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Sam Kass: Want kids to learn well? Feed them well
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What can we expect our kids to learn if they're hungry or eating diets full of sugar and empty of nutrients? Former White House Chef and food policymaker Sam Kass discusses the role schools can play in nourishing students' bodies in addition to their minds.
Sam Kass - Food entrepreneur
Sam Kass's work connects nutrition and education in an effort to make sure future generations thrive. Full bio
Sam Kass's work connects nutrition and education in an effort to make sure future generations thrive. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:12
I am a chef
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and a food policy guy,
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but I come from a whole
family of teachers.
family of teachers.
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My sister is a special ed
teacher in Chicago.
teacher in Chicago.
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My father just retired
after 25 years teaching fifth grade.
after 25 years teaching fifth grade.
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My aunt and uncle were professors.
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My cousins all teach.
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Everybody in my family, basically,
teaches except for me.
teaches except for me.
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They taught me that the only way
to get the right answers
to get the right answers
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is to ask the right questions.
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So what are the right questions
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when it comes to improving
the educational outcomes for our children?
the educational outcomes for our children?
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There's obviously
many important questions,
many important questions,
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but I think the following
is a good place to start:
is a good place to start:
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What do we think the connection is
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between a child's growing mind
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and their growing body?
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What can we expect our kids to learn
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if their diets are full of sugar
and empty of nutrients?
and empty of nutrients?
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What can they possibly learn
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if their bodies
are literally going hungry?
are literally going hungry?
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And with all the resources
that we are pouring into schools,
that we are pouring into schools,
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we should stop and ask ourselves:
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Are we really setting our kids
up for success?
up for success?
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Now, a few years ago,
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I was a judge on a cooking
competition called "Chopped."
competition called "Chopped."
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Its four chefs compete
with mystery ingredients
with mystery ingredients
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to see who can cook the best dishes.
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Except for this episode --
it was a very special one.
it was a very special one.
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Instead of four overzealous chefs
trying to break into the limelight --
trying to break into the limelight --
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something that I would know
nothing about --
nothing about --
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(Laughter)
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These chefs were school chefs --
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you know, the women that you used
to call "lunch ladies,"
to call "lunch ladies,"
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but the ones I insist
we call "school chefs."
we call "school chefs."
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Now, these women -- God bless
these women --
these women --
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spend their day cooking
for thousands of kids,
for thousands of kids,
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breakfast and lunch,
with only $2.68 per lunch,
with only $2.68 per lunch,
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with only about a dollar of that
actually going to the food.
actually going to the food.
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Now, in this episode,
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the main course mystery
ingredient was quinoa.
ingredient was quinoa.
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Now, I know it's been a long time
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since most of you have had a school lunch,
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and we've made a lot
of progress on nutrition,
of progress on nutrition,
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but quinoa still is not a staple
in most school cafeterias.
in most school cafeterias.
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(Laughter)
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So this was a challenge.
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But the dish that I will never forget
was cooked by a woman
was cooked by a woman
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named Cheryl Barbara.
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Cheryl was the nutrition director
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at High School in the Community
in Connecticut.
in Connecticut.
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She cooked this delicious pasta.
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It was amazing.
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It was a pappardelle with Italian sausage,
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kale, Parmesan cheese.
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It was delicious, like,
restaurant-quality good, except --
restaurant-quality good, except --
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she basically just threw the quinoa,
pretty much uncooked,
pretty much uncooked,
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into the dish.
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It was a strange choice,
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and it was super crunchy.
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(Laughter)
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So I took on the TV accusatory judge thing
that you're supposed to do,
that you're supposed to do,
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and I asked her why she did that.
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Cheryl responded, "Well, first,
I don't know what quinoa is."
I don't know what quinoa is."
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(Laughter)
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"But I do know that it's a Monday,
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and that in my school,
at High School in the Community,
at High School in the Community,
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I always cook pasta."
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See, Cheryl explained
that for many of her kids,
that for many of her kids,
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there were no meals on the weekends.
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No meals on Saturday.
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No meals on Sunday, either.
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So she cooked pasta
because she wanted to make sure
because she wanted to make sure
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she cooked something she knew
her children would eat.
her children would eat.
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Something that would
stick to their ribs, she said.
stick to their ribs, she said.
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Something that would fill them up.
