Written by: Guest | October 14, 2019
Casey Kammerle
Social Media Manager, North American Meat Institute
Each year, during the second full week of October, the School Nutrition Association sponsors National School Lunch Week. There’s a lot of options and opinions when discussing the contents of a school lunch, but one food group remains a bona fide staple — for good reason. When it comes to a child’s nutrition, brain development and — of course — their taste buds, meat and poultry should always be considered when packing that lunch box each morning.
Nutrition
Meat and poultry offer more essential nutrients than many other food groups. For example, a single three-ounce serving of lean beef contains 36% of the recommended daily value (DV) of zinc, 26% of the DV of niacin, 12% of the DV of iron and 44% of the DV of Vitamin B-12 — a vitamin almost exclusively found in animal protein. That same serving of lean beef also offers about 18 grams of protein with only 120 calories. Meat and poultry products are among the simplest ways to ingest these nutrients while limiting calorie intake.
Brain Development
Meat and poultry products have also been scientifically proven to benefit a developing brain. All the aforementioned nutrients, in addition to choline, folate, iodine, Vitamin B6 and others, are crucial for brain development, according to the Harvard Medical School. There are ample scientific studies from around the world that all conclude meat is important toward a child’s brain development, including research published by the University of Montreal, European Journal of Epidemiology, Science Norway and the Journal of the Dietitians Association of Australia. Even further back, evidence suggests that our ancestors’ dietary shift toward meat was likely a driving factor in their brain development and evolution as a human species.
Taste (Pairing Meat with Veggies)
We all know a few parents who may disagree, but your child’s approval actually DOES matter when it comes to school lunches. You can pack as many tofu cubes as you want, but if young Johnny doesn’t eat it at home, he’s likely not eating it at school either. That’s why pairing meat with fruits and veggies can be so effective. Take these Kid Pleasers for example, which creatively and attractively pair lean beef products with vegetables. And these Lunch Box Makeover ideas offer more awesome meat and veggie combinations the kids will enjoy.
Any teacher will tell you that a good school lunch is critical to a student’s ability to effectively learn throughout the day. In fact, a number of studies have been published agreeing that improved school lunches result in higher test scores. Making sure the kids have access to meat and poultry at lunch time can have a larger impact than you might think. Whether we’re talking about nutrition, test scores or your child’s happiness when he or she opens their lunch box, meat and poultry check all the boxes.
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