Photo courtesy of Barrington School
School lunches and organic eating are two areas that do not often intersect.
In a lot of schools, prepackaged heat-and-serve meals have become the norm, but what impact is eating processed food five meals a week having on younger kids?
This is a question that Jessie Hoffman, founder of the Barrington School – a private preschool with five central Ohio locations – asked herself when she had kids. When Hoffman founded Barrington, she used what she wanted for her own children to guide the philosophies that inform the school’s practices.
One of those practices was preparing fresh, organic lunches for children. At Barrington, meals are served on a rotating menu, and prepared by professional chefs.
“A lot of food has too much sugar in it, and having processed food and having the unneeded sugars … doesn’t allow them to have a productive day,” Hoffman says. “I want them to have balanced meals throughout the day. … That way, it will sustain them all day long.”
Hoffman says that, in short, eating organically helps keep kids energized in a way that lasts all day, rather than a brief sugar rush followed by a crash.
“When you eat McDonald’s or fast food, you feel sluggish,” Hoffman says. “When your body is getting the nutrition it needs, you’re going to want to go out outside and kick a ball instead of sitting at home and playing video games.”
Emily Real is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.
