The Importance of Food Nutrition for Primary School Children

This report focuses on the crucial role of food nutrition, particularly breakfast, for primary school children in Australia. It highlights the significance of breakfast programs in ensuring children receive adequate nutrition, which positively impacts their academic performance and overall well-being. The report emphasizes that skipping breakfast is a common issue, and that many parents, due to busy lifestyles, struggle to provide nutritious meals for their children. It then explores how school breakfast programs can bridge this gap, citing examples of successful initiatives and outlining the benefits, such as increased attendance and improved health outcomes. The report underscores the need for a strong framework to support these programs, addressing the nutritional needs of children and promoting healthy eating habits. It also discusses the importance of considering diverse dietary options and ensuring meal quality to maximize the benefits of these programs, referencing various studies and governmental initiatives in Australia. Finally, it encourages the development of flexible and financially supported breakfast schemes to promote the healthy development of children.

Running head: FOOD NUTRITION
Food nutrition
Name of the student:
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Executive Summary
Breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day, which energizes the people for doing the
basic tasks in a fresh mind. Along with the adults, the children equally possess the right to have
nutritious and healthy breakfast like oats, cornflakes, porridge, fruits among others(ref).
However, due to the fast paced lifestyle and inability to get up early, the parents fail to take the
responsibility of preparing healthy and nutritious breakfast for their kids before they go to
schools (Varela et al., 2014). Instead, they just hand them one apple or a sandwich or even hand
them money to buy something on their way, which are mostly junk food (Turner & Wilks). This
is taking a toll on health, which is affecting their academic performance (Nepper & Chai, 2015).
In such a situation, if schools take up the responsibility to provide care and nourishment to the
children, the worries and tensions of the parents would lessen largely (O'Neil et al., 2014). Some
of the schools have already started Breakfast Programs, which acts as an inspiration for the
others in terms of ensuring the wellbeing of the children. Governmental initiatives act assistance
for the schools in terms of providing a proper development to the children.

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“Necessity of a framework regarding the breakfast of primary school children in Australia”
Insight into breakfast
Breakfast is an important meal, which energizes people for doing the basic tasks in an
efficient and effective manner (O'Neil et al., 2014). Herein lays the appropriateness of the saying,
“Have breakfast like a king”. The quotation aligns with the traditional conventions related to the
importance of having breakfast (Clayton & James, 2016).
(Source: Burrows et al., 2017)
In case of children also, this quotation holds equal importance. It is the parents’ duty to
ensure that the children have proper breakfast before going to the schools. However, sleeping for

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more hours and getting up late are the grounds, which compel the children to skip the most
important meal of the day (Burrows et al, 2017).
(Source : Clayton & James, 2016)

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(Source: Harvey et al., 2015)
However, it is seen that some of the children, while going to school, grab an apple or a
sandwich to eat on the way (O'Donovan, Berman & Wierenga, 2015). This shatters the concept
of having breakfast with the family members. However, in the 21st century, most of the parents
are working, which deprives the children of nutritious breakfast.
(Soure: Nepper & Chai, 2015)

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(Source: O'Donovan, Berman & Wierenga, 2015)
It is at this stage, the schools need to take strong and flexible responsibility regarding the
nourishment of the children (Turner & Wilks, 2016). Inability of the parents to provide proper
nutrition to the children necessitates the schools to take this responsibility. As it is an issue of the
development of the children, oriental approach possesses flexibility to yield positive results.
Development of a framework for progressing towards the introduction of Breakfast Programs in
schools would help the authorities to ensuring the wellbeing and proper development of the
children during developmental stages itself.
School breakfast program
The Australian Government has undertaken many initiatives to fill the nutrition gap in the
life of the children (Testa, 2014). One such initiative is the School Breakfast Program.

