Several roles including adequate diet ensure optimal cognitive function in a child. This, it's pertinent to provide good meals to school children.

1. HOW
DIETAND NUTRITION
IMPACT
CHILD’s
LEARNINGABILITy
PRESENTED BY EZEKWEM PEACE CHIAMAKA
RDN, HEALTH EDUCATOR
@_PEACHYNUTRITION
08164134361

2. OUTLINE
OVERVIEW
DEFINITION OF TERMS
EVIDENCED BASED FINDINGS: NUTRITION AND LEARNING
ABILITIES, ANY ASSOCIATION?
NUTRIENTS TO IMPROVE LEARNING
GETTING STARTED, ROLE OF PARENTS, TEACHERS AND
SCHOOLS
PLANNING A HEALTHY MEAL FOR SCHOOL CHILDREN (ONE
DAY SAMPLE MENU)

3. Children are already learning at birth, and they develop
and learn at a rapid pace in their early years.
This provides a critical foundation for lifetime impact, and
the adults who provide for the care and education of
children from birth through age 8 have a great
responsibility for their health, development, and learning
(Institute of Medicine and National Research Council)

4.  Children thrive when they have secure, positive
relationships with adults who are knowledgeable about
how to support their development and learning.
 During a child’s early years, the brain develops in fast and
fundamental ways, and connections among neurons are
reinforced.
 Due to this, early childhood is a window of both great risk
of vulnerability to disruption and great potential for the
impact of positive developmental influences.
 A diet that is rich in nutrients and varied in content has a
direct effect on the cognitive skills of children. Good
nutrition can assure that the impact is a positive one.
OVERVIEW

5. DEFINITION OF TERMS
 Learning is the process of acquiring new understanding, knowledge, behaviours, skills,
values, attitudes and preferences.
 In relation to children, learning ability is the capacity of a child to understand and
comprehend something.
 The ability to learn starts from birth and continues until death as a result of interplay
between us and the environment.
 Nutrition is the interaction between man and food; the process of ingestion, digestion,
absorption, assimilation and removal of waste products.
 Diet is made up of foods and drinks that provide energy, essential nutrients and other
bodily functions.

6. 1. Effect of breakfast composition on cognitive
processes in elementary school children
established that students who ate oatmeal for
breakfast did better at certain cognitive skills, such
as verbal and spatial memory and attention
(Taylor, 2005).
2. Breakfast and Performance recognized that school
breakfast program have a positive effect on the
nutritional status of school children, on attendance
and on lowering drop out rates (Cueto, 2001).
3. Iron deficiency and cognitive achievement among
school aged children and adolescents in the United
States established that children that were iron
deficient scored lower in maths than those with
normal iron stores (Halterman, 2001)
EVIDENCED BASED FINDINGS: NUTRITION AND
LEARNING ABILITIES, ANY ASSOCIATION?

7. Good nutrition benefit students academically:
 Eating a breakfast that consists of proteins and whole grains
assures that students will have a stable blood sugar level
during the first few hours of their school day.
 Stabilizes their mood, e.g. Vitamin B, improves attention
span and reasoning skills.
 If a student is in a sugar drop period of his/her day then
they will have a hard time focusing, may be sleepy and it
would probably not be a high time of retention while
learning.
 If children are feeling their best, they will achieve more and
be productive.
 They do better in school, score higher on tests and less
likely to have speech and language delays.
CONT’D

8.  An adequate nutrition and balanced meals play
an active role in a student’s day. At every age, the
energy and nutrient needs for children changes.
Physical activity is usually at its highest levels at
this age as well.
 The combination of factors makes it even more
important that students in this age group are
receiving adequate nutrition.
 To function at its best, the brain needs a variety
of nutrients.
 Protein, unsaturated fats, complex carbohydrates,
natural sugars and trace elements are all needed.
NUTRIENTS TO IMPROVE COGNITION

9. NUTRIENTS TO IMPROVE LEARNING
Core Nutrients
for Learning
Learning Function Food
Protein,
essential fatty
acids, iron, zinc,
B vitamins,
vitamin E
Brain function and memory Groundnut, almond,
cashew nut, egusi, walnut,
pumpkin seed
Iron and zinc Good memory, attention and
cognition
Lean meat
Complex
carbohydrates,
B vitamins
Improve focus and memory Wholegrain bread, whole
wheat pasta, brown rice,
corn, oat
Choline Cell membrane of the brain,
memory function
Egg yolk
Vitamins,
antioxidants
Protect cells, other brain and bodily
functions
Orange, strawberry,
grapes, apples, carrot,
tomatoes, peppers, etc

10. NUTRIENTS TO IMPROVE LEARNING
Core Nutrients for
Learning
Learning Function Food
Iron, zinc, fibre and B
complex vitamins
Protect brain and body from
cell damage, boost immunity,
thus reducing absenteeism
Dark green vegetables
Calcium Electrical signalling of the
brain cells
Milk, yoghurt, cheese,
bone meal
DHA, essential fatty
acids
Improve focus and cognition Sardine, mackerel, salmon,
avocado

11. GETTING STARTED, ROLE OF PARENTS, TEACHERS AND
SCHOOLS
• Encourage consumption of healthy foods, limit highly salted foods, fats and
added sugar
• Food choices and habits
• Adequate and balanced meals
• Routine nutrition assessment
• Diversification
• Nutrition education
• Advocacy
• Supplementation
• Breastfeeding
• School feeding program
• School nutrition program and club activities
• Food safety and hygiene
• Physical activity

12. PLANNING A HEALTHY MEAL FOR SCHOOL CHILDREN
(ONE DAY SAMPLE MENU)
• USING THE FOOD PYRAMID ONE DAY SAMPLE MENU
Breakfast
 Whole grain bread + Tomato egg
sauce
 Milk drink
 Red apple
Snack
Popcorn + groundnut
Lunch
 Lean beef
 Egusi soup
 Garri
 Orange
Snack
Yoghurt
Dinner
 Sardine fish
 Jollof rice + green peas
 Coslaw

13. THANK YOU