TOLEDO, Ohio — Free lunch and breakfast are now being provided for all students at Toledo Public Schools this year.
"All of our sites including our high school academy now qualify to be receiving these free meals," Carrie Kolodziejczyk, senior director of food service and child nutrition at TPS said. "So we're more than excited about that because that is the population of students that did not have access prior."
The funding comes from the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce. With each meal costing $4.45, the state will reimburse the school, covering the cost for all students.
"We know that the average family spends about $300 a month on student meals," Kolodziejczyk said. "So that's $300 a month that families are recouping to put back into their lives and their families and reinvest in themselves, and we're thrilled to be able to be a part of that opportunity for them."
An opportunity health experts in Lucas County agree will benefit the students' diet and daily performance.
ProMedica pediatrician Joshua Essel said nutrients for brain growth and development are critical at these ages, amongst other things.
"That also helps with a good diet, especially with the struggles of obesity in a lot of children having good planned meals, especially breakfast, and a good planned meal in the afternoon. Goes a long way to help with all that," Essel said.
Kelly Layton, a registered pediatric dietician with Nationwide Children's Hospital, recommends students grab foods that are rich in fiber or Vitamin C.
"Whole grains, whole grain bread, brown rice oats are excellent sources of sustainable energy and carbohydrates," Layton said. "Whole pieces of fruit, especially berries, are an excellent source of Vitamin C. When kids are going back to school and they're more likely to get sick, that's going to help fight off some of that illness."
And grains are what Kolodziejczyk said the schools provide along with other beneficial foods.
"All of our meals start with a whole grain ingredient or a whole fruit and veg ingredient, which is very unusual in the commercial market," Kolodziejczyk said. "So if you were to look at an ingredient label, ours would look very different than that, that you see in the grocery."
She said the free healthy meals are the first step and now they're looking to expand food options for the students.
"We're always looking for student response on food items, preferences, palate preferences, dietary preferences and needs," Kolodziejczyk said. "We're looking at more non-meat options for our students that prefer that eating pattern. We're looking at more culturally inspired dishes to meet students."
In Lucas County and worldwide, Layton said the biggest issue most pediatricians are seeing in kids' diets is sugary drinks.
"We have a lot of people who are drinking pop, juice, things like that, regularly. Sugar drinks are the number one source of added sugar in most kids' diets," Layton said. "So that's a big thing that we work on here, especially cause we see kids for diabetes prevention. We also see a lot of kids for obesity management which can be really challenging, especially if you're food insecure."
Layton recommends parents ensure their kids are getting the right nutrients during and even after school hours to stay healthy.