Learning Through Lunch by Kelly

Kellyof Elkins Park's entry into Varsity Tutor's November 2021 scholarship contest

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Kelly of Elkins Park, PA
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Learning Through Lunch by Kelly - November 2021 Scholarship Essay

While it may sound ludicrous at first, lunch deserves more emphasis in the school system. Not because this permits a break from classes and allows students to focus on their mental health while socializing with friends, but because healthy habits early on lead to healthy habits later in life. Growing up, my lunches in school consisted of a piece of pizza, chips, iced tea, and the coveted chocolate chip cookie (which wasn’t so coveted because I ate it every single day). While I was active in school, I quickly burned these calories and didn’t focus on the foods that I was putting into my body. However, when I entered college and became less active without changing my eating habits, I quickly gained weight.

I then entered an unhealthy relationship with food where I labeled it “good” or “bad.” I would avoid eating for days to lower the number on the scale and counted my calories in every meal. I soon realized that I didn’t understand the need to use food as fuel and to nourish my body. I avoided eating because I saw food as the enemy.

Thus, education on healthy eating habits and daily routines should be emphasized in schools. This may not be achieved by sitting with students at lunch and helping them pick out their foods. However, understanding these unrestricted eating habits is a starting point. Young individuals should not be taught to label food as “good” or “bad” or “healthy” or “unhealthy" nor should they be deterred from eating that chocolate chip cookie. Rather, they should be taught that food is necessary to fuel their bodies. This fuel truly is the basis of all daily activities, occupations, and endeavors, and must be treated as such. When this is the basis of education, a healthy and appropriate relationship with food can be promoted from an early age and continued throughout the lifespan.

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