If you are a parent, no matter how old your kids are, it is likely that you often worry about what they are eating, especially for breakfast! As a mom to four kids, it has always been a priority to me that my kids start their day off with a healthy breakfast. But, as I’m sure we all know, that’s often easier said than done. I don’t know about your household, but some mornings are just a little crazier than I’d like them to be, making a healthy, balanced breakfast for all a little harder to pull off than it should be.
Thankfully, my children’s school offers breakfast in the cafeteria each morning. Not only can the kids get their much needed balanced breakfast, they also get to spend a little social time with friends at school. Unfortunately, not all schools offer breakfast and, personally, I think it’s something that needs to change.
Did you know that three out of four public school teachers of grades K through 8th grade report that their students regularly come to school hungry?*Some studies have shown that school breakfast can lead to improved academic performance.* Also, eating breakfast can increase the intake of fruits and vegetables throughout the entire week.* Isn’t it easy to see why school breakfast is the most important meal of the day?
Sadly, not all students have the availability to eat a wholesome breakfast at home. Statistics show that one in five households with children struggle to put food on the table at some time during the year.* Breakfast in school can help alleviate this issue. In addition, American kids spend between 900-1,000 hours in school each year.* In-school wellness programs, including school breakfast initiatives, can instill healthy habits to last a lifetime.
I must say, I was pleased to learn about the Fuel Up to Play 60 program – the leading in-school health and wellness program, launched by National Dairy Council and NFL, in collaboration with the USDA. Fuel Up to Play 60 encourages kids to be healthy by following nutritional guidelines and incorporating 60 minutes of physical activity into their daily lives. Fuel Up to Play 60 works with schools to make school breakfast more accessible to kids and provides schools with opportunities to apply for funding. In fact, they recently announced $35 million