The Power of Nutrition and School Meals for Kids

Good nutrition is essential for children's cognitive function, concentration, and the energy levels required for learning and play. I spend my days working hard to ensure that people across the country know and understand the importance of quality food for our kids and their futures. Sadly, food insecurity affects one in five children in the U.S.—nearly 14 million kids. 

No Kid Hungry is the only national campaign working to end childhood hunger in the United States. We focus on three main areas: school and community meals, family meals, and most recently, the root causes of hunger. And we don’t do it alone, our network of partners is powerful and dedicated. We work with organizations in all 50 states by providing grant funding, advocating for better policies, conducting research, and providing assistance and support to schools, state agencies, and local nonprofits.

One of our partners, Chris Kuchman, a food service director in California, said it best

We use many tools to ensure kids can have their basic needs met and thus focus on being in the classroom. One is school breakfast programs, which provide nutritious, balanced options at the start of the school day. While foods served in schools may resemble those in stores, they are actually specifically designed to meet rigorous dietary standards and contain added essential nutrients.

Having access to meals in school has a variety of benefits for kids. Those who eat a daily school breakfast consume more fruits and vegetables, dietary fiber, whole grains, dairy, and calcium than those who eat breakfast less frequently. Similarly, kids who eat school lunch every day have higher intakes of dairy and calcium compared to those who eat lunch less often.

School meals can also reduce the stigma that kids facing hunger experience by offering food to all of their classmates as a routine part of their school day. This can have a powerful effect on their social and emotional experiences.

Chronic absenteeism also decreases by an average of 6% when students have access to breakfast as part of the school day. Regular attendance is crucial for kids and teens—students who attend class consistently are 20% more likely to graduate from high school.

Our team at No Kid Hungry has done the research and knows the impact of programs like Breakfast After the Bell, grab and go meals, and second chance breakfast. That impact is also echoed directly from school leaders like Kimberly Martinez - a Pre-K teacher from a school in San Antonio, Texas that received support from No Kid Hungry.

The power of nutrition in changing the trajectory of kids’ lives can’t be overstated.

The importance of quality nutrition for mental and physical wellbeing is a core value for AG1. Their continued partnership has been really meaningful, particularly as we all share a vision for the future, where all kids have access to healthy and nutritious meals year-round.

Click to learn more about No Kid Hungry or our partnership with AG1.