Hunger Learning Center:

For Kids

Everyone Needs to Eat

Food tastes good but that’s not the only reason we eat it. We all need to eat because food gives us energy and keeps us healthy and strong. It is especially important for kids to eat plenty of healthy food, because they are still growing.

But not every kid has enough food to eat. In fact, one out of every four people at a soup kitchen is a child. Right now, there are almost 14 million children in the United States who don’t have enough food to eat to lead a healthy life.

Fortunately, many people are working to get food to children and families who need it. Connecticut Food Bank and the community agencies we serve help provide food to people in need. You can help, too!

Facts About Nutrition

Food gives us energy and keeps us healthy and strong. But not just any food. People, especially kids, need to eat a variety of good-for-you foods to stay healthy and grow up strong.

No single food contains all the vitamins and nutrients you need, so you should make sure to eat several kinds of food – including fruits and vegetables – every day.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has set Dietary Guidelines to help people make healthy food choices. The Dietary Guidelines describe a healthy diet as one that:

  • Has a lot of fruits and vegetables, either fresh, frozen or canned
  • Includes whole grain products like whole wheat bread and brown rice
  • Emphasizes fat-free or low-fat dairy products, like milk, cheese and yogurt
  • Includes lean meat and poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts
  • Avoids fat, salt, and added sugars (for example, avoid cookies, donuts and high-sugar cereal)

The U.S.D.A. has recently created the "MyPyramid Food Guidance System," which provides many options to help Americans make healthy food choices and to be active every day. You can customize the "MyPyramid" based on your age and physical activity. To learn more, visit www.MyPyramid.gov.

Some Kids Don’t Have Enough to Eat

Eating a variety of foods is easier when you have a full pantry and refrigerator. But not every family can afford to buy different kinds of food to eat every day, so a lot of kids don’t get enough nutrients like fiber, vitamins A and C, calcium and iron. These kids get tired more easily in school, can’t pay attention to their teacher, and have trouble concentrating on their schoolwork.

Many kids don’t eat breakfast, lunch or dinner because they don’t have enough food to eat or money to buy their meals. Other kids and families don’t have enough money to buy healthy foods so they fill up on food that is cheap, like fast food and junk food, that aren’t good for them. Neither of these is healthy.

Schools have breakfast and lunch programs so students can eat the food they need to do well in school. Some kids pay for their meals, others get a discount or eat for free, depending on how much they can afford.

But what happens after school, or during the summer, when school is out? Many kids go hungry because there is no food at home for them to eat. This is one reason why many families go to food pantries and soup kitchens to provide meals for their children.

For information about school breakfast and lunch programs, and the Summer Food Service Program, visit the CT State Department of Education website by clicking here. You can also contact Infoline for information on summer feeding programs in your area; call 211 or visit www.InfoLine.org

How Connecticut Food Bank Works

Connecticut Food Bank (CFB) accepts donations of food products from the food industry including farmers and other growers, manufacturers, and grocery stores. We also collect food from food drives and from local residents who want to help people in need.

CFB gives this donated food to 650 food assistance programs such as soup kitchens, shelters, food pantries, and adult and child day care centers. These programs then give the food to people in need. For example, soup kitchens prepare meals like lunch and dinner free for members of the community. Food pantries hand out bags of groceries for individuals and families to take home.

CFB serves agencies in six of Connecticut's eight counties: Fairfield, Litchfield, Middlesex, New Haven, New London and Windham. For a list of some of these agencies, click here.

Even in our great country, not everyone has enough to eat every day. You may notice other kids at your school who eat their food very quickly, or don’t have any lunch at all. Their families may not have enough money to buy the nutritious food kids need to eat every day.

You can help in many different ways. First, be sensitive to other kids who don’t have much or anything to eat at meal times, to families who receive assistance such as food stamps and reduced-meal prices, and to those who use food pantries or soup kitchens to provide enough food for their families. There are many reasons people need help; you may never know why.

You can also become more aware of the problem of hunger and food insecurity in your community. Do you know where a food bank or pantry is in your community? Do you ever see someone who may be hungry? Learning more about hunger will help you get more involved in the fight against hunger.

Ways Kids Can Help

There are many ways you can help reduce hunger in your community:

  • Plan a food drive with your school, neighborhood, place of worship or after-school group. Click here for tips on planning a food drive.
  • Volunteer with your class or family at a local food assistance program.
  • Ask friends and family to donate food or money instead of giving presents to you for a birthday or bar/bat mitzvah.
  • Ask your teacher or parent about taking a field trip to Connecticut Food Bank. Have them contact us to arrange a date and time.
  • Donate money that you and your classmates would otherwise spend on snacks to CFB or a local food assistance program.
  • Write a poem or story about hunger and share it with your class and family.
  • Make a poster to illustrate the problem of hunger and what can be done to help.
    • Write a letter to your local newspaper and political leaders asking them to be more involved in fighting hunger.
    • Observe National Hunger Awareness Day by donating money you would otherwise spend on a snack or working on a volunteer project to a hunger-relief organization. Visit www.hungerday.org for more information.
    • Talk to your parents about donating money to hunger-relief charities.
    • Try not to waste food at home or school. Don’t fill your plate with more than you can eat, just to throw it away later.

Links

Hunger 101