Food plays a role in children's mental health — and some schools are stepping in to help those going hungry

It's 8:30am and Julie Fahmy is busy preparing breakfast and lunches at a kitchen bench — but not for her own children.

The learning and support officer at Ashcroft Public School in Western Sydney is making meals for students who come to school without food.

"For breakfast today, we have Weet-Bix and we have Corn Flakes and then your choice of jam or Vegemite on toast," Ms Fahmy tells them with a calm and kind voice.

Sixty to 80 children have breakfast here on weekday mornings, and about 20 children are offered lunch.

The school has nearly 300 children from about 40 different ethnic backgrounds, many from Middle Eastern and Pacific origins.

Almost 70 per cent of its children are from socio-economically disadvantaged households.

School principal Kaliope Poppy Loueizi said she had seen an increase in families struggling to send kids to school with lunches as the cost of living had risen.

"We work in an area that does have some concentrated pockets of disadvantage, and we know that our families are doing it tough at the moment," she said.

"We also know that it is really critical that kids have food, do not feel hungry throughout the day. 

At a 'tipping point'

When it comes to schools providing meals to students, Australia is at a tipping point, according to Brittany Johnson, a senior research fellow at Flinders University's Caring Futures Institute.

She said school-provided meals could improve students' attendance and academic performance — and their sense of wellbeing and belonging at schools.

"We are seeing lots of examples start to pop up around Australia and in similar countries, so this is a really great time to start thinking about how we can do this to best support children and families in Australia," Dr Johnson said.

Deakin University Food and Mood Centre director Felice Jacka said food also played a part in children's mental wellbeing.

She has been researching the impact diet has on mental health, and says evidence shows that what children eat in their early years influences their mental and brain health.

"What we do know is that what kids are exposed to as normal food profoundly influences the way they eat across their life course," Professor Jacka said.

"Half of all mental disorders start before the age of 14 … and we see in all of these studies a very clear link between the quality of the diets …  and their mental health."

Mental health disorders among young people have soared by nearly 50 per cent in 15 years, data shows, and experts warn the health system is struggling to cope with the demand and the growing complexity of cases.

According to data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, nearly 40 per cent of young Australians aged 16-24 — more than 1 million people — experienced a mental health disorder in 2022, up from 26 per cent in 2007.

Professor Jacka said research showed a link between the quality of people's diets and their risk of depression.

She said a healthy diet should include all main food groups, including fruit and vegetables, dairy or dairy alternatives, and other proteins and grains.

Dr Johnson agreed, recommending parents keep their kids' lunch boxes full of fresh foods, and fewer packaged and processed foods.

"When we think about lunch boxes, it might be something like a grainy sandwich, some veggie sticks, and fruit and yoghurt," she said.

Many of those foods can be bought in bulk, but she said parents should not worry if they could not include all the food groups in one meal.

According to clinical guidelines published recently, food is not the only way to promote better mental health.

Clinical guidelines say physical activity and exercise, relaxation techniques, sleep and mindfulness-based therapies are also effective in addressing major depressive disorder — and these are supported by a stronger body of evidence.

Overcoming the barriers

Many schools across Australia have had breakfast clubs for years, and some also offer free sandwiches and fruit for lunch.

Others are running individual lunch pilot projects, and a number of them are offering hot meals.

Flinders University is working in association with some of these schools.

Dr Johnson says the Australian school lunch pilots show they are feasible, and that children, families and schools are excited by the idea.

Ashcroft Public School teacher and assistant principal Karen Ali has seen a positive change in her classroom since offering free meals to students — including better attendance.

"[They] know that if they do not have anything at home, there is always food here, so they are really happy to be in the classroom, and just within themselves as well," Ms Ali said.

"Having a sandwich for lunchtime to keep them full throughout the day, and also having breakfast, that really helps them to learn and focus in the classroom and be ready to engage in the lessons."

Ashcroft Public School captain, 11-year-old Houda, said having free food made her peers feel good to be at school.

"It is very important because it makes them happy and makes them feel healthy … if their [parents] cannot make them food," she said.

A 'universal' approach

Dr Johnson said Australia has a patchwork approach to school lunches, which was failing some children. 

She said a universal approach would provide a "safety net for kids" without "stigma and shame for families" who were struggling to afford food.

"We do have a very diverse country and different types of schools in different environments; we do need that kind of universal, but not uniform, approach," she said.

"So that there is that guidance [and] everyone is not trying to start this from scratch."

The biggest issue is funding — but Dr Johnson said Australia could look at other countries for guidance.

In some, such as Sweden, Finland and Estonia, hot school meals are free and publicly funded for children and young people.

Other countries, such as Germany, fully or partly subsidise school lunches for some low-income families, while other families pay a certain amount.

Dr Johnson said one of the challenges was addressing who would pay for the meals in Australia — parents, the private sector, or the government.

"So, we are really keen to understand whether parents might be interested in paying for this type of option, or some kind of co-investment approach as well."

Ashcroft Public School principal Ms Loueizi would be supportive of a universal school lunch program.

"Every child has the right to have good nutrition, every child has the right to have good wellbeing, and every child has the right to thrive in an educational setting, so I would support that idea, yes."

Mental health disorders among young people have soared by nearly 50 per cent in 15 years. The ABC is talking to youth, parents, and researchers about what's driving this pattern, and what can be done to turn things around.