By celebrating National School Breakfast Week (NSBW) every year, we are encouraging all schools to recognize the importance of a healthy start to the day for fueling a child's academic success.
Did you know children who eat breakfast are more likely to –
- Reach higher levels of achievement in reading and math
- Score higher on standardized tests
- Have better concentration and memory
- Be more alert and maintain a healthy weight
Students who participate in the school breakfast program tend to have better attendance rates and fewer behavioral problems. The School Breakfast Program provides 12 million nutritious breakfasts to hungry children across the county every day. These breakfasts tend to be more nutritious than the average breakfast a child gets at home or a convenient fast-food restaurant.
Here are a few ideas to celebrate NSBW –
- Decorate your cafeteria with NSBW posters and related artwork. If the school principal allows, consider creating a mural or hanging up permanent artwork for year-round display. Focus on designs that promote nutritious food choices, particularly breakfast foods.
- Contact a local celebrity, such as an athlete, news anchor, musician, business owner, or elected official to have breakfast with students one morning. If you can't find a local celebrity, consider having the school mascot or a volunteer dressed up as a popular character from a movie or TV show.
- Invite teachers, administrators, or even your school principal to stand in as guest servers for breakfast one morning.
- Offer a tasting of new breakfast menu items and talk to students about the nutritive benefits they get from certain foods.
The information above was provided by the National School Nutrition Association.