. Be creative when choosing breakfast recipes. You can serve sugar-sweetened beverages, but don’t forget to include fruits and vegetables too. Aim for a high quality diet.
Health Benefits of A Regular, Nutritious Breakfast
A rich, nutritious breakfast helps each child:
- Ingest the right amount of calories required to boost physical growth and brain development.
- Acquire an assortment of vitamins and minerals to boost his/her immune system and to prevent deficiencies.
- Stay active and alert in class.
Breakfast consumption has been proven to boost academic performance by enhancing cognitive functions like memory and neural efficiency. School proprietors can opt for breakfast programs as research has shown that they can be very beneficial in curbing absenteeism and truancy in students.
Another recent study also revealed that hunger hampered the brain function of students. It showed that malnourished children were more likely to skip school and to do poorly in critical thinking tests. To boost your child’s scores in mathematics, logic and science, take steps to upgrade their nutrition status.
Conclusion
Consuming nutritious meals play a huge role in children’s abilities to learn. Regular, balanced diets increase children’s physical and mental health.
Nutrition is one of those crucial environmental factors that affect brain development and consequently, academic performance. Parents must take steps to feed their children properly.
