The most effective claim for Pedro's argument is:
Proper nutrition is essential to healthy growth and development, so it is a life skill that students should learn in school.
This claim is effective because it establishes a strong, clear rationale for why nutrition education is important, emphasizing it as a fundamental life skill necessary for overall well-being and development. It directly connects the importance of nutrition to the students' health and academic success, which strengthens Pedro's argument for including proper nutrition in the school curriculum.