Connections to Learning
Fact Sheet
“Nutrition”
WHAT IS NUTRITION?
The health and well-being of children is directly impacted by their overall nutritional status.
The types of foods eaten and the meal patterns are linked to both academic performance and the
overall long term health.
HOW DOES NUTRITION RELATE TO CONNECTIONS TO LEARNING?
Poor nutrition and inactivity can negatively impact both academics and social skills among
students.. Delaware is no exception with 36% of the students classified as overweight or at-risk to be
overweight (Nemours.org). Childhood obesity is not just a health issue; it also impacts academic
achievement and social and emotional health. To help reverse current trends schools need to consider
modified and/or new approaches to partnering with communities, families and students. Schools can
play a pivotal role in the effort to optimize student health. Quality school nutrition programs, the
availability of healthy snacks in vending machines and policies that eliminate the sale of junk foods for
fund raisers are all basic steps that districts and schools can adopt. Nationally, it is recognized that
schools did not create the obesity epidemic. It is also recognized that schools present the greatest
opportunities for systemic solutions as a vested stakeholder.
The U.S. Department of Education has produced a list of effective strategies to help
stakeholders target behaviors that lead to improve health. These strategies include; making healthy
foods more readily available, influencing food and beverage contracts to require healthy items only,
developing comprehensive wellness policies, increasing opportunities to teach nutrition education and
offer physical activity in after-school programs, making physical activity and nutrition a part of every
day life, creating fundraising activities and student reward programs that support health, and
developing nutrition standards for the entire school environment . The U.S. Department of Education
also provides research based documentation that supports the effectiveness of these strategies.
Students will purchase healthy foods, parents and staff can influence behavior, and schools can make
maintain or increase revenues with healthy foods selections. Even though healthy food choices are
sometimes more expensive, data shows that revenues will more than support the increased costs.
WHY IS NUTRITION A KEY COMPONENT OF THE CONNECTIONS TO LEARNING “PUZZLE”?
Childhood obesity is an ever increasing problem in schools across America. Schools can help
themselves financially, and help students overall by providing effective services that address the issues
of health and nutrition.
RESEARCH AND EXAMPLES OF BEST PRACTICES/PROGRAMS
In Montgomery County, Maryland schools collaborated with parents, health officials, and
community advocates to work toward implementation of a healthy option snack machine. The purpose
was to eliminate junk foods and increase student ability to make health food choices; along with
providing consistency among health efforts provided by schools and guardians (MCPS website). The
efforts to create a change worked. Students bought, and continue to buy healthy foods and beverages
Connections to Learning
Fact Sheet
“Nutrition” cont’d.
from vending machines. With collaboration among all stakeholders, health is being provided
consistently between schools, students, and families (MCPS website).
Offering foods a la carte also yields positive results. A la carte offerings pertain to vending
machines, but also include providing healthy options in school stores and snack bars (Making it
Happen). Serving low-fat foods as a comparable food item to a higher fat foods, offering healthy foods,
and providing correct portion sizes are among changes schools can make (Making it Happen). In a San
Francisco Middle School, significant results have been made from implementation changes made in its
a la carte program. Changes include: students buying more water than soft drinks from vending
machines; appropriate portion sizes are being used; healthy food options are being implemented; and
students are buying lower fat options (Making it Happen). Due to these changes, administrators and
teachers report better behavior after lunch, and less visits to the counseling office in the afternoon
(Making it Happen). The school recognizes that collaboration among teachers and cafeteria staff,
support from families, student buy-in and student feedback are keys to its successful program (Making
it Happen).
The breakfast program is another successful strategy for improving nutrition and healthy
behaviors. Participation in the breakfast program has shown improvement in, test scores, attendance,
and commitment to school (Learning Connection). Eating breakfast also decreases obesity rates due to
starting the day with a healthy meal. Students will have more energy to be physically active in
physical education class and recess, and will not overeat at lunch (Learning Connection).
Connections to Learning
Fact Sheet
“Nutrition” Citations & Resources
Kysilko, David (Ed.) (2004). The obesity epidemic. The Journal of the National Association of State
Boards of Education, 5(2).
Action for Healthy Kids. (2004). The learning connection: The value of improving nutrition and
physical activity in our schools.
Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture; Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; and U.S. Department of Education.
FNS-374, Making It Happen! School Nutrition Success Stories. Alexandria, VA, January 2005.
www.actionforhealthykids.org (Nutrition resources)
www.asfsa.org (School Nutrition Association. Includes self-assessment tool)
www.cashnet.org/news/2005/HCRL/bestpracticesdraft.pdf (Best Practices for Nutrition)
www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/nutrition/making-it-happen/index.htm (Success stories)
www.cspinet.org/new/pdf/dispensing_junk.pdf (Vending Machines)
www.eatsmartmovemorenc.com/ESMMmaterials/schoolfoodstandards.pdf (Examples school in North
Carolina. Changed their standards for foods available in school)
www.fns.usda.gov/tn (changing nutrition environment)
www.mcps.k12.md.us/index.cfm (Montgomery County Maryland Initiative)
www.michigan.gov/documents/healthyweight_13649_7.pdf (Example of a Michigan school
promoting healthy weight)
www.misdtx.net/menus/nutrition%20policyR101403.pdf (Mercedes Independent School District –
Example district of healthy policies)
www.nemours.org (Nemours official website)
http://pasaorg.tripod.com/nutrition/archive.html (Parents Advocating School Accountability)
www.rnjf.org/news/feature-detail (Healthy Schools for Healthy Kids)