Editors Note: Today is the start of National School Breakfast Week. Later this week, we’ll be highlighting some of the Foundation’s own breakfast resources, but first we wanted to highlight more on what the week is all about.
By: Dora Rivas, MS, RD, SNS, School Nutrition Association President, Executive Director of Child Nutrition Services for Dallas ISD (Tex.) Date: 3/8/10
Everyone can agree on the importance of breakfast to student achievement, yet too many children miss out on the most critical meal of the day.
This week, in honor of National School Breakfast Week, the School Nutrition Association, with support from General Mills Foodservice, is hosting “School Breakfast – Ready Set Go!” School cafeterias nationwide will participate in this campaign to teach students about the importance of school breakfast and how it can prepare them for a busy day.
Numerous studies have shown that breakfast can improve a student’s memory, test scores, school attendance and cut down on visits to the school nurse. Teachers in my own school district in Dallas, Texas have told me how our school breakfast program has helped improve student behavior and focus in the classroom. Research has also demonstrated that children who eat breakfast each day have a higher intake of vitamins and minerals and maintain a healthier weight than those who skip.
Fortunately, every school day, the National School Breakfast Program fuels more than 11 million students for success. The program is helping maintain the health and well-being of children who are eligible for free or reduced price meals, and providing a great alternative for children who don’t make time to eat breakfast at home.
The morning routine for many families can be so hectic, and some children just aren’t hungry before they leave for school. Knowing that their children can eat a healthy breakfast once they get to school can be a huge relief for parents. In some school districts, breakfast is served right in the classroom.
School breakfast give students the necessary energy to start a day of learning and achievement, providing 25 percent of the recommended daily allowance of protein, calcium, iron, vitamins A and C and calories and meeting the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
The National School Breakfast Program has been fueling success since 1966. In 1989, School Nutrition Association launched National School Breakfast Week to raise awareness of this critical program and the links between eating a good breakfast, academic achievement and healthy lifestyles. For more information on “School Breakfast – Ready Set Go!” please visit http://www.schoolnutrition.org/nsbw.