Over the past 50 years, the health of Americans has decreased more than ever before. The most proficient contributing factor seems to be the country’s diet. Most people in the United States don’t eat a healthy diet and consume too much sodium, saturated fat, and sugar, increasing their risk of chronic diseases. Fewer than one in ten adolescents and adults eat enough fruits or vegetables. In addition, six out of ten young people ages two to nineteen and five in every ten adults consume at least one sugary drink on any given day.

Common foods that are targeted toward the younger generations have been proven to do more harm than good for the body. Today, people are eating foods containing many additives that have been disguised as nourishing. Food has the sole purpose of fueling the body for ideal performance. A student needs vitamins, protein, fibers, and so many more factors to help the brain function. Eight hours of school can not be supported by chemicals and sugar.

The snacks at the AHS cafe are not supporting the students who eat them. An all-American favorite, Cheez-Its, is based on the ingredient Tertiary-butylhydroquinone (TBHQ). A petroleum derivative is used to help make the food last longer. The FDA says that death has been known to occur from just five5 grams of ingestion. Longer-term effects can include liver enlargement, neurotoxic effects, and genotoxicity. Genotoxicity is the property of chemical agents that damage the genetic information within a cell causing mutations, affectingeffecting the DNA through mutation or cancer changes how the DNA is passed down to offspring according to Science Direct.

The perfect hydrating drink to wash down the bag of Cheez-Its is Gatorade. WRONG. Gatorade is completely banned in Norway and Austria for a reason. It contains E129 and E133 two Allura food coloring ingredients that can be very detrimental to one’s health. Artificial food coloring in general has been proven to be a huge contributing factor to attention deficit disorder (ADHD). 1 in every 11 kids today has been diagnosed with ADHD. In the past 26 years, ADHD levels have increased from 6% to 11% in the youth population according to the Center For Disease Control and Prevention.

It may seem difficult to find foods that are actually good for you, but can actually have significant benefits. Some brands are even made for the sole purpose of excluding all harmful ingredients. Slowly converting one’s diet to more natural foods is a good way to start, even starting by replacing Cheez-It with Triscuit or Nut Thins. Both alternatives have a good amount of calories, protein, fiber, low sugar, and low sodium. All factors that can help a student perform to their full potential.