Back to school: Feeding students a top concern for parents, educators

DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) -- As students in the traditional school year go back to class, some families are worried about the cost of food.

A survey by Deloitte Consulting Firm says a classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich lunch will cost, on average, nearly $5 to make at home, which is up 6% and more expensive than the average cost for buying lunch at school.

To bring a bagged lunch or school lunch, that's a question many families are struggling with this school year.

"School meals, breakfast and lunch are the pivotal things that students need in order to help them focus on a day-to-day basis. Unfortunately, a major challenge that families are facing right now when it comes to food and food security," said Dr. Shaneeka Moore-Brown, North Carolina PTA President.

About 1 in 5 children in North Carolina don't know where their next meal is coming from, according to "Feeding America."

In Durham, around 10,000 students get breakfast for free without any application.

"Testing results show that kids who have breakfast test higher in math and reading, and that there's less disciplinary problems when kids have breakfast," said Jim Keaton of Durham Public Schools.

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The NCPTA advocates for universal breakfast and lunch for all students. Many school PTA groups try to clear lunch balances for families in need.

"It is very pivotal for every school to have a parent-led organization so that you do have folks who are advocating because our teachers are doing so much in the classroom, our school administrators are doing so much," said Moore-Brown.

Some students want to take their lunch to school. ABC11 spoke to Registered Dietitian Yevette Hill. She says buying store brands and in bulk can help ease the cost.

"instead of buying the Lunchables, really building that out yourself, putting in the meat, putting in the cheese and the crackers, even the cheese crackers and peanut butter crackers, you can make them yourself. And you can also save doing that as well," Hill said.

She also said thinking outside the cereal box and prepping in advance can ease stressful mornings.

"You don't always have to have what we consider typical breakfast foods for breakfast. I think other cultures do this beautifully. You can have leftovers. You can have grilled chicken for breakfast. There's nothing that says we can't," said Hill.