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(Source: Testa, 2014)
A group of students coming to schools with no breakfasts alarmed the government
officials regarding the nourishment of the children (Nepper & Chai, 2015). The result of this was
the introduction of School Breakfast Program (Harvey et al., 2015). The purpose of the program
was to ensure that each and every child have an equal access to nutritious breakfast every day
(Turner & Wilks, 2016).
(Source: Turner & Wilks, 2016)
The schools registered under this program are supplied with quality canned fruit juice,
wheat biscuits, oats, vegemite, spaghetti, canned baked beans and milk, which is heated at 135

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degree Celsius and 275 degree Fahrenheit (O'Neil et al., 2014). Along with this, the schools also
get supplies of bread, fresh fruits, vegetables and yoghurt (O'Neil et al., 2014). These programs
have uplifted the status of the below poverty level children (Varela et al., 2014).
Uses of School Breakfast Program
In order to ensure the wellbeing of the community children, Sunset school at Mount Isa in
north-west of Queensland has launched a nutrition program (Testa, 2014). The main objective of
this program was to increase the attendance level among the students. 13% escalation in the
attendance of the students reflects the fulfillment of the specified objective (Testa, 2014).
Achieving this objective within a short span of 2 years includes the conscious approach of the
school authorities towards the development of the community children (Testa, 2014).

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(Source: Testa, 2014)
Tea is one of the main items in the breakfast menu, which is prepared for the students
(Testa, 2014). The students can enjoy healthy breakfast, which is devoid of any charges (Testa,
2014). The ways and means adopted by the school authorities reflect community service to the
all the adults and children within a low socio-economic background, irrespective of their caste,
creed, color and religion (Testa, 2014). This kind of framework projects an affirmative answer to
the proposed statement. Decrease in the rates of diseases and absentees have improved the
academic performance of the children, this is due to the escalation in the grade levels (Harvey et
al., 2015).
According to the statistical data, one in seven Australian children goes to school without
having breakfast. The responses provided by 16,100 children compelled the Australia Bureau of
Statistics (ABS) personnel to make this statement (O'Neil et al., 2014). In view of this survey
report, the affirmation regarding the proposed statement attains utmost importance. 15.2% of the

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samples do not have breakfast, which has adversely affected the academic performance (O'Neil
et al., 2014).
(Source: O'Neil et al., 2014)

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(Source: Turner & Wilks, 2016)
In view of this condition, development of a strong and flexible framework for introducing
breakfast schemes might bring noticeable improvements in the academics for the students.
Oriental approach towards the development of this framework would help the school
authorities to achieve positive outcomes. For this, financial stock needs to be speculated, which
would result in the introduction of the healthy and nutritious schemes for the children.
Countering this, consideration of the statistics regarding the children skipping breakfast attains a
crucial position. Counter arguing this, surveying the parents about their preferences for the
breakfast items. The survey published by ABS can serve as an example for the school authorities
(Testa, 2014). Along with this, the school authorities need to consider the dietary capacities of
the children and its impact on their health (Testa, 2014).
According to the report published by the South Australian government officials, an egg
and bacon muffin has 1500 kilojoules (kJ) (Testa, 2014). Therefore, if the primary school
students are provided with egg and bacon muffin in their breakfast, they would be energized and
can concentrate on their studies. One or two serving of the egg and bacon muffin is alright for
the students. Regular serving would make the children obese, acting as an obstacle in their
academic establishment (Clayton & James, 2016). On the contrary, if the children are served
with a bowl of cornflakes with milk and top it with chopped fruit pieces, it has enough calories,
which would provide energy to the children and increase their concentration levels (O'Neil et al.,
2014)

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(Source: Varel et al., 2014)
The importance of developmental issue, in case of the children reflects the need for
experimenting with different kinds of breakfast options for the children. However, it needs to be
ensured that the quality of the meal remains intact. Otherwise, the children would get the meal,
but not the nutrients needed for their development. Lack of consciousness in this direction would
push the future of the children into dark, questioning the role of the schools and parents in terms
of ensuring the wellbeing of the children (O'Donovan, Berman & Wierenga, 2015). Viewing it
from the other perspective, conscious and rational approach towards the development of
framework aligns with the setting approach, which would help the school authorities to lead the
students towards a proper development, care and nourishment (Nepper & Chai, 2015).