How to Identify Hungry Children

In working with the schools, we provide guidelines to teachers and staff on how to identify chronically hungry children. Below highlights some of the key identifiers:

• Showing extreme hunger on Monday morning
• Rushing to get in the cafeteria line or showing up noticeably early for breakfast
• Cleaning their plate and not wasting any food
• Asking for seconds or food from others
• Physical appearance-
• Skin appears swollen or puffy due to possible protein deficiency
• Noticeable thinness due to lack of calories.
• Weight is not always an indicator of lack of calories; some obesity is caused from poor nutrition in the diet of a child.
• Redness and /or cracking around the lips
• Dry and itchy eyes–indicator of possible Vitamin A deficiency