Mental health is a combination of our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. Everyone has mental health needs, including our kiddos! Taking care of our children’s mental health is essential for them to thrive in and out of school. Nutrition impacts mental health, which is why it’s so important for our kids to eat three healthy meals a day.
Having our basic needs met is a crucial component to our mental health. It allows us to thrive and reach our full potential. However, our mental health can be negatively impacted when our access to these needs is hindered. For example, food insecurity is highly associated with stress and anxiety which has a huge toll on our well-being, including our mental health.
In one of our recent studies, we found that nearly half of Floridian parents (47%) experienced one or more food insecurity symptoms in the past year. A quarter (26% worried that their household would not have enough food to eat.
A mother from Polk County shared this with us about the distress food insecurity has caused for her: “It’s been extremely hard to afford anything anymore. I’m a single mom, and although I ensure my child eats all her meals daily, I myself am only able to eat once a day. It’s very stressful and I don’t know what to do anymore.”
The stress that household members experience is only compounded when they do not have the financial means to provide the essential meals they need or know where to access to nutritious foods – both issues lead to poor mental health outcomes.
That’s why we can observe an important link between our mental health, food security, and economic stability.
Fortunately, at No Kid Hungry this is a problem we know how to solve with your help! One of the best ways to ensure that students are fed is by helping increase access to school meal programs and access to grocery benefits like SNAP and WIC that help put dollars for food directly in family’s pockets. Ensuring that our children have their needs met, including having access to nutritious meals, has a positive impact on their mental health which influences their success in and out of school. It is of utmost importance that us, as caregivers, set up the appropriate foundations for our kids to have all they need to learn, grow, and thrive!
Join us in our fight to make No Kid Hungry a reality!