Coastin Carl
National SCHOOL BREAKFAST Week ORIGIN & HISTORY
National SCHOOL BREAKFAST Week is celebrated during the 1st full week in March with special activities, menus, and decorations that foster the importance of why eating a healthy diet is so important. It was launched in 1989 to raise awareness of the School Breakfast Program and to foster ties between eating a nutritious breakfast, academic achievement, and living a healthy lifestyle. This year’s “Surf’s Up with School Breakfast” campaign for nutrition supplementation was made possible by the nonprofit School Nutrition Association and Kelloggs. Previous year’s slogans were “Take Off with School Breakfast” for 2022 and “Dig In to School Breakfast” for 2023.
Breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day. A famous behavioral psychology theorist, Abraham Maslow, created a hierarchy of basic needs. In order for brain function and development as well as energy, Maslow lists food, water, warmth, and rest as the most critical of basic needs for humans. Without these four things, children can’t function properly. Breakfast that is nutritious is offered to all students across the United States free of charge. This is mostly because it’s essential for students to fuel up so they can learn and do well in school. Thanks to federal waivers during the pandemic, both breakfast and lunch are free for all students. These meals emphasize fruits, veggies, whole grains, and low-fat dairy choices.
In ongoing reports meeting basic needs such as providing healthy food shows that students do better on tests, have attentive and appropriate classroom behavior for school, and have regular attendance. Ever since 1966, free nutritious breakfast has been available to all students regardless of economic status.
HOW to Celebrate & Observe National SCHOOL BREAKFAST Week?
Not sure how to LOVE the week? We’ve got a few interesting ideas to consider that may help get you started.
Here are some activities that you can do during National SCHOOL BREAKFAST Week!
💙 TEACH
Have your students color or complete any number of National SCHOOL BREAKFAST Week Coloring & Activity Sheets.
💙 VOLUNTEER
Volunteer at a food bank the entire week. They would love to have some help preparing, sorting, packing, and maybe even delivering much-needed food to families in your area.
💙 DONATE
If you’re light on time, perhaps you could just donate funds to a food bank or charity committed to fighting hunger outside the school system or for young adults who aren’t taking advantage.
💙 RAISE Social Awareness
Use social media posts with the hashtags #NationalSchoolBreakfastWeek, #NSBW24, #NationalBreakfastWeek, #BreakfastWeek, #SurfsUpWithSchoolBreakfast, #ActivistHolidays, #MarchHolidays, #Holiday, #FindADayToLOVE, #iHEARTdays to support the importance of celebrating, promoting, and sharing with the world why you ❤️ National SCHOOL BREAKFAST Week.
LEARN more about the benefits & importance of SCHOOL BREAKFAST
WHY IS SCHOOL BREAKFAST IMPORTANT?
QUICK HEALTHY BREAKFAST IDEAS FOR TEACHERS!
FIVE Important Facts you never knew about National SCHOOL BREAKFAST Week
- Pupils who participate in the School Breakfast Program demonstrate a cognitive increase in test scores, improved attendance, progress in retaining knowledge through memorization, verbal articulation, even physical prowess.
- Students who SKIP breakfast generally have sluggish memory recall, make more errors, and are more likely to be absent or tardy – ultimately doomed to repeat a grade.
- Fewer kids get sent to the principal’s office resulting in fewer disciplinary referrals.
- Children who eat breakfast generally have better vitamin and nutrient intake through healthier diets going forward and are less inclined to become overweight or even obese.
- For every child that has a free or reduced lunch meal ticket, only 53% of them actually had school breakfast as well.
Future DATES for National SCHOOL BREAKFAST Week
| Year | Dates |
|---|---|
| 2023 | Week of March 6 |
| 2024 | Week of March 4 |
| 2025 | Week of March 3 |
| 2026 | Week of March 2 |
| 2027 | Week of March 1 |
| 2028 | Week of March 6 |
School Breakfast FAQ
Why should breakfast be served in SCHOOLS?
- Kids who eat breakfast start the day with food in their stomachs so they’re not gonna be distracted by hunger pangs. They also behave themselves and perform better in school. Breakfast provides the nutrients like calcium and fiber that many children lack at home and eating it at school improves the health of children and from getting sick.
When did breakfast in the CLASSROOM start?
- The School Breakfast Program provides federally subsidized breakfasts to children at schools and child care facilities in the United States. The program initially began as a two-year pilot in 1966. Between 1969-1971, at least 36 Free Breakfast for Kids programs were running nationwide. Nowadays some schools have programs like Breakfast After the Bell (BAB) which means breakfast is offered to students after the beginning of the school day. Schools must make Breakfast After the Bell accessible to all students and allow students a reasonable amount of time to eat their meal. Other effective BAB models include Grab and Go, Breakfast in the Classroom, Breakfast Vending, and Second Chance Breakfast.
WHAT should I have for breakfast on a school day?
- To help your kids start the day right, you might want to give them a healthy breakfast that’s easy to prepare and tastes great. You can always mix it up and keep it exciting or get them involved in the preparation!
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- Yogurt parfait with fresh fruit topped with oats, muesli, granola, or nut butter. Maybe stewed fruit or honey if they want it sweeter, but let’s face it … it’s already sweet enough.
- Healthy cereals such as shredded whole wheat, muesli, or bran flakes with no added sugar.
- Eggs any way they like ’em because they’re a complete protein with essential fatty acids, vitamins D, B6, B12, zinc, and iron.
- Oatmeal is one of those stick to your ribs kind of bowls that stay with you all day keeping you satisfied and full until lunch. Add grated apple, cinnamon, sliced almonds, raisins, nutmeg, honey, sliced banana, cocoa powder, a berry compote. The list is almost endless and a tasty way to keep from breakfast boredom!
The Imp💜rtance of National SCHOOL BREAKFAST Week
Providing food to hungry mouths is a basic necessity. Without proper nutrition delivered through eating a healthy balanced diet, performance both mentally and physically will fade quickly.
Kentucky Congressman Carl D Perkins was a pioneer in ensuring that children came to school hungry to learn – not just hungry! He came up with the idea of providing the children of low-income families with free breakfast.
There was originally pushback for supplemental free breakfast programs. Every student must be educated and have an opportunity to learn. In order to see that children’s betterment is provided for, organizations like the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) advocated for more permanent adoption of the Free School Breakfast Program which went into enduring effect in 1975.
As a result, children readily head into class to learn while having proper subsistence. My sister and I were some of those children with free breakfast and free lunch which morphed over time into a reduced lunch. This certainly did help my family at a time when we didn’t have a dime to spare.
