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Millions of American students suffer from mental health problems, and only a fraction are receiving necessary treatment, warns a brief from the American Institutes for Research.

And the prevalence of mental health problems appears to be growing. Sixty-two percent of college students reported feeling "overwhelming anxiety" over the previous year in 2016, up from 50 percent just five years prior. More alarming still, hospitalizations for mood disorders among children ages 17 and under leaped by 68 percent between 1997 and 2011.

Building largely on government data, including a blockbuster 2013 analysis from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the brief observes that up to 20 percent of Americans under the age of 18 suffer from mental, behavioral, or emotional disorders. (That translates to approximately 15 million children across the country, according to 2010 U.S. Census figures.) The most common disorders include ADHD, depression, conduct problems, autism, substance abuse, and Tourette's syndrome.

Yet estimates show that almost half of all children with those emotional or psychological conditions don't receive either medication or psychological services, and only 7.4 percent of adolescents report visiting with a mental health professional over the course of a year. Since the onset of these problems can be difficult to detect, and millions of families lack health insurance, children must often rely on mental health resources provided by their schools.

"Schools sometimes serve as the de facto mental health system for children in the United States," write authors Elizabeth Freeman and Kimberly Kendziora.

The report recommends that schools develop "multilevel, evidence-based interventions" to reverse the tide of young adults - particularly those living in poverty - struggling with depression, anxiety, and a host of other ailments.

Yet in-school supports are already overstretched. Although the National Association of School Psychologists recommend a ratio of no more than 700 students per school psychologist when comprehensive mental health services are being provided, the ratio across American schools in 2014-15 was estimated to be nearly twice that. Teachers, already responsible for academic achievement and classroom management, typically receive little training in dealing with mental health problems.

That's why schools need to lead the way in collecting mental health information among students and family and developing working relationships with local doctors, hospitals, and mental health agencies, according to the brief.

The authors recommend that school leaders use one of a number of free tools to develop surveys for both parents and school staff, inquiring about the most common mental health problems students experience and the availability of community-based services to address them. Next, leaders can develop school-level mental health plans that specify which interventions (support groups, youth mentoring, outpatient treatment) are most needed and how to target them.

"Partnerships between schools and community mental/behavioral health professionals offer students and families an extended network of services that are easily accessible," the authors write. "When programs are able to identify and address student mental and behavioral challenges early, students are more likely to gain resiliency skills and be successful in school and life while the threat of later harm is reduced."

That harm is both real and severe. Children with mental health problems are vastly more likely to develop substance abuse problems, become involved in criminal activity, and drop out of school. Among Americans ages 10 to 24, suicide is the third-leading cause of death.

Submit a Letter to the Editor

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The Hidden Mental Health Crisis in America's Schools: Millions of Kids Not Receiving Services They Need

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Millions of American students suffer from mental health problems, and only a fraction are receiving necessary treatment, warns a brief from the American Institutes for Research. And the prevalence of mental health problems appears to be growing. Sixty-two percent of college students reported feeling "overwhelming anxiety" over the previous year in 2016, up from 50 [...]

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Diet, Nutrition and the Prevention of Chronic Disease

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Diet, Nutrition and the Prevention of Chronic Disease

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WHO | Diet, nutrition and the prevention of chronic diseases

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A report of the joint WHO/FAO expert consultation on diet, nutrition and the prevention of chronic diseases.

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Nutrition Education in the K-12 Curriculum

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Nutrition Education in the K-12 Curriculum

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In the first two sessions of the workshop, three speakers explained why the time is right for national nutrition education curriculum standards. The severity of the hunger and obesity problems has intensified an ongoing conversation to the point where action is possible.

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Cooking with children in schools promotes the lifetime skill of healthy cooking starting at a young age. A California Department of Education survey indicated that 87 percent of fourth to eighth graders said that they cook and make some of their meals or snacks. However, youth who lack healthy cooking knowledge may rely on packaged foods or prepared foods containing questionable nutrition value. Introducing healthy cooking in schools has many benefits:

Children may try new and healthy foods. Recent research published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics indicates that children engaged in tactile experiences, such as handling foods, have less food neophobia (food fear) and greater acceptance of eating a variety of foods.

