Breakfast Boosts Brain Power

A hungry stomach can lead to an empty mind. Breakfast helps students be their best. Studies conclude that good nutrition including school breakfast leads to improved classroom performance, higher test scores and better behavior.  It can be a challenge to get students to the cafeteria before school, consider making breakfast part of the school day with the following expanding breakfast programs.

  • Breakfast in the Classroom — Many schools that have implemented Breakfast in the Classroom deliver pre-packaged food items to the class before the bell rings. Students eat at their desks in 10 to 12 minutes while attendance and announcements are being done or while teachers read aloud.
  • Grab ‘n’ Go Breakfast — Serving carts with bagged or packaged food items, located in easily accessible locations near the school entrance or in busy hallways. A practical and appealing way to reach kids in a hurry.
  • Breakfast After 1st Period — Served in the cafeteria or from carts or tables at a central location in the school, this is ideal for secondary students.

Don’t have an Expanding Breakfast program?

Local Expanding Breakfast Champion Success Stories

  • Leo Lash, Executive Director of Nutrition Services, Denver Public Schools
  • Paula LeMere, Rocky Boy Elementary, Montana
  • Jill Kidd, Director of Nutrition Services, Pueblo School District No.60, Pueblo, CO
  • Linda Willman, Nutrition Services Director, School District, Cheyenne, WY
  • Paula Buser, Director of School Nutrition Services, Canon City, CO
  • Sue Harter, Nutrition Service Director, School District, Gillette, WY
  • Jennifer Spellman, Director of School Foodservice, Great Falls, MT
  • Val Addis, Nutrition Services Director, Missoula, MT
  • Maria Stover, Nutrition Services Director, Victor, MT

Discover School Breakfast Toolkit:

USDA’s Discover School Breakfast Toolkit is a resource that can be used to help increase access to the School Breakfast Program by expanding participation in schools that already serve breakfast and increasing the number of schools offering breakfast.  The user-friendly toolkit can be downloaded here.

School Breakfast Communications Materials for various audiences

For additional breakfast ideas visit www.nutritionexplorations.org