Hello everyone!
This topic randomly popped into my brain and I figured it was something significant enough to right about, since it’s very prevalent at my school. I’ve mentioned it in a couple of my other school-related posts, but there’s no sufficient space to sit down and eat at my high school, so everyone kind of stands around or takes part in lunch activities (clubs, tutoring, doing their homework) and skips actually eating. I’ve fallen prey to this habit myself since it’s the most common/easiest thing to do, but I’m going to talk about why this should be avoided.
Proper nutrition is actually very important for our brains/critical thinking/all that good stuff, so skipping one of the three core meals of the day is detrimental to your ability to perform well in school. Add to this that school starts so early in the morning that lots of kids don’t have time to eat a real breakfast; most people grab a bar or something small on their way out the door, or skip the meal altogether. With this issue and the lunch issue considered, lots of high school students don’t eat until after school- many have sports and other extracurriculars right after classes let out, so their first real meal could be anywhere from 5-8pm.
Not eating regularly throughout the day is not only bad for your mental abilities and your physical health, but it’s also bad for your moods. You will definitely be more irritable/grouchy and moody without the proper nutrition. I know I definitely get “hangry” pretty easily; I think I eat a bit more than the average teenage girl in general, but that’s a different topic for a different post.
In order to help combat this issue, I have a few suggestions. Bring snack food to school, especially if you have sports/other commitments going on right after school and won’t be eating dinner until even later. I know it’s not convenient to eat a normal full meal when there’s nowhere to stop and sit down, so that’s why convenient snack foods work perfectly. Try and choose foods with protein; they don’t have to only be healthy foods, but the healthier, the better. Note: I have a huge sweet tooth, and I am by no means the healthiest person when it comes to food choices and packing lunches- I’m working on it.
Another thing you can do is eat some of your food during classes where the teacher is okay with you eating in their room. I know around fourth period I need an energy boost, and my teacher doesn’t care if we eat; therefore, I always eat a granola bar or some fruit in his classroom. If you’re particularly close with a teacher and want an actual place to sit and eat lunch, you could also ask them if you can come in with a few friends during lunchtime. Then you will have a more permanent place to eat and that solves the no-place-to-sit dilemma!
Lastly, I have a few more solutions. I saved these for last since they’re probably my least favorite and I wouldn’t recommend doing them often, but they’re good for special occasions or when you’re in a pinch. You can use food delivery services like DoorDash or Postmates if your school allows it to get a healthy lunch (or unhealthy lunch) from wherever you choose; my classmates often do this. You can also buy a school lunch if you’re hungry and realize you didn’t bring food, or you can buy snacks from the vending machine if your school has one.
I hope this addressed any concerns about not having the proper meal habits at schools and gave you suggestions on how to combat this issue. I think it’s extremely important that we nourish our bodies and do everything we can to be as mentally and physically healthy as possible. Let me know if you have questions, comments, or requests for future content!
-Brooke
adventures of a typical high school student 