Nutrition key to learning success

As the holiday season wraps up and students return to school, it is crucial to ensure that their meals are packed with the right nutrients to sustain both mental and physical energy throughout the school day. Proper nutrition is a key factor that significantly impacts academic performance, providing the essential nutrients needed for brain and body development, while also supporting overall health, focus, and learning ability.

Numerous studies underscore the importance of a nutritious breakfast for children, highlighting its role in improving school performance, attention, and concentration. Malnourished children face risks of lower intelligence, and research shows that addressing iron deficiencies can lead to enhanced memory.

The food choices made for children can set the tone for their lifelong health and eating habits, with optimal nutrition playing a vital role in improving their ability to learn and excel academically. Given that students spend approximately 50 per cent of their day in school, the importance of proper nutrition becomes even more pronounced, making it an ideal opportunity to instil healthy lifestyle habits.

However, high consumption of sugars and processed foods, such as sweets and fast food, during childhood can impair cognitive functions later in life. These foods contribute to inflammation and increase oxidative stress in the brain, which can hinder mental development.

For the brain to function efficiently, it requires a balanced diet rich in carbohydrates, proteins, healthy fats, vitamins, minerals, water, and antioxidants. Such a diet enhances a child’s focus, intelligence, and learning capabilities. Encouraging children, particularly students, to eat breakfast is essential. After fasting overnight, students need a balanced morning meal to provide sustained energy, maintain focus, and reduce the urge to snack on unhealthy options later in the day.

Some students may experience fatigue, exhaustion, or anaemia due to a lack of healthy, nutrient-rich foods. It is important to recognise that the mid-morning snack is not a substitute for breakfast; each meal has its distinct role in providing the necessary nutrients at different stages of the day.

An ideal breakfast before school should be a balanced meal consisting of complex carbohydrates, proteins, and unsaturated vegetable fats. Dairy products are particularly important, as they supply essential nutrients like protein, vitamin D, and calcium, all of which are crucial for growth and bone health. To ensure the quality of school meals, it is recommended that they be prepared at home.

Key components of a school meal that supports mental abilities and academic achievement include:

Healthy Sandwich: Whole wheat bread filled with nutritious options like low-fat dairy products.

Vegetable Box: A variety of colourful vegetable salads should be consumed throughout the day, providing essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that strengthen the immune system and protect against infections.

Fruits: Encourage children to eat 2-3 servings of fruit daily, focusing on those rich in vitamin C, such as citrus fruits, berries, and kiwi, which help bolster the immune system.

Water Bottle: Encourage water consumption while avoiding energy drinks, soft drinks, and juices, as these can lead to health issues like obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and more.

It’s advisable to steer clear of giving children sweets and salty snacks, as these can lead to hunger and thirst shortly after consumption, reducing concentration levels. A healthy school meal should also avoid fried foods and low-quality processed items like sausages and falafel, which are high in salts and saturated fats, contributing to unhealthy weight gain and impeding a child's growth.

Memory and learning are fundamental to a student’s life, directly influencing their academic success. The nutrients provided by proper nutrition are crucial in enhancing memory and boosting a student’s capacity to learn and succeed in school.