A kitchen is a learning lab for children that can involve all of their senses. While kneading, tossing, pouring, smelling, cutting, and feeling foods they have fun and learn without being aware of it.

Children who cook at home indicate a "sense of accomplishment," self-confidence, and feeling of contributing to their families.

They spend time cooking instead of engaged in screen time.

Children tend to skip less healthy prepared or processed snack foods as they prepare their own food more.

Recent research indicates that nutrition knowledge may be incomplete without the experiential learning or hands-on activities associated with food preparation that involves handling food and cooking equipment.

Children learn lifetime skills through practicing basic math skills such as counting, weighing, measuring, tracking time; they also gain social skills by working together and communicating in the kitchen.

Teaching cooking to youth is an opportunity to teach nutrition education such as planning meals and make smarter food choices.

Cooking can aid children in acceptance of responsibility. Each child has a task to complete to contribute the meal preparation and cleanup.

Cooking in schools can build positive memories that promote future healthy, enjoyable cooking elsewhere.

Children ate more fruits and vegetables after participating in culinary classes according to some research studies.

Many research studies show improved changes in cooking knowledge, food safety behaviors, and cooking self-efficacy.

Other studies indicate that teaching nutrition education with food preparation in science class is more effective than in nutrition education science classes without food preparation.

Many school faculty are beginning to embrace cooking to teach and promote healthier eating. To get started in your school, below are recommended web resources about cooking programs and curriculum occurring at public schools.

Recommended Resources
Common Threads
Cook for Kids, Wellness in the Schools

Cooking Matters, Share Our Strength

Cooking with Kids, Illinois Extension
FoodMaster Lesson Plans
Teen Cuisine, Virginia Cooperative Extension

Contributor
Mary Ann McFarland, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University South West District Extension Office
Resources

A Call for Culinary Skills Education in Childhood Obesity Prevention Interventions: Current Status and Peer Influences, JAND: Vol.113:8, pages 1031-36.

Enjoyment of Tactile play in as associated with Lower Food Neophobia in Preschool Children, JAND: Vol.115:7, Pages 1134-1140.

Teacher Tips: Cooking with Kids, California Department of Education

The Impact of Cooking Classes on Food-Related Preferences, Attitudes, and Behaviors of School aged Children: a Systemic Review of the Evidence, 2003-2014, Prev. Chronic Dis 2014:11 140267.

Trend in US Home Food preparation and Consumption, Nutrition Journal, Vol. 12:45

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Cooking with Kids in Schools: Why It Is Important - eXtension

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Cooking with children in schools promotes the lifetime skill of healthy cooking starting at a young age. A California Department of Education survey indicated that 87 percent of fourth to eighth graders said that they cook and make some of their meals or snacks.

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nutrition education in public elementary and secondary schools

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Highlights, Nutrition Education in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools

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This FRSS report provides nationally representative data on the nature, content, and amount of nutrition education in grades K-12 in 1995.

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9 Ways That Processed Foods Are Harming People

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9 Ways That Processed Foods Are Harming People

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Processed foods, such as ready meals, baked goods, and processed meats, can have negative health effects.

Most food needs some degree of processing, and not all processed foods are bad for the body.

However, chemically processed foods, also called ultra-processed foods, tend to be high in sugar, artificial ingredients, refined carbohydrates, and trans fats. Because of this, they are a major contributor to obesity and illness around the world.

In recent decades, ultra-processed food intake has increased dramatically worldwide. These foods now account for 25-60% of a person's daily energy intake throughout much of the world.

This article looks at how processed foods can affect a person's health and what to avoid.

The term "processed food" can cause some confusion because most foods are processed in some way.

Mechanical processing - such as grinding beef, heating vegetables, or pasteurizing foods - does not necessarily make foods unhealthful. If the processing does not add chemicals or ingredients, it does not tend to lessen the healthfulness of the food.

However, there is a difference between mechanical processing and chemical processing.

Chemically processed foods often only contain refined ingredients and artificial substances, with little nutritional value. They tend to have added chemical flavoring agents, colors, and sweeteners.

