With the school season having started, teachers are concerned by the increasing amount of junk food in pupils’ lunch boxes, resulting in hyperactivity within classrooms.
Windhoek-based Eros Primary School principal Poppy Hamunyela says she has noticed a high amount of unhealthy food that can cause deficiencies in children over time.
“I’ve observed some nutritional deficiencies because junk food lacks essential nutrients that are quite essential for cognitive development,” she says.
Hamunyela says processed food contains a lot of sugar and additives that cause hyperactivity, leading to children finding it difficult to remain calm and attentive.
There is a huge concern that frequent consumption of junk food may enhance mood swings, especially in teenagers and can lead to various health problems like obesity and tooth aches, which increases absenteeism.
She says schools do not have any policies in place but they “try to encourage parents to take proper care of children during meetings, especially health wise.”
A pre-primary teacher at the school, Eva Eises, says despite advising parents not to pack junk food in their children’s lunch boxes, they still notice children bringing along food such as cakes, sweets and fried food.
“We have sent letters to parents not to put unhealthy food in their children’s lunch boxes but they still do it. Children get hyperactive and start disturbing the lesson,” she says.
NUTRITIONIST
Certified nutritionist Michelle Hiangoro says parents perceive junk food as cheaper than healthier options, as well as a time saver for busy parents because they require little to no preparation.
“There is also a lack of awareness as some parents may not fully understand the long-term health effects of junk food or may not know about healthier options,” she says.
Hiangoro adds that some parents with children that are picky-eaters also opt for junk food over healthier alternatives as they tend to prefer the flavour of the junk food.
This ensures their children at least eat something.
However, junk food is often high in sugar and unhealthy fats, leading to energy spikes, followed by crashes, which can reduce focus and alertness.
Hiangoro says poor nutrition can result in deficiencies that impair children’s brain development, memory and cause behavioural issues which lead to decreased participation in school activities.
She says there are common misconceptions about certain foods that parents consider healthy but are actually unhealthy, such as granola bars, fruit juice and flavoured yogurt.
“These foods are marketed as healthy, however, they often contain added sugar and preservatives. Even low-fat snacks often contain added sugars or artificial ingredients to compensate for the lack of fat.”
The nutritionist suggests whole-grain sandwiches with fillings like peanut butter or lean meats and fruits and vegetables such as apples, bananas, carrot sticks or cucumber slices as affordable and nutritious.
Homemade snack options like boiled eggs, trail mix (mixture of nuts, seeds and dried fruits), whole-grain muffins and plain, air-popped popcorn are healthy and budget-friendly snacks.
Hiangoro says regulating junk food can help encourage healthier eating habits when combined with nutritional education.
However, she adds that the outright banning of food may lead to resistance from parents and students.
“A balanced approach, such as offering guidelines or promoting healthier options through school initiatives, might be more effective.”
Schools could also work with parents to educate them about the long-term benefits of healthy eating.
SCHOOL FEEDING PROGRAMME
Meanwhile, Otjozondjupa educational director Gerhard Ndafenongo says the Namibia School Feeding Programme (NSFP) provides a sufficient, nutrient-filled meal to children.
“We serve a maize blend that consists of soya, protein, salt, sugar, maize meal and other ingredients,” he says.
Ndafenongo says the food provided by the NSFP is recommended by the United Nations World Food Programme.
He adds that vegetable and chicken soup donations from different sponsors allow pupils to enjoy a variety of foods.
However, he notes that schools in the region sometimes run out of food, causing absenteeism among disadnantaged children.
“If schools do not serve the meal for two days, children don’t come. Sometimes this is the only meal for these children,” he says.
Ndafenongo says there is an effort from schools with an oversupply of food to share with schools that run out.
He urges schools to purchase 50kg of maize meal, cooking oil and soya mince to feed the children in case of delays in government food deliveries.
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