When I was in elementary school, my parents packed me a lunch every day. Usually, it had a sandwich, some fruits or veggies, a juice box, and some sort of treat.
I know for a fact that I rarely, if ever, finished my lunch. I almost always went home with a lunchbox still half-full of food.
Thinking back, I wonder how much food I wasted as a child.
Kids everywhere don't finish their lunches because they're full or "just don't feel like it."
Schools recently realized how much of an issue this was, so they decided to do something about it. After watching lunch after lunch get thrown away, some schools started creating "share tables."
The idea behind these share tables is that kids who don't finish their food can put any unopened snacks onto the table for other children to take. Share tables will not only feed hungry kids, they'll also reduce food waste.
[H/T: Country Living]
We often think of childhood hunger as an issue that only affects other places, but there are millions of kids right here in the U.S. that go hungry every day.
One in six children in the United States don't get the food they need.
According to No Kid Hungry, "13 million kids in the U.S. struggle with hunger."
Families everywhere struggle to make ends meet, and that can often lead to food insecurity.
Most teachers see their students go hungry regularly, and this means they can't focus on their schoolwork.
When children are hungry, they can't retain information as well, which means they can't get the most out of their education.
With so much food going to waste in the U.S., it's crazy that kids don't get the food they need.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture, we waste 30 to 40 percent of the food supply we have.
Some schools have decided to take a stand against childhood hunger and food waste by creating "share tables."
The idea behind share tables is ridiculously simple: kids who don't finish their lunches can give unopened food to other children.
Instead of tossing leftover food in the garbage, kids are encouraged to drop off any packaged food on a table, where other kids can come take it.
If there's leftover food at the end of the day, the schools will donate it to a local food bank or church.
This is a no-shame system for kids who are less fortunate to grab a little extra food during lunch at school.
Plenty of kids don't finish their lunches, and there are lots of other children who would be more than happy to have that food.
Food banks and food pantries are wonderful, but some families aren't able to go to them as often as they'd like.
Many children don't have the ability to control their family's food supply, but this is one way for them to have a bigger role in their food consumption.
Growing children need a lot of food, and a lack of access to food can lead to emotional distress.
More schools should introduce share tables to encourage kids to help one another, keep hungry kids fed, and reduce food waste.
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