These ultra-processed foods are sometimes called "cosmetic" foods, as compared with whole foods.

Some examples of ultra-processed foods include:

frozen or ready meals

baked goods, including pizza, cakes, and pastries

packaged breads

processed cheese products

breakfast cereals

crackers and chips

candy and ice cream

instant noodles and soups

reconstituted meats, such as sausages, nuggets, fish fingers, and processed ham

sodas and other sweetened drinks

Ultra-processed foods tend to taste good and are often inexpensive.

However, they usually contain ingredients that could be harmful if consumed in excess, such as saturated fats, added sugar, and salt. These foods also contain less dietary fiber and fewer vitamins than whole foods.

One large study, involving more than 100,000 adults, found that eating 10% more ultra-processed foods was associated with above a 10% increase in the risks of cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease, and cerebrovascular disorders.

The researchers reached this conclusion after accounting for saturated fat, sodium, sugar, and fiber intake.

Another large study, involving almost 20,000 adults, found that eating more than 4 servings of processed food daily was linked with an increased risk of all-cause mortality. For each additional serving, all-cause mortality risk increased by 18%.

Other research indicates that eating highly processed foods can lead to weight gain.

Below, we look at seven reasons why processed foods can increase the risk to a person's health.

Processed foods tend to contain added sugar and, often, high fructose corn syrup. Added sugar contains no essential nutrients but is high in calories.

Regularly consuming an excess of added sugar can lead to compulsive overeating. It is also linked with health conditions such as obesity, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and inflammatory diseases.

Processed foods and beverages are among the major sources of added sugar in the diet. Sweetened beverages are a particularly significant source; people tend to consume much more sugar than they realize in soft drinks.

Cutting down on added sugar - by drinking sparkling water instead of soda, for example - is a quick and effective way to make the diet more healthful.

The ingredients list on the back of processed food packaging is often full of unrecognizable substances. Some are artificial chemicals that the manufacturer has added to make the food more palatable.

Highly processed foods often contain the following types of chemicals:

preservatives, which keep the food from going bad quickly

artificial coloring

chemical flavoring

texturing agents

Also, processed foods can contain dozens of additional chemicals that are not listed on their labels.

For example, " artificial flavor " is a proprietary blend. Manufacturers do not have to disclose exactly what it means, and it is usually a combination of chemicals.

Official organizations have tested most food additives for safety, though the use of these chemicals remains controversial among doctors and researchers.

Carbohydrates are an essential component of any diet. However, carbs from whole foods provide far greater health benefits than refined carbohydrates.

The body breaks down refined, or simple, carbohydrates quickly, leading to rapid spikes in blood sugar and insulin levels. When these levels then drop, a person may experience food cravings and low energy.

Because refined carbs cause frequent increases and decreases in blood sugar, consuming them is linked with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.

Highly processed foods are often high in refined carbohydrates.

Healthful sources of carbohydrates include:

Ultra-processed foods are very low in essential nutrients, compared with whole or minimally processed foods.

In some cases, manufacturers add synthetic vitamins and minerals to replace nutrients lost during processing. However, whole foods provide additional healthful compounds that ultra-processed foods do not.

Fruits, vegetables, and grains, for example, contain healthful plant compounds with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticarcinogenic effects. These include flavonoids, anthocyanins, tannins, and carotenoids.

The best way to get the full range of essential nutrients is to eat whole, unprocessed, or minimally processed foods.

Dietary fiber has a wide range of health benefits.

Fiber can slow the absorption of carbohydrates and help people feel more satisfied with fewer calories. It also acts as a prebiotic, feeding the friendly bacteria in the gut, and can help boost heart health.

Most ultra-processed foods are very low in fiber, as natural fiber is lost during processing.

Healthful high fiber foods include:

The way that manufacturers process foods makes them very easy to chew and swallow.

Because much of the fiber is lost during processing, it takes less energy to eat and digest ultra-processed foods than whole or less processed foods.

As a result, it is easier to eat more of these products in shorter periods. In doing so, a person consumes more calories - and uses fewer in digestion - than they would if they had eaten whole foods instead.

This increases a person's chances of taking in more calories than they use up, which can lead to unintentional weight gain.

