Benefits of Consuming School Breakfast

School breakfast is a win-win for kids and schools alike. It provides essential nutrition to help students begin the day focused. It offers consistency and comfort for kids, and it provides a lifeline for some families, easing uncertainty and financial strain.

Nutritional Profile for School Breakfast

Even though food items provided to students at school sometimes look the same as breakfast foods found in grocery stores or fast-food restaurants, their nutritional profile is different.  All meal programs are required to follow specific nutritional guidelines from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

USDA Nutritional Guidelines

• Grains in school meals are whole grains, low in sugar, and packed with vitamins and minerals
• Juices are 100% fruit or vegetable juice
• Calorie levels have an age-appropriate minimum and maximum
• Saturated fat is less than 10% of total calories
• Low in sodium

Benefits

Here is a list of important advantages to eating breakfast:

Improved Academic Performance

• • Students who eat breakfast often perform better on standardized tests.
  • Children who skip breakfast are less able to master the tasks necessary to do well in school.
  • Children who experience hunger may have lower test scores.

Reduced Behavioral Problems

• • Children who eat breakfast display decreased behavioral and psychological problems. They may have lower rates of absenteeism and tardiness.
  • Teenagers experiencing hunger are more likely to be suspended from school. They may also have difficulty getting along with other youth and establishing friendships.
  • Students who participate in school breakfast have fewer disciplinary office referrals.

Improved Nutrition

• • School meals meet nutritional guidelines set forth by USDA.
  • Youth who eat breakfast are more likely to consume or exceed standards for vitamins and minerals, than those who do not eat breakfast.
  • Adolescents who eat breakfast are significantly less likely to be overweight. Skipping the morning meal can be associated with a higher risk of obesity.
  • School breakfast can help build lifelong healthy eating habits.

Research and Resource Data

Researchers from the Food and Research Action Center provide data that supports what educators and school officials see every day: A well-nourished child who starts the day with breakfast is more likely to be at school, a better learner, and willing to participate in the classroom.  For too many families, it is difficult to provide a healthy morning meal to their children because of tightening budgets for low/no-income families and busy morning schedules.  School nutrition programs offer a critical role in filling the void for millions of American families in either of these situations.

In Colorado, the ‘Healthy School Meals for All‘ program allows public School Food Authorities (SFAs) participating in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs to provide free meals to all students beginning School Year 2023-24. Check with your school district to see if they provide a school breakfast option for your child.  If providing a healthy nutritious breakfast at home is not an option, then school breakfast is a great way to ensure that your child has something to eat to maintain their focus at school.