When we flood the body with too many “non-nutritive” molecules that have to be cleansed from the body, this overtaxes the body’s detoxification system, and eventually like a clogged air filter, it will stop functioning.  That leaves the toxins building up in the bloodstream, passing the blood brain barrier.  Once the toxins get into the brain, the brain can’t learn or behave without interventions.

Our modern diet has started a bunch of education fires that educators and administrators work hard to put out.  Meanwhile those same educators while they are busy fighting fires, are expected to educate all our kids and get them ready for college.  How realistic is that?? Why don’t we stop dumping tons of resources into interventions and start feeding our students real food so they don’t need a ton of interventions.  Sure that food will cost more, but if we can spend far less on interventions it will be a less expensive long term solution.

The real food in school solution

As parents let’s work together with school administrators on their wellness policies to provide students with more real brain friendly food for kids during the day.  Let’s empower our teachers to teach.  Let’s clear the distracting fake food obstacles our food industry has created out of the way and let our little ones learn in the classroom.

If you are a room-mom or member of your schools wellness council, healthy lifestyles committee,  PTA member, coordinated school health council (SHAC) you can share the following solutions in your child’s school.

Whole food is generally not too fatty, salty, caloric to fail school wellness policies.  Instead of making a list of nut-free low sodium, fat, calorie processed foods, think of whole foods your school can provide.

Convenience vs nourishment

These snacks are not convenient or cheap to provide, but since when has raising kids been cheap or convenient?  Our kids deserve our dedication, resources and efforts in order to be who we expect them to be.

For those of you in schools with a large population of low-socioeconomic students and parents, take this snack proposal to your PTA/PTO or school administrator.  Ask for funds to provide real snacks to kids.  These real snacks could almost provide as many benefits to test scores and reading levels as the new readers or technology the PTA is planning on spending their budget on.

Whole fruit (when age and budget appropriate) like apples, grapes, clementines, bananas are full of vitamins and minerals and complex carbohydrates the brain can run on.

Yogurt parfaits using whole milk, real honey, cut fruit and whole grain toppers like granola are very nourishing.  If we condone ice-cream parties and sundae bars why can’t we approve whole milk yogurt parfaits?

Whole milk cheese and fruit is a great snack for those who aren’t dairy intolerant.  I’m from an allergy kid family and I know we can’t feed every student in the classroom like my child eats.  It’s too expensive and unsustainable.   It doesn’t make sense to prevent 95% of students from being nourished so that 5% of students can avoid their allergies.

Trail Mix – raw seeds like pumpkin and sunflower seeds can be mixed with unsweetened granola and unsulphured dried fruit (like raisins).  When you see colorful dried fruit that should be a sign that sulphur was used in the drying process to keep it from turning brown.  We eat brown raisins and prunes, why not eat brown mango and pineapple too? Trail mix with seeds may not pass muster for schools that have strict nut free policies.  But for most schools they should work.

Popcorn  – home made stove top popcorn popped in palm or coconut oil, salted with real salt.  This is a four ingredient recipe that anyone with saucepan can make.  It’s cheap, shelf stable, and perfect for busy brains providing grains, minerals from salt and fat.

Sliced oranges and watermelon can be served at field day or other sports activities.  Full of all the hydration, minerals and electrolytes that Gatorade has, with no food dyes or high fructose corn syrup and all naturally occurring.

This post is participating in Real Food Wednesday.

[ed note:  these are big important topics, and this post is sloppy.  it doesn’t have the links to science to support what I’m saying and I’m sure it’s too long and full of errors as most of my first drafts are.  i don’t have time to edit and perfect this piece today, due to our crazy back to school schedule and we’re getting second opinions on little boo’s “intolerant to life” symptoms, so i’m a touch frazzled]

Spill it!  What do you love/hate about your school’s snack policy?