The True Benefits of Nutrition 

Eating a healthy, nutritious diet is essential for students in high school. Similar to how students do not get adequate amounts of sleep, many students lack nutrition. Without a nourishing diet, students will be unable to flourish in life and education. 

Science teacher, Mr. Meza, explained truly how important it is: “I think it is likely more important than we realize or prioritize.  It is right up there with sleep, hygiene, and exercise.”

According to a study by the University of Minnesota, 60% of national high school students skip breakfast each morning. Biology teacher, Ms. Vickrey confirmed the importance of proper nourishment for young adults as “ your bodies and brains are developing.” 

She continued to say that “there’s been lots of research and studies that show that a balanced diet is very important in overall development.”

Eating healthy is vital to many aspects of life.  However, there are some obstacles blocking people from achieving this. Meza stated, “It is so critical to be fully informed but we battle a few things:  1) lack of concise, testable, & reputable information, 2) our evolved response to love all unhealthy foods for their quick feel-good chemicals, & 3) the teenage body can offset poor dietary intake with a faster metabolism so negative impacts of nutrition are somewhat dampened.” 

The Harvard School of Public Health conducted a study in 2013, which revealed that consuming a nutritious diet is about $1.50 more expensive per day than eating a diet full of processed foods and refined grains. 

Despite this, healthy foods do not have to be pricey. According to an article by WebMD, it is much more important to stop “worrying about those extra labels” such as “gluten-free” or “organic” when consuming a nutritious diet. 

The greatest difference between healthy and unhealthy foods are the amount of micronutrients. Fruits and vegetables, meats, and fish have more micronutrients than their junk food counterparts (candy, french fries, burgers). These micronutrients help your body perform its best. 

Vickrey agreed that there are many barriers keeping people from consuming a wholesome diet. This is through deceiving information online. “I think we are susceptible to misinformation. It’s a matter of educating yourself.” She affirms that “being able to know where to go for information (outside of school) is important.” 

Despite these risks, she believes that the Prep community does a sound job in educating their students on such topics as she thinks, “from science classes at Prep (we) get a good idea of nutrition.” 

Overall, a nutritious diet is vital for the well- being of students at Seattle Prep and all over America. Seattle Prep students must be able to recognize the importance of eating healthy. Food helps power students’ brains and therefore increases work productivity. For students to achieve their best ability, it is important for them to eat their fruits and vegetables.