Ultra-processed foods are often high in unhealthful, cheap fats. For example, they often contain refined seed or vegetable oils, which can be easy to use, inexpensive, and last a long time.

Manufacturers create artificial trans fats by adding hydrogen to liquid vegetable oils, making them more solid.

Trans fats increase inflammation in the body. They also raise levels of low-density lipoprotein, or "bad," cholesterol, and decrease levels of high-density lipoprotein, or "good," cholesterol.

Eating trans fats is associated with an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. For example, according to a 2019 study, a 2% increase in energy intake from trans fats is linked with a 23% increase in cardiovascular risk.

The best way to avoid refined oils and trans fats is to avoid processed foods. A person can replace these with healthful alternatives, such as coconut oil or olive oil.

In recent decades, ultra-processed foods have become common in diets worldwide. However, eating large amounts of these foods increases risks to health.

To rebalance the diet or make it more healthful, a person can replace ultra-processed foods with whole foods, including grains, nuts, seeds, lean meats, fruits, vegetables, and legumes.

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Processed foods: Health risks and what to avoid

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Processed foods, such as ready meals, baked goods, and processed meats, can have negative health effects. Most food needs some degree of processing, and not all processed foods are bad for the body. However, chemically processed foods, also called ultra-processed foods, tend to be high in sugar, artificial ingredients, refined carbohydrates, and trans fats.

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Trump Wants to Roll Back Healthy Dietary Standards for School Lunches

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Trump Wants to Roll Back Healthy Dietary Standards for School Lunches

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Policy makers, the medical community, and education officials may have the best intentions and the most up-to-date nutritional information for feeding school kids, but those kids must actually want to put said food into their mouths or it's all just a giant bureaucratic waste of money and effort.

Last November, I visited Northside Elementary School in Chapel Hill, which is part of the Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools system, to write for the INDY about the history of school lunch and the ways schools were addressing the 2010 Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, signed into law by President Obama. It set new standards for fruits, vegetables, whole grains, sugar, sodium, and fats in school lunches. To meet them, the district hired food-service contractor Chartwells to manage its nutrition programs.

March is National Nutrition Month, and last Thursday, McDougle Elementary School held an event to celebrate National Whole Grain Sampling Day, a push to expose more Americans to nutritious whole grains. Liz Cartano, the Chartwells director of dining at CCHCS, along with district chef Jordan Keyser and dietician Lynne Privette, were joined by Jay Ziobrowski.

"Call me Chef Jay-Z," he said. He's from InHarvest, a Minnesota company that provides rice, grains, legumes, education, and recipes to food-service institutions and sells in bulk to places like Whole Foods.

The entire student body attended the event: 564 kids, from pre-K to fifth graders. It was a good opportunity to find out how these nutritional efforts were going over with the end consumer. The children were served samples of lime cilantro quinoa with fresh greens, tomatoes, salsa, low-fat cheddar, sour cream, and a couple of whole-grain tortilla chips on top.

But did the kids like it? Common wisdom says kids don't like unusual foods. They want to stay in their culinary comfort zone of macaroni and cheese, pizza, and chicken nuggets. They want artificially colored and flavored, sugary, fried, faux food. Different is scary and weird.

At the event, a large sign read "quinoa" on one side and had the phonetic pronunciation on the other. The plan was to show the children how to pronounce the word after their hilarious, failed attempts. But because of in-class nutrition discussions, most of these kids were not completely unfamiliar with whole grains, and many had eaten some varieties at home. The majority was familiar with quinoa's pronunciation. Many of the kids were nutritionally savvy, with adventurous palates. Counterintuitively, Keyser said, the younger the diner, the more open to experimenting. They've learned from past events that older kids are not nearly so open to new flavors and textures.

Of course, even among the quinoa kids, many list classics like pizza, hot dogs, and corndogs as favorite cafeteria foods, and there will always be picky eaters. One little guy, barely nibbling a single chip, declared he didn't like anything in the sample. He explained that he doesn't like vegetables, not any of them. He likes meat-just meat. A T-Rex second grader.

