School Nutrition
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School Nutrition
Introduction: Children require eating varieties of foods
from all food groups (milk, fruits, vegetables, grains, meat and oil) in
proper amounts to ensure adequate growth and development. Brain function and the ability of
the students to think and to do well at schools depend on the foods they consume. In addition,
proper nutrition helps students to grow properly, improves their immunity against infection,
and participates in their social life and schools activities.
Proper nutrition is vital for school aged students and provides the stepping stones to better life
at present and future. While poor nutrition increases their risks of obesity or underweight,
diabetes, weak bones, mental illness, anemia, heart disease and affect their education, learning
abilities, activity level and growth.
School aged student need energy, carbohydrates, protein, fat, calcium, iron, in addition to
other vitamins and minerals.
Nutritional Tips for School Aged Student
 Parents should ensure the availability of healthy foods at home and that their students
consume healthy meals and snacks. Parents and teachers should lead by example and
be role models for students.
 Parents and teachers should ensure the availability of healthy snacks at school
canteens.
 Students should consume their healthy breakfast at home before going to school.
Breakfast supports their learning abilities, attention, memory and should include:
Low-fat or nonfat milk to provide calcium and Vitamin
Whole grains bread or unsweetened cereals fortified with iron, calcium and
Vitamin D
Protein such as eggs or low-fat cheese or low-fat labnah or peanut butter
Fresh fruits or dried fruits or unsweetened juice. Fruits rich in Vitamin C are
recommended such as oranges.
Skipping breakfast is not healthy for students and affects their learning abilities. In addition, it’s
not recommended to provide sugary drinks, white bread, sweetened cereals and sausages at the
breakfast meals at these items are unhealthy and lead to health problems in the future.
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 Balancing their meals with their physical activities. Students should be encouraged to
practice activities and be enrolled in sports at schools.
 Choosing milk and it’s product to provide adequate calcium and Vitamin D. Low-fat or
nonfat are preferred.
 Including whole grains, fruits and vegetables in the meals to provide adequate fiber
and other nutrients.
 Preparing the meals by healthy methods such as baking or steaming or grilling rather
than frying. This will ensure avoidance of excessive caloric intake that may contribute
to obesity.
 Selecting low-fat and low cholesterol foods and avoidance of pastries preferred with
saturated or trans-fat such as ghee or margarine or butter.
 Selecting foods moderate in sugar and limiting sugary drinks, sodas, chocolates,
sweetened cereals, creamy biscuits, and candies, as these don’t contain important
nutrients for the student and may lead to dental carries, obesity and replace important
foods for students.
 Selecting foods low in salt and limiting salty snacks such as chips, popcorns, nuts.
 Choosing foods rich in iron to avoid student develop anemia. Iron is found in fortified
cereals, egg yolk, lean meat, cooked legumes and green leafy vegetables.
 Proper snacks at schools are whole grain sandwiches stuffed with low-fat cheese or
eggs or peanut butter or labnah along with fresh fruits or unsweetened juices and lowfat or nonfat milk or labnah or yogurt.
 Teachers should explain the importance of proper nutrition to students and encourage
them to consume health breakfast at home and healthy snacks at schools. Schools
curriculum should emphasize the importance of healthy eating and proper nutrition for
students to help them avoid in nutrition and lifestyle related diseases such as obesity,
diabetes, weak bones, heart diseases and some types of cancer. Student’s dietary
habits and eating patterns may carry into their adulthood and affect their health in the
future.
 Schools should emphasize the importance of safety and hygiene for students at schools
and encourage practicing hand washing and safe games at schools.
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Healthy snacks for Student
Student meals should be well-balanced and nutritious to meet their requirements for growth
and wellbeing. The meals should be divided in to 3 main and 2-3 snacks. Snacks for student are
important to be healthy. The following list includes some examples for healthy snacks for
student.
Milk, laban or yogurt (preferred low fat or non- fat for the student above 2 years of age)
Fruit yogurt (preferred unsweetened and made with low-fat or nonfat milk)
Fruit muffin made with whole flour and unsweetened
Fresh Fruits (cut into different shapes and sizes). Fruits with bright colors are
recommended such as oranges, strawberries, blueberries, bananas, grapes and apples
Vegetables raw or cooked (cut into different shapes and sizes). Vegetables with bright
colors are recommended such as tomatoes, cucumber, broccoli, spinach, carrots, green
pepper
Fruit Pudding made with low-fat and nonfat milk
Sandwiches made with whole wheat bread, cut into various shapes and sizes, stuffed
with low-fat cheese, egg slices, low-fat labnah, hummus, tuna, skinless chicken, peanut
butter.
Fat free air popcorn
Dried Fruits
Pizza made with whole wheat flour with low-fat cheese or skinless chicken and
vegetables
Milk - Fruit Shakes, made with low-fat or nonfat milk blended with fresh fruits, topped
with some nuts or cinnamon powder
Laban-Dates Shake made with low-fat laban and fresh or dried dates blended and
topped with some nuts or cinnamon powder
Baked potatoes topped with low-fat cheese
Zaatar Sandwich made with whole wheat with pita bread stuffed with cucumber and
low-fat labnah or low-fat cheese
Fruit cubes and cheese cubes on kebab stick
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Shop for Health for Student
Do you know that healthy foods make you strong, smart and active?
Unsweetened Whole Grain Cereals and Whole Wheat Bread
Low Fat Milk, Butter Milk, Yogurt, Cheese, and Labnah
Eggs
Crunchy Peanut Butter
Fresh Fruits and Unsweetened Fruit Juices.
For Snacks, select (plain popcorn, oat Biscuits, fruit bars, low fat fruit yogurt)
Dried Fruit, e.g. Dried Apricots or Dates
Brown Rice and Pasta
Skinless Chicken or Turkey, Fish and Lean Meat
Tins of Salmon, Sardines and Tuna
Small Pots of Hummus
Select Fruits with bright colors, such as berries, plums, apricots, apples, pears and
oranges.
Select Vegetables with bright colors, such as tomatoes, carrots, green pepper, lettuce,
cucumber, broccoli, cauliflower, pumpkins, spinach, red peppers, and potatoes
Water
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Sweetened Juices
Power Drinks
Soft Drinks
Candies
Chocolate Bars
chips
sweetened pastries and cake
Sausages
Chicken Nuggets
Salted Nuts
Flavored and sweetened milk or yogurt
Commercial Pudding
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