Nutrition Benefits Student Cognition

LEANNE ANG

STAFF WRITER

Within the regular school day, lunch is the period students look forward to the most. Many students spend their lunch break eating and socializing or cramming for the next period.

However, once the bell rings, some students find themselves throwing away unfinished school lunches and making their way to fifth period on half filled, sometimes empty stomachs. In middle school, students were given recess and lunch to ensure that growing kids would be guaranteed sufficient time to eat unlike in high school.

The reason why public high schools in California do not assign recess is because there is a certain amount of instructional minutes schools must complete within the school year in order to meet district standards. Assigning recess would mean longer school days with the extra minutes tacked on at the end of the day.

Nonetheless, research conducted by the Montana Team Nutrition Program suggests that students given a recess return to class disciplined and ready to learn. If high schools were to make nutrition breaks mandatory, there would be an increase in food consumption and students would be less likely be distracted during class. Successful school systems in countries like Finland typically have four seventy-five minute classes with various intervals that allow students and teachers to arrive to class rested. Allowing students more than one nutrition break reduces stress and lack of nutrition giving them a chance to live healthier lifestyles.     

Nutrition is a key component to the development of growing students. Without this building block, students are hampered from reaching their fullest potential in high school. In order to benefit future generations, schools should emphasize the health of their students and strive to make a change in the school system.