Privette acknowledged the school's inability to mandate healthy standards for lunch boxes, but the policy of teaching about and serving healthy foods seems to be working. McDougle faculty members say that the majority of home-sourced food is actually pretty wholesome. Even the snacks are usually fresh fruit and raw veggies. (In elementary school, I had a Little Debbie brownie every day.)

Right around the time my first school-lunch story was printed, the Trump administration, citing food waste and "schools experiencing hardship in obtaining whole-grain-rich products acceptable to students," loosened the limits on fat, salt, and sugars and instituted a procedure for states to grant exceptions to the mandate of serving whole-grain-rich foods, with the date of full compliance set for the 2020-21 school year.

American Heart Association CEO Nancy Brown disagrees with the administration's assertions. "In the last five years, nearly one hundred percent of the nation's participating schools have complied with updated school-meal standards," she said when the administration proposed the rule modifications. "Kids across the country have clearly benefited from these changes."

Many districts, including CCHCS, have decided to stick with the more stringent nutritional benchmarks. But it's more expensive to feed healthier meals. And with budget cuts coming from all sides, school systems may choose their cafeterias as places to save money.

Aristotle said, "Give us a child till he's seven and we'll have him for life." It's not only true of philosophy but of nutrition as well. Unfortunately, by lowering dietary standards in schools, that vital window of opportunity may be closing, and the progress made so far, squandered.

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locavore cooking now serving eat beat eatbeat winebeat wine beat food chain $20 dinners local tastes triangle farmers markets dish dining guide foodie restaurants bars

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independent weekly the indy indyweek www.indyweek.com north carolina nc raleigh durham chapel hill cary  news calendar events music arts entertainment films movies dining restaurants newspaper alternative progressive liberal blogs free classifieds rss

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Trump Wants to Roll Back Healthy Dietary Standards for School Lunches, but Some Local Schools Are Sticking With Obama's Plan

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Policy makers, the medical community, and education officials may have the best intentions and the most up-to-date nutritional information for feeding school kids, but those kids must actually want to put said food into their mouths or it's all just a giant bureaucratic waste of money and effort.

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Nutrition Basics Should Be Taught In School

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Nutrition Basics Should Be Taught In School

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A recent report showed that the annual medical cost of obesity reached $147 billion ( see article). On the other hand the contribution of the meat and poultry industry in the US is $832 billion annually. Therefore, we can expect ongoing arguments between economic interest and health care costs for a while. The simple fact is that too many Americans do not eat a properly balanced diet and that should change.

The most efficient way to improve eating habits is by understanding nutrition and educating children at an early age about health and food, and about diseases caused by either unbalance or excess. Food safety is not only about bacteria or residues, but also about handling food properly and eating right.

People know actually very little about proper nutrition. The average person may have some ideas about how many calories he/she needs on a daily basis, but it hardly goes much further than that. Only few people know how many grams of protein they should consume on a daily basis. They know even less how many grams of fat they need. When it comes to carbohydrates, the situation is just as confused and confusing. Most people do not even know how the different groups of carbs (starch, sugars and fibers) are metabolised and what ratio between them they should consume. The result is a diet that has negative long-term effects.

If the FAO estimates the daily calorie needs at 1,800 for an average human being, the averages in developed countries are much higher, reaching about 3,500 on average for Western countries and even 3,800 in the US. The same conclusion is true for protein and other nutritional elements. It should be no surprise then that when people eat twice as much as they should, they get twice as big as they should, too. The reality is that in developed countries, people do not eat what they need, but they eat what they want. And they want too much.

Balanced nutrition is not difficult to understand, but someone needs to teach it. As parents have about as little knowledge and understanding as their kids do, schools would be quite well inspired to put nutrition on their curriculum. After all, schools are the places where future generations are educated to do the right things in the future, or at least it should be part of their mandate. Helping people eating right is part of creating healthy and prosperous societies. Sick societies will not be leaders. Of course, including nutrition in the curriculum is not enough for schools. They must also provide foods and drinks that contribute to healthy eating. Offering kids access to junk foods and junk drinks in vending machines may generate revenue for schools, but it works against helping kids to have a healthy diet. If they have the choice, kids will not spend their lunch money on water and broccoli. The responsible adults in charge must help them make the right choices. Offering treats is not to schools to decide, but only to the parents.
Copyright 2009 - The Happy Future Group Consulting Ltd.

