Nutrition
Nutrition is what drives the body and mind. The saying, "You are what you eat," is true. This topic is important to me because it not only affects the children I work with but myself. When I eat junk food, I feel gross physically and mentally less motivated. However, when I eat healthy and well-balanced meals, I feel empowered. There is much debate on child nutrition and what children should be eating in their everyday diet. New research is always arising on new "superfoods" or "toxic ingredients" and what should be included in our diets (Magee, 2017) (Robinson, 2017). What a child eats directly affects their cognitive and physical abilities, and I have seen it in my classroom. The children who have well-balanced meals are more alert and focused on their academics compared to the students who are provided candy and junk food for their lunches and snacks. Children's bodies should be filled with nutrition-rich foods that encourage healthy development mentally and physically.
In many parts of the world, we have the opportunity to pick and choose which foods are optimal for children's diets, but not all countries are fortunate to have this benefit. In India, malnutrition is a nationwide epidemic. Millions of infants and children do not receive anything close to their required nutritional intake and suffer from malnutrition (Parikh, 2017). In turn, this affects birthweight, health, and future development.
Image Source: Daily Times, 2016
Learning more about nutrition throughout this course has encouraged me to provide healthy food for my students. If I am unable to offer it, I can teach them about the benefits of eating healthy and hope to motivate them to have healthier diets intrinsically. Some children may be academically unmotivated for some external reason, but it could also be a result of poor nutrition. It's important to consider this when teaching and interacting with children, and if possible, I can provide a nutritional solution :).
Daily Times. (2016). 600 children die from malnutrition in India. Retrieved from https://dailytimes.com.pk/56286/600-children-die-from-malnutrition-in-india/
Magee, A. (2017). Say goodbye to kale: the superfood trends for 2017. Retrieved from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health-fitness/nutrition/say-goodbye-kale-superfood-trends-2017-five-new-ingredients/
Parikh, P. S. (2017) An advocacy strategy to ending child malnutrition in India. Columbia University Libraries. Retrieved from https://academiccommons.columbia.edu/catalog/ac:207337
Robinson, J. (2017). Most cancer is caused by processed food and toxic ingredients, new study confirms. Retrieved from https://www.naturalnews.com/2017-08-13-most-cancer-caused-by-processed-food-and-toxic-ingredients-new-study-confirms-2.html
In many parts of the world, we have the opportunity to pick and choose which foods are optimal for children's diets, but not all countries are fortunate to have this benefit. In India, malnutrition is a nationwide epidemic. Millions of infants and children do not receive anything close to their required nutritional intake and suffer from malnutrition (Parikh, 2017). In turn, this affects birthweight, health, and future development.
Learning more about nutrition throughout this course has encouraged me to provide healthy food for my students. If I am unable to offer it, I can teach them about the benefits of eating healthy and hope to motivate them to have healthier diets intrinsically. Some children may be academically unmotivated for some external reason, but it could also be a result of poor nutrition. It's important to consider this when teaching and interacting with children, and if possible, I can provide a nutritional solution :).
References
Daily Times. (2016). 600 children die from malnutrition in India. Retrieved from https://dailytimes.com.pk/56286/600-children-die-from-malnutrition-in-india/
Magee, A. (2017). Say goodbye to kale: the superfood trends for 2017. Retrieved from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health-fitness/nutrition/say-goodbye-kale-superfood-trends-2017-five-new-ingredients/
Parikh, P. S. (2017) An advocacy strategy to ending child malnutrition in India. Columbia University Libraries. Retrieved from https://academiccommons.columbia.edu/catalog/ac:207337
Robinson, J. (2017). Most cancer is caused by processed food and toxic ingredients, new study confirms. Retrieved from https://www.naturalnews.com/2017-08-13-most-cancer-caused-by-processed-food-and-toxic-ingredients-new-study-confirms-2.html
That is so true. Children bodies should be filled with nutritious foods to help their bodies develop physically and mentally. I have noticed a child that eats a whole lot of junk foods have a tendency of acting out in the classrooms. Children who eat well you have fewer problems with them. Teaching children about fine eating is a good source to encourage them.
ReplyDeleteTara,
ReplyDeleteI really like that you chose nutrition as your topic. Nutrition is such a crucial role to children because in order for them to develop they need proper nutrition. There are government programs, such as WIC that allows families who are not able to afford nutrients food to be able to buy it. I also like how you pointed out junk food, because that is something that children should have limited access to. Great Post!
Tara,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about the importance of nutrition. With all the unhealthy choices out there, it is easy to get lazy and eat something quick and convenient. I am happy to say that I don't see too many poor choices in our children's lunches. We promote healthy eating at our school. We are also a nut-free school for our children with allergies. All children bring their lunch to school since we do not have a cafeteria. In stark contrast of our food choices and food waste are countries like India. It is sad to see children from all over the world suffer from malnutrition.
Thank you for sharing your insights on nutrition!
Trish
Nutrition and child can be such a sad topic! It is so important to recognize the positive impact a well-balanced diet can make on a child's overall development. It can also help a child feel prepared for the day when food is available. It always breaks my heart when those things are not possible for children. I love that you will work to make sure all children receive what they need to be ready for your class each day!
ReplyDelete