Wellness is a Way of Life

This newsletter is provided as a wellness resource by RCSD’s School Meals Program.

Over the last decade or so, we’ve put in place a number of changes to make our lunches and breakfasts (in schools that serve breakfast) even more nutritious for our customers. We’ll continue to use the Wellness Newsletter to keep you posted on these changes and much more! 

Click the following link if you want a printable copy of the newsletter: Wellness Newsletter (Printable)

Squeezed For Time? 

A balanced, nutritious breakfast is important for everybody, especially for the students in your family. Everybody knows that, right? Well, then why do so many kids – older kids in particular – skip breakfast? Busy, demanding high school schedules often keep older students up late into the night. They crash late, sleep as long as they can, and rush off to start it all over again. And breakfast gets squeezed out! By the time they get to high school, up to 30% of kids skip breakfast every school day. Thing is, nothing supports an active lifestyle like eating well. So even if your mornings are frantic, you’ll feel better all day and do better in school, too, if you’ve made time for a good breakfast! 

The Big Number: 4

Over 40% of Americans report spending less than 4 minutes eating breakfast per day, and another 27% spend less than 1 minute. 

Eat Better

Try lots of different fruits, veggies, and whole grains for a healthy diet. You’re bound to find a few you really like!

Oatmeal

Oatmeal fills you up, warms you up, and loads you up with healthy fiber! And oatmeal gets your brain ready for the day, too. In one study, students who ate oatmeal performed up to 20% better on morning tasks than those who ate sugary cereal. 

Learn Easier

Go ahead and put all your eggs in this basket: Breakfast can make you smarter! A study of more then 5,000 students found that English and Math scores improved for 61% of them after eating breakfast. 

Live Healthier

Shout this to the rooftops – there’s a way you can eat more and still maintain a healthy weight! How? It’s simple: eat a nutritious breakfast every day! One study found that adolescents who ate breakfast every day ate more calories in their total diet than those who usually skipped breakfast- but nonetheless had a lower body mass index. Regular breakfast eaters tend to crave sugar and saturated fat less the rest of the day, and they tend to exercise more, too. 

Play Harder

The same study of 5,000 students showed that when the kids ate a good breakfast, their hand-eye coordination improved. So eating that morning meal can help you in class and at play!