Fueled to learn: how proper nutrition can support your students education
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) — As of May 2025, FIND food bank reported one in six Coachella Valley residents are food insecure.
Proper nutrition and regular breakfast consumption directly influence student classroom performance and health. A study from the Human Appetite Research Unit at the University of Leeds linked regular breakfast consumption to increased academic performance. Research also indicates that eating breakfast affects attention and working memory used in daily classroom learning.
Sarah Boyd, a registered dietitian and nutritionist, observed how adding a balanced breakfast impacts how students learn throughout the school day.
“You might tell yourself ‘I’m fine’, but when I tell the youth to bring in a little breakfasts, they’re like wow I actually can focus better in school and I remember what I learned and it was easier to take my test,” Boyd said.
Beyond immediate school performance, poor dietary habits can have lasting physical impacts on children as they grow.
“A lot of kids don’t they don’t talk about their tummies,” Boyd said. “Unfortunately the body becomes accustomed to those poor habits and and digestion throughout those years. And then going into their adulthood, they can’t ever go to the bathroom or they start having tummy aches or they have a lot of bloating.”
Officials from Palm Springs Unified School District shared that 90% of students are socioeconomically disadvantaged, with family incomes falling below the poverty line.
To combat this, the district provides free meals to all students across district schools regardless of family income status.
“The kids can come to school and eat, don’t have to worry about, you know, getting those meals at home… so that way the families can worry about taking their their funds to be able to pay for their bills,” Nutrition Services Director at PSUSD Sarah Phelps said.
Boyd advised parents to monitor signs of poor nutrition or inadequate sleep, such as low energy at the end of the day or difficulty summarizing classroom events.
Additionally, involving children in grocery shopping and meal preparation by letting them select fruits or vegetables can help lighten the burden on parents while building a healthy relationship with food.
For resources in Riverside County near you, check here.
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