Children who eat lunches rich in fruit and vegetables are much more likely to misbehave than those who fill up on junk food, a government-funded research shows.
The so-called “banana louts” were almost four times as likely to be boisterous when studying with their classmates during the afternoon, the study by the School Food Trust found.
The researchers studied the behaviour of youngsters at six primary schools in Sheffield, observing them over 12 weeks in the lesson after lunch. The researchers found that children who had lunched on healthy meals were more than five times as likely to be well behaved as those who had eaten fast food. However, the situation was very different when the children were studying by themselves in small groups. In such cases, the fruit and veg-fed children were 3.6 times as likely to be “off task” or naughty.
It is thought that fast food fuels hyperactivity, affecting concentration and making pupils difficult for teachers to control. Healthier meals, in contrast boost alertness - raising the risk of youngsters becoming boisterous when the calming influence of the teacher is removed.
Child nutritionist Judy More said: “A good meal will make their blood sugar levels steady, meaning they concentrate better when working with a teacher.
“But with group work they are being stimulated by each other and simply acting as children do.”
She added that there were many other reasons to encourage a healthy diet. “It will be fantastic for their long-term wellbeing, and, compared with that, the effect on their behaviour does not really matter a fig,” she said.
The findings come as the government prepares to make cookery lessons compulsory in secondary schools. It is hoped the classes, which are designed to help combat growing levels of obesity, will encourage teenagers to cook fresh, healthy meals instead of relying on processed foods.
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