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By the time Monday came,
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her kids' hunger pangs were so intense
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that they couldn't even begin
to think about learning.
to think about learning.
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Food was the only thing on their mind.
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The only thing.
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And unfortunately, the stats --
they tell the same story.
they tell the same story.
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So, let's put this
into the context of a child.
into the context of a child.
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And we're going to focus on
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the most important meal
of the day, breakfast.
of the day, breakfast.
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Meet Allison.
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She's 12 years old,
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she's smart as a whip
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and she wants to be a physicist
when she grows up.
when she grows up.
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If Allison goes to a school
that serves a nutritious breakfast
that serves a nutritious breakfast
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to all of their kids,
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here's what's going to follow.
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Her chances of getting a nutritious meal,
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one with fruit and milk,
one lower in sugar and salt,
one lower in sugar and salt,
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dramatically increase.
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Allison will have a lower rate
of obesity than the average kid.
of obesity than the average kid.
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She'll have to visit the nurse less.
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She'll have lower levels
of anxiety and depression.
of anxiety and depression.
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She'll have better behavior.
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She'll have better attendance,
and she'll show up on time more often.
and she'll show up on time more often.
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Why?
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Well, because there's a good meal
waiting for her at school.
waiting for her at school.
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Overall, Allison is in much better health
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than the average school kid.
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So what about that kid
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who doesn't have a nutritious
breakfast waiting for him?
breakfast waiting for him?
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Well, meet Tommy.
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He's also 12. He's a wonderful kid.
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He wants to be a doctor.
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By the time Tommy is in kindergarten,
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he's already underperforming in math.
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By the time he's in third grade,
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he's got lower math and reading scores.
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By the time he's 11,
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it's more likely that Tommy will have
to have repeated a grade.
to have repeated a grade.
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Research shows that kids
who do not have consistent nourishment,
who do not have consistent nourishment,
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particularly at breakfast,
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have poor cognitive function overall.
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So how widespread is this problem?
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Well, unfortunately, it's pervasive.
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Let me give you two stats
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that seem like they're on opposite
ends of the issue,
ends of the issue,
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but are actually two sides
of the same coin.
of the same coin.
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On the one hand,
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one in six Americans are food insecure,
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including 16 million children --
almost 20 percent --
almost 20 percent --
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are food insecure.
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In this city alone, in New York City,
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474,000 kids under the age of 18
face hunger every year.
face hunger every year.
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It's crazy.
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On the other hand,
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diet and nutrition is the number one cause
of preventable death and disease
of preventable death and disease
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in this country, by far.
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And fully a third of the kids
that we've been talking about tonight
that we've been talking about tonight
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are on track to have diabetes
in their lifetime.
in their lifetime.
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Now, what's hard
to put together but is true
to put together but is true
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is that, many times,
these are the same children.
these are the same children.
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So they fill up on the unhealthy
and cheap calories
and cheap calories
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that surround them in their communities
and that their families can afford.
and that their families can afford.
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But then by the end of the month,
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food stamps run out
or hours get cut at work,
or hours get cut at work,
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and they don't have the money
to cover the basic cost of food.
to cover the basic cost of food.
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But we should be able
to solve this problem, right?
to solve this problem, right?
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We know what the answers are.
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As part of my work at the White House,
we instituted a program
we instituted a program
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that for all schools that had
40 percent more low-income kids,
40 percent more low-income kids,
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we could serve breakfast and lunch
to every kid in that school
to every kid in that school
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for free.
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This program has been
incredibly successful,
incredibly successful,
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because it helped us overcome
a very difficult barrier
a very difficult barrier
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when it came to getting kids
a nutritious breakfast.
a nutritious breakfast.
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And that was the barrier of stigma.
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See, schools serve
breakfast before school,
breakfast before school,
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and it was only available
for the poor kids.
for the poor kids.
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So everybody knew who was poor
and who needed government help.
and who needed government help.
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Now, all kids, no matter how much
or how little their parents make,
or how little their parents make,
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have a lot of pride.
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So what happened?
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Well, the schools that have
implemented this program
implemented this program
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saw an increase in math and reading
scores by 17.5 percent.
scores by 17.5 percent.
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17.5 percent.
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And research shows that when kids
have a consistent, nutritious breakfast,
have a consistent, nutritious breakfast,
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their chances of graduating
increase by 20 percent.
increase by 20 percent.
