Betydningen av mat og måltider for læring i grunnskolen

Abstract

While primary and lower secondary school students in Norway have a relatively healthy diet, there are some weaknesses. Not all students eat breakfast at home/school or lunch at school. The school is an important arena for universal food and meal efforts targeting all students, which is important for their learning in the short and long term. Through a narrative/traditional review, this article investigates the research question: What impact do food and meals have on learning in primary and lower secondary schools? We focus on how food and meals affect concentration, school performance/results and social learning. Systematic reviews show that breakfast is important for short-term concentration and school results. Likewise, school lunch is associated with improved dietary quality, school attendance and academic achievement. School meals also impact social learning, e.g. eating routines, communication/friendship and broader societal issues of identity and connection to the community. Possibilities for promoting these outcomes in the Norwegian school system are presented, focusing on current curricula and policy documents. There is potential to strengthen the focus on food and meals, as well as the connection between food and learning in schools.