More schools will be able to offer fresh fruits and vegetables to students under grants announced Tuesday. Credit: Martin Cathrae via Creative Commons
Hungry students don’t learn as well, which is why schools on Tuesday welcomed the announcement of new or renewed federal and state funding to provide students with fruits, vegetables, breakfasts and summer meals.
Hunger is one of the more tangible obstacles to learning, research has found, and California schools have a lot of hungry students in class.
More than 20 percent of households in California didn’t have enough money to buy food at times in 2012, according to a Gallup poll and an analysis by the Food Research and Access Center, a Washington-based advocacy group. Schools are working to fill the nutritional gap.
“Often the only place students – especially ones from economically disadvantaged households – can get nutritious food is at school,” State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson said in a statement announcing $12.5 million in state and federal grants that will allow hundreds of school sites to provide nutritious food to students. “Students too preoccupied with hunger don’t learn as well as well-nourished children.”
The bulk of the money – $11.4 million – will allow 367 elementary school sites to participate in the 2013-14 federal Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, which allows schools to buy produce, often locally grown, to offer as free snacks during the school day to students. The number of sites is an increase over the 343 elementary schools that participated in 2012-13. An evaluation of the program in March found that students at schools with the program ate more fresh fruits and vegetables, separate from breakfast and lunch, and were quite enthusiastic about the healthy snacks. Another 82 school sites will share more than $1 million in grants through the School Breakfast Program and Summer Food Service Program, which will fund some of the cost of starting up or expanding those programs.
Whenever healthy food and children are involved, the issue is how to entice students to eat and, if the food is in the classroom, how to make serving the snacks not too onerous for teachers.
“We provide a basket of fresh fruit or vegetable snacks in classrooms every day, all day, pretty much,” said Debbie Anlauf, director of nutrition services for the Kings Canyon Unified School District. To simplify the presentation for teachers, the broccoli, jicama, and other vegetables are wrapped in individual packets and served without dip.
“It’s surprising that (students) learn to eat them, but they do,” Anlauf said. ”I tell them it’s real fast food – you don’t have to do much except rinse it off. It’s a better fast food than going through the drive-through.”
California ranks 15th in the nation in “food hardship” reported by families, defined as not having enough money at some point during the year to buy enough food to feed their family. Source: “Food Hardship in America 2012″ by the Food Action and Research Center
Increasing the number of breakfast takers has been tricky. About 70 percent of students who are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch take the lunch, said Tia Shimada, a policy advocate at California Food Policy Advocates, a nonprofit organization, while only 30 percent of those who are eligible take the breakfast. “One of the primary drivers is when and where breakfast is being served,” she said. Schools that offer breakfast during a mid-morning classroom break, known as a “second chance breakfast,” can have participation rates of more than 80 percent, Shimada said.
“We know there is a huge connection between eating breakfast and improving API scores in schools,” said Diane Woloshin, director of nutrition services at the Alameda County Public Health Department, referring to the Academic Performance Index, the state’s main measurement for schools, as based on standardized test scores.
“Children who eat breakfast are more attentive and better able to concentrate,” she said. “We are strong proponents of universal breakfast and breakfast in the classroom.”
And marketing is a factor. Billy Reid, food service consultant for Stanislaus Union School District, is excited about funding that will allow the district to expand its summer meals program. To help publicize the program, he plans to buy portable barbecues so the schools can grill outside and attract students with the appealing scent of grilled meat and vegetables.
“The visual of a smoking barbecue and the smell — it garners attention,” he said.
Jane Meredith Adams covers student wellness. Contact her or follow her @JaneAdams.