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20 percent.
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When we give our kids
the nourishment they need,
the nourishment they need,
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we give them the chance to thrive,
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both in the classroom and beyond.
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Now, you don't have to trust me on this,
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but you should talk to Donna Martin.
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I love Donna Martin.
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Donna Martin is the school nutrition
director at Burke County
director at Burke County
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in Waynesboro, Georgia.
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Now, Burke County
is one of the poorest districts
is one of the poorest districts
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in the fifth-poorest state in the country,
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and about 100 percent of Donna's students
live at or below the poverty line.
live at or below the poverty line.
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A few years ago,
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Donna decided to get out ahead
of the new standards that were coming,
of the new standards that were coming,
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and overhaul her nutrition standards.
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She improved and added
fruit and vegetables and whole grains.
fruit and vegetables and whole grains.
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She served breakfast in the classroom
to all of her kids.
to all of her kids.
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And she implemented a dinner program.
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Why?
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Well, many of her kids didn't have
dinner when they went home.
dinner when they went home.
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So how did they respond?
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Well, the kids loved the food.
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They loved the better nutrition,
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and they loved not being hungry.
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But Donna's biggest supporter came
from an unexpected place.
from an unexpected place.
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His name from Eric Parker,
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and he was the head football coach
for the Burke County Bears.
for the Burke County Bears.
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Now, Coach Parker had coached
mediocre teams for years.
mediocre teams for years.
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The Bears often ended
in the middle of the pack --
in the middle of the pack --
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a big disappointment in one
of the most passionate football states
of the most passionate football states
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in the union.
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But the year Donna changed the menus,
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the Bears not only won their division,
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they went on to win
the state championship,
the state championship,
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beating the Peach County Trojans
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28-14.
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(Laughter)
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And Coach Parker,
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he credited that championship
to Donna Martin.
to Donna Martin.
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When we give our kids
the basic nourishment,
the basic nourishment,
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they're gonna thrive.
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And it's not just up
to the Cheryl Barbaras
to the Cheryl Barbaras
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and the Donna Martins of the world.
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It's on all of us.
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And feeding our kids the basic nutrition
is just the starting point.
is just the starting point.
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What I've laid out is really a model
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for so many of the most pressing
issues that we face.
issues that we face.
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If we focus on the simple goal
of properly nourishing ourselves,
of properly nourishing ourselves,
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we could see a world
that is more stable and secure;
that is more stable and secure;
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we could dramatically improve
our economic productivity;
our economic productivity;
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we could transform our health care
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and we could go a long way
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in ensuring that the Earth can provide
for generations to come.
for generations to come.
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Food is that place
where our collective efforts
where our collective efforts
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can have the greatest impact.
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So we have to ask ourselves:
What is the right question?
What is the right question?
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What would happen
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if we fed ourselves more nutritious,
more sustainably grown food?
more sustainably grown food?
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What would be the impact?
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Cheryl Barbara,
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Donna Martin,
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Coach Parker and the Burke County Bears --
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I think they know the answer.
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Thank you guys so very much.
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(Applause)
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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Sam Kass - Food entrepreneurSam Kass's work connects nutrition and education in an effort to make sure future generations thrive.
Why you should listen
Food entrepreneur Sam Kass is a former White House Chef and Senior Policy Advisor for Nutrition. He is the founder of TROVE and a partner in Acre Venture Partners.
Kass joined the White House kitchen staff in 2009 as Assistant Chef and, in 2010, became Food Initiative Coordinator. During his White House tenure, he took on several additional roles including Executive Director of First Lady Michelle Obama's "Let’s Move!" campaign and senior White House Policy Advisor for Nutrition. Kass is the first person in the history of the White House to have a position in the Executive Office of the President and the Residence. As one of the First Lady’s longest-serving advisors, he served as Senior Policy Advisor for Healthy Food Initiatives and he helped the First Lady create the first major vegetable garden at the White House since Eleanor Roosevelt’s victory garden.
In 2011, Fast Company included Sam in their list of "100 Most Creative People," and in 2012, he helped create the American Chef Corps, which is dedicated to promoting diplomacy through culinary initiatives. He is also an MIT Media lab fellow, entrepreneur and advisor.
Sam Kass | Speaker | TED.com