It’s National School Breakfast Week and this year’s theme is “Start Your Engines.” What a fitting theme if you read my last blog announcing that E S Foods signed a contract last month to sponsor Danika Miles, an 11-year-old who races in the Top Jr. Dragster division of the Professional Drag Racing Association! The goal of National School Breakfast Week is to remind school communities that school breakfast provides a healthy and energizing start to the day for students. Students will be encouraged to show their enthusiasm for “Start Your Engines” from March 4-8 with special menus, cafeteria events, and more.
Busy weekday mornings make it a challenge for many families to find time for a healthy breakfast. However, US Department of Agriculture data show that more and more students are starting their day with a nutritious breakfast in their school cafeterias. The USDA School Breakfast Program currently serves 14 million students every day. Studies show that students who eat school 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
- Maintain a healthy weight
This week highlights how eating a nutritious breakfast helps students fuel up for success in the classroom and beyond. Resources from the School Nutrition Association include a comprehensive tool kit that can be found on the SNA website that provides materials for use with students, parents, administrators, and the media. In addition, the USDA Food and Nutrition Service offers new School Breakfast Materials on its website.
Don’t forget to include our flagship brand, Breakfast BREAKS, on your breakfast menu. Breakfast BREAKS are a cornerstone to successful breakfast programs, especially Classroom Breakfast, Breakfast After the Bell, Grab & Go Breakfasts, and alternate site programs. Now available in more than 20 varieties in eye-popping pouch packaging, Breakfast BREAKS are nutritious, shelf-stable and include utensils – developed for easy serving and quick clean-up.