Free meals at school for all children . Schools will provide lunch and if offered breakfast to all students free of charge regardless of income . Some schools do offer this however it should be nation wide . Some schools do offer a free option that is different/less than the paid option . The free option can subject children to bullying/ ridicule from other students because it signals that their parents cannot afford to pay for lunch . All children should go to school knowing with complete confidence that they will be fed and without the anxiety of making the choice to go hungry or take the option that may subject them to ridicule from others . With all the frivolous government spending going towards other things , we can surely afford to make children a priority.
Agreed. But school lunches really need a complete nutrition overhaul. Our experience is they are currently terrible. We also miss so many opportunities to teach life skills to our children.
During my childhood, we actually took turns to assist the cafeteria staff to set up, cook, serve and clean up. The kids LOVED it. We learned so much. The food was delish!
Think of the opportunity to share so many skills like cooking, baking, sanitation and customer service.
When available, we should encourage co-op gardening offered by schools manned by students and taught by a community horticulture professionals. Produce should be free for students and used by the lunch program. Investment in roof top containers for those with space limitation or hydroponics for those in urban areas.
100%
Funding the basics should be the easy part. It is just a matter of prioritizing budgets. Student attendance to a small meal prior to any classes should be mandatory. That will help with peer cohesion, cognitive/behavioral development, and nutritional health benefits. Each student can be identified, and their participation documented.
The students should have a degree of choice of portion sizes, and items. Each person has slightly different dietary needs.
The educating of the students regarding the role of nutritional intake should be included in every semester, for the entire student career. These lessons should also include the benefits of small intake portion size with effective mastication.
Each student should have an availability of an evening meal, as well as weekend and seasonal break nutrition. A variation of the SNAP/EBT could provide such.
Food safety, preparation, storage, and production should be instructed and tested each year. By age 10, each student should have basic food preparation learned. By age 16, they should have the ability to produce breakfast, Noon, and evening meal.
It is intended the benefits will include reduction of dietary associated illness and obesity. There will be improved overall fitness, and improved cognitive and behavioral function, thereby having an effect on criminality later in life. The students will be empowered to be more self sufficient.