Many schools are adopting alternative ways for students to have access to school breakfast including breakfast in the classroom, grab and go stations, and reimbursable vending machines. These options allow breakfast to be served and counted as a full breakfast just as they would be if served in the cafeteria. Breakfast provides fuel to feed student minds, so they are ready to focus and learn academically. When it comes to meals, students are looking for their favorite trends and getting their meals quickly to increase their socialization time with their friends. As layouts of many school campuses have changed, it has become challenging to get to a traditional cafeteria, especially for breakfast, which limits access to school meals.
Why is Breakfast so Important?
School breakfast participants are more likely to consume diets that are adequate or exceed standards for important vitamins and minerals, such as Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Calcium and Phosphorus. A recent literature review concludes that the new school nutrition standards improve nutrition-related outcomes among students. Students that participate in school breakfast are also more likely to consume fruit and milk at breakfast. In addition to the nutrition benefits, studies show that students that participate in school breakfast show improved attendance, behavior, achievement on standardized tests, and decreased tardiness (1).
Top Ten Breakfast Boxes
To meet the needs of students wanting to grab something quick for breakfast and schools wanting to provide a balanced meal to meet meal standards, the “Top 10 Breakfast Boxes” was created by Huddle Up for Breakfast a campaign by the Dairy Council of Florida. These ideas include a fruit, which is a required meal component, delicious dairy choices, which help students build up their bone bank, and whole grains for heart health.
Sneak Peek at the Boxes
- Blueberry muffin, diced peaches, cheese stick and milk
- Mini pancakes, mandarin oranges, blueberry yogurt and milk
- Crackers, apple slices, cheese slices and milk
These breakfast boxes not only include student favorites, but also provide the complete nutrition package. This makes it a win for breakfast in the classroom, grab and go, vending or traditional breakfast service.
For this resource and other school breakfast resources visit: http://www.huddleupforbreakfast.com/flyers.html
Contributor
Lori Johnson MS, RD, LD/N, Nutrition Manager, Dairy Council of Florida
Source
1. FRAC reference: http://frac.org/wp-content/uploads/breakfastforhealth-1.pdf