Tennessee should provide free lunches to students

Sean Livingston, Meghan Ghanayem, Joe Zickafoose, Holly Miller, Rosemary Hunter and Kelsi Mellin Guest columnists

As the old saying goes, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.”

In many ways, this proverb still rings true. As pediatricians, we believe that healthy food is medicine, and access to quality food is essential to a child’s growth and development. We screen for food insecurity during our well-child exams as a part of our general wellness assessment.

Each week, we find many kids and families who report some level of food insecurity in their homes.

For too many children, the apple is just beyond their reach.

Hunger and limited access to food are problems facing many families in Tennessee. In a recent Vanderbilt Center for Child Health Policy poll, one quarter of families received food assistance and about 40% of families report low or extremely low levels of food security, meaning they are not sure where their next meal is coming from.

Most Tennesseans support feeding needy children in school

As an example, a boy named “José” came to our office one day for a checkup. He had dramatic weight gain over a brief period. When asked what happened during this time, he began to cry. He said that his family was homeless, and he only had reliable meals during school.

On weekends, he binged on unhealthy foods because he was not sure when he would get his next meal. This set up an unhealthy eating pattern. For children like José, schools provide vital access to reliable and nutritious meals. Currently, a quarter of families state that their children are receiving free or reduced meals at school, and an astounding 90% of parents support free school meals for all Tennessee children.

José’s story is not unique. School is more than just a place of learning, but a second home. It is a place where kids should feel safe, secure, and receive the nourishment they need to thrive. As pediatricians, we have personally seen the difference that steady, nutritious food can make. For students all over Tennessee, there is an opportunity to ensure that each child is given the optimal chance to succeed, starting with free and nutritious meals.

If Tennessee passed legislation to provide free lunches in school, we would be joining seven other states and would be making a strong stance in supporting the health and education of our next generation.

Our elected officials in Tennessee have the chance to make a difference in these kids’ lives. In 2016, over 58% of Tennessee students qualified for the free and reduced lunch program. The need is there and has increased with the COVID pandemic and inflation.

Here’s how to find your lawmakers and tell them to change the law

By supporting healthy school meals for all legislation, you will help plant the seeds to fuel the next generation. Please contact your elected official to voice support to fight hunger and poor nutrition for our students and provide more apples for our children.

To find your elected officials: https://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/ fml2022/search.aspx

To learn more about food insecurity in Tennessee: https://www.feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/tennessee

To learn more about the campaign for free school meals for children across the United States: https:// frac.org/healthy-school-meals-for-all

The authors are pediatricians or child health professionals in Middle Tennessee: Dr. Sean Livingston, Dr. Meghan Ghanayem, Dr. Joe Zickafoose, Holly Miller, APRN, Dr. Rosemary Hunter and Dr. Kelsi Mellin.