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Nutrition basics should be taught in school

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A recent report showed that the annual medical cost of obesity reached $147 billion (see article). On the other hand the contribution of the meat and poultry industry in the US is $832 billion annually. Therefore, we can expect ongoing arguments between economic interest and health care costs for a while.

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Pros and Cons of Making Food and Nutrition Compulsory Subjects

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Pros and Cons of Making Food and Nutrition Compulsory Subjects

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Linda Crampton is a teacher with an honors degree in biology. She enjoys exploring nutrition as well as the culture and history of food.

The Importance of Studying Food and Nutrition

Knowing how to choose and prepare healthy and nutritious food is a very important skill in life. A healthy diet supports the immune system and reduces the occurrence of many diseases, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, strokes, and some kinds of cancer. Being healthy improves the quality of a person's life and decreases public health care costs.

According to WHO (the World Health Organization), obesity has become a "global epidemic". Even children are becoming obese and developing type 2 diabetes. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) says that almost 36% of U.S. adults and about 17% of U.S. children are obese.

Obesity is probably caused by a combination of factors, but many health experts feel that the increasing incidence of the disorder is being fueled in part by our increased reliance on highly processed foods and large serving sizes.

In many cities and towns, the pressure to follow the junk food lifestyle is intense. This is especially true for young people, as I know by observing the students in my school. High school and elementary students need to discover the benefits of a healthy diet and learn about foods that support this diet. They also need to learn cooking skills and realize that foods which are nutritious can also taste delicious.

Food and Nutrition Classes in Schools

The topics of food and nutrition are often discussed in other school subjects, such as science, biology, family studies, or home economics. This may be a successful tactic, provided enough hours are assigned to the food and nutrition sections of the courses.

Ideally, food and nutrition should be studied in the same course. The food preparation and cooking component of the course will give students practical experience to help them in their daily lives. The nutrition part of the course will give students a theoretical background and should help them understand how the treatment of foods affects their nutrient level. It may also enable them to perform lab experiments related to nutrition.

I think that a specialized course is especially important in the older grades so that food and nutrition can be covered in depth and the relationships between them emphasized. However food and nutrition are studied, though, there is a strong case for making the topics compulsory for both genders in at least some grades. Improving the health of the upcoming generation is vitally important, not only for the sake of individual students and their families but also for the sake of public health budgets.

Advantages of a Food and Nutrition Course

A food and nutrition course offers many valuable benefits to students. For example, the course may enable students to:

use food preparation equipment

use different cooking techniques

follow a recipe

understand the health benefits of specific foods, nutrients, and additives

understand the potential dangers of certain food ingredients and additives

evaluate the contents in recipes and the ingredients listed on food packages

prepare and store food safely

take precautions to prevent foodborne illness

discover healthier ways to make their favourite foods while maintaining a food's appealing taste

discover ways to buy healthy foods and ingredients cheaply

eat interesting foods that they haven't tried before

eat foods from other cultures

develop an interest in creating new recipes

support their health and the health of their present and future family through the diet

More Benefits of the Course

A good food and nutrition course teaches students thinking and analytical skills, especially at the senior level. These skills will be valuable in other subject areas and in other areas of life. The course may:

teach students to evaluate the results of nutrition experiments.

help them assess the reliability of nutritional claims made on the Internet and reported in the media

help them assess the different nutrient needs of people in different stages of their life cycle

help them to appreciate the different dietary preferences of different groups of people

help them appreciate the effects of a food choice on the environment or on other people

teach students first aid techniques for injuries that may appear during food preparation

enable them to learn gardening skills as they grow some of their own produce in a school garden

introduce them to careers related to food and nutrition

Growing Food in a School Garden

Problems: No Time or Teacher for a Specialized Class

No Time in the Curriculum

Although teaching food and nutrition in school may sound like a good idea, there are some problems with the plan. Some schools struggle to find time in the curriculum for subjects other than the core ones. Language arts, math, science, and social studies must be allotted a specific number of hours in the school year. Often physical education, a computer course, and a second language are required subjects, too. There are many other worthy subjects vying for time in the curriculum, such as music, drama, and art. There may not be time for a separate food and nutrition course.

