British Nutrition Foundation’s Post

Yesterday we celebrated Hear the Crunch. Today, we need everyone to show their support for universal school meals in D.C. Access to nutritious, filling meals in school is crucial for our children's health and educational outcomes. Investing in programs like universal school meals can help ensure every child has the access they need to learn, grow, and thrive. Research shows that school breakfasts reduce hunger and improve wellness among school-aged children. They also improve academic performance, reduce behavioral problems, boost children's diets, and help reduce obesity. Moreover, universal school meals support jobs and financial viability for school nutrition departments, enhancing our human infrastructure as we build a more equitable economy. Join us in urging D.C. Council to pass and fully fund Universal School Meals in the fiscal year 2025 Budget. Use the Universal School Meals Action Alert to make your voice heard. Let's work together to guarantee that every child in D.C. has access to nutritious meals and a brighter future. #universalschoolmeals #childnutrition #NSBW

School lunch is critical to children’s health and academic achievement by fighting food insecurity and providing the nutritional foundation needed for lifelong success. School lunch participation peaked in the 2021-2022 school year when pandemic-era waivers allowed all schools to serve all children nutritious meals at no cost. Schools, advocates, and states across the country are working tirelessly to ensure students have unimpeded and equitable access to the nutrition they need to learn and grow. From strategic utilization of the Community Eligibility Provision to state’s Healthy School Meals for All legislation, well-designed policies and practices help engage students and reduce barriers to school lunch participation. On Thursday October 17 at 3 p.m. ET, join the FRAC during National School Lunch Week as we explore how schools and partners are working together to increase participation in school meals. https://lnkd.in/e2QCxg2D

Parents are important school food stakeholders! Have you talked to your child about school meals? And not just what is offered but lunch time - the space, the people who nourish our children at schools (cafeteria workers, teachers, their peers). Meal time is such an important social and educational time during their school day! The school foodscape and commensality, eating with others, are opportunities to nourish community and the democratic potential of education. https://lnkd.in/ene9sPcg

🌍 World Food Day 🌍 Today, we reflect on the importance of food security and how crucial access to healthy, nutritious meals is for everyone—especially our young learners. In the UK, we often take school meals for granted, but they play an essential role in shaping children's development, health, and concentration. For many pupils, school lunches may be the only nutritious meal they have in a day. This is why ensuring the quality and accessibility of food in schools is so important for both their academic success and their well-being. At U-Educate, we’re passionate about creating environments where every child can thrive. Supporting schools, pupils, and communities means looking beyond the classroom and addressing the core needs of our learners, including access to nutritious meals. Let’s continue to push for a future where no child has to worry about their next meal and can focus on reaching their full potential. #WorldFoodDay #UEducate #FoodInSchools #ChildNutrition #FutureGeneration #EducationMatters

Proper handwashing is one of the simplest yet most effective defenses against common and contagious diseases. In schools germs can spread rapidly, leading to preventable illnesses. In some areas of our society, access to health education and hygiene resources is limited, making initiatives like Handwash Hygiene Awareness especially crucial. With a focus on safeguarding children's health, we recently conducted a Handwash Awareness Drive in collaboration with our partner NGO, C3 Foundation. This initiative aimed to teach essential handwashing techniques to help prevent the spread of contagious diseases. Our dedicated volunteers, alongside the NGO’s SPoCs, played a key role in educating students through engaging demonstrations and activities, showing them the proper steps for effective handwashing. In addition, our volunteers created informative posters and educational materials (IEC) to serve as visual reminders, ensuring that the hygiene lessons continue to resonate with students well after the event. These resources will help the school sustain a culture of cleanliness and health awareness. By promoting this initiative, we are not only improving the well-being of the younger generation but also contributing to healthier schools and communities. A heartfelt shout-out to our amazing volunteers, whose enthusiasm and dedication continue to make a lasting impact in all our CSR efforts. @anju godbole @aparna prabhakar @neha palan @kshanada banerjee @sakshi rawat @Centre for Catalyzing Change (C3) #Cleanliness #HealthAndHygiene #HealthAwareness #Students #Handwash #CorporateSocialResponsibility #Volunteering #GeBBSians

📢 Great News for Washington Public Schools! 🍎 According to a recent article, 70% of Washington public school students now have access to free meals! This is a significant step forward in ensuring that our students are nourished and ready to learn. As someone who works in school nutrition, I know how crucial it is to break down barriers to healthy meals, and this initiative is making a real impact on student well-being and academic success. Kudos to everyone involved in making this possible! 🙌 Check out the full article to learn more about this incredible progress. #SchoolNutrition #FreeSchoolMeals #ChildNutrition #Education #HealthyKids #PublicPolicy #EquityInEducation

NEW RESEARCH 📌: States with universal school meals see many benefits, including reduced child hunger, less stigma, and improved student achievement and behavior, according to a new report from Food Research & Action Center. This year, New York expanded access to school meals, a historic investment that brought no-cost school meals to more than 345,000 additional students. Still, nearly 650 schools are left to operate means-tested programs that leave hungry children behind. New York can forge a different path—alongside California, Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont, Colorado, Minnesota, Michigan, and New Mexico—by guaranteeing that every student, every day, can get the nutrition they need at school. We call on our leaders—including @Governor Kathy Hochul, @Carl E. Heastie, and @Andrea Stewart-Cousins—and state lawmakers to fully fund #Meals4AllNY in the upcoming state budget. Learn more and join the campaign to bring healthy school meals to all New York children: SchoolMealsForAllNY.org Read the report: https://lnkd.in/gyNVYYCd 

What does breakfast mean to you? Lets start a conversation about the importance of breakfast for children's health and education. Share your thoughts in the comments below. Read how a simple breakfast meal makes a huge impact on a child's health and education in our latest blog - https://lnkd.in/gKrbuuGT #TheChildrensBreakfastClub #ChildhoodHunger #ImpactOfBreakfast

🍽️ As some councils discontinue their catering services, schools are being forced to adapt and seek alternative solutions. Meanwhile, the UK government continues to provide free school meals to children in primary and secondary state schools, free schools, and academies. Currently, all children in reception, year 1, and year 2, along with those in certain areas, benefit from this initiative. 🎒🥪 A group of leading health experts is now advocating for the expansion of this program to all primary pupils across the country, highlighting the negative effects of poor diet and food scarcity on children’s well-being. 🍏📉 In a letter to Health Secretary Wes Streeting, they are urging the Government to follow London’s example by offering free school meals to every primary student in England, stressing that school meals are the "healthiest option" for children. 🏫🍽️ With the expected rise in demand for school meals and some schools losing their catering services, is your school kitchen ready to handle this shift? We can help upgrade your catering facilities to ensure they meet the needs of one of the busiest and most essential areas of your school! 🍳👩🍳 #FreeSchoolMeals #HealthyKids #SchoolNutrition #CateringUpgrade #SchoolMealsForAll #EducationEquality