Abstract:

Insufficient and low-quality nutrition in children can disrupt rapidly developing brain and cognitive functions and affect children’s academic achievements. Studies show that regular meals in children, especially breakfast, are related to academic success. It has been determined that children who eat regular breakfast have better concentration, capability, memory and problem-solving abilities. As much as the number of meals, the content of meals also affects academic success. Diversity and sufficient nutrition, sufficient fruit-sweets, microfoods (protein, folate, iron, B vitamins, omega 3, multi-insaturated fatty acids) and fish consumption are related to better academic results; it has been that children who consume more fruit, vegetables and home-made meals have a better IQ and memory capacity. Nevertheless, the excess consumption of low-quality foods (e.g., sweet foods, salt snacks, fast foods) in children is associated with unhealthy nutrition, such as the insufficient consumption of dairy products and high nutritional value foods (e.g., vegetables, fruits, meat, fish, eggs), with negative overall performance. The teaching of food in pre-school institutions is very important for children to acquire their eating habits. Children in the pre-school age will also see a healthy increase in the child’s eating habits thanks to the nutritional education. The children who go to the pre-school education institution, compared to the children who do not go, the level of knowledge about the nutritional groups increases, positive developments in eating habits are observed. Children’s education in pre-school education institutions reflects the future lives of children. Children who receive education become healthier, more conscious than children who do not receive education, and they complement their development in a positive way by eating a balanced diet.

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