In higher grades students are often constrained in their subject choice by college or university admission requirements. Food and nutrition may have to be an elective subject rather than a compulsory subject in these grades.

No Specialist Teacher Available

Another problem is that a school may have no teacher qualified to teach food and nutrition at an advanced level. If there is a qualified teacher, he or she may be too busy teaching other subjects. There may not be enough money in the budget to hire a new teacher if one is needed.

Expensive Cooking Ingredients and Equipment

For schools with small budgets, buying recipe ingredients for an entire class or for multiple classes may be difficult financially. This may limit class size and force food and nutrition to be an elective subject. Buying large pieces of equipment like ovens may also be difficult.

Teachers may be able to solve the problems of expensive ingredients or equipment by following some of the following suggestions.

If only one oven is available, students could prepare a food that needs to be baked and then give it to the teacher instead of putting it in the oven. The teacher could bake the food during the rest of the day and give the baked goods to the students before they go home. The teacher could bake his or her own sample of the food during class to demonstrate when a product should be taken out of the oven.

Portable hotplates are cheaper than stoves, but the teacher needs to be aware of safety issues when using these devices.

Students could prepare food in larger groups so that fewer ingredients and less equipment is needed.

Students could watch more food being prepared in videos and take less time following recipes themselves. Some hands-on work is necessary for the most effective course, though.

Students could prepare only cold or no-bake foods in class and watch the preparation of food that needs to be cooked in videos.

Teachers could prepare some foods as a demonstration and share them with the students afterwards.

The Problem of Accommodating Special Diets

Vegans eat no food that comes from animals; vegetarians eat plants, eggs and dairy but no fish or meats. A vegan or vegetarian family won't want their children to learn about the best way to cook salmon or practice making healthy gravies for beef.

Children who don't eat meat could follow a separate recipe that uses a vegan source of protein, such as tofu. Some families with strict dietary requirements may not want their children to be present in the room where certain foods are being prepared or discussed, however.

There may also be health concerns related to the use of specific ingredients in class. For example, people with celiac disease are intolerant to gluten, a substance present in many grains. The gluten damages and destroys the tiny projections on the lining of the small intestine, which are called villi. The villi absorb nutrients from food, so when they aren't functioning properly or are absent serious health problems can develop. The intestine usually heals on a gluten-free diet, but even a small amount of gluten can trigger more damage.

A student with celiac disease mustn't make a product with gluten-free flours while the other students in the class are using a flour that contains gluten. Flour particles containing gluten can drift through the room and settle on the gluten-free flour.

Handling the Problem of Different Dietary Requirements

Making food and nutrition an elective subject would solve the problem of accommodating students who have different dietary requirements from the majority of a class or school. It may have the unfortunate effect of excluding these students from a popular elective which they would like to take, however.

If the course is compulsory and a student can't stay in the classroom when a certain recipe is being followed or discussed, he or she could leave the class to work on a written assignment, watch a video, or participate in another activity. Separating a student from his or her class isn't a good situation, so the student should return to the classroom as soon as possible. It's important that no student feels bad about being temporarily excluded from a course.

Perhaps at another time the whole class could make a food that incorporates the special dietary requirements of one of its members. This not only makes the class more inclusive but prepares students for the real world when they may have guests that cannot eat certain foods. They may also discover that they love the foods made with alternate ingredients!

A Poll - Food and Nutrition Classes

Food and Nutrition in the Elementary and High School Curriculum

Food and nutrition are very important topics for students and for society. I believe that it's essential that they are incorporated into the curriculum in some way in both elementary school and high school. The topics can teach useful skills and provide information for life. In my opinion, schools should make sure that all of their students learn about food and nutrition in as many grades as possible, even if the subjects can't be taught in a separate course.

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Pros and Cons of Making Food and Nutrition Compulsory Subjects

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Linda Crampton is a teacher with an honors degree in biology. She enjoys exploring nutrition as well as the culture and history of food. Knowing how to choose and prepare healthy and nutritious food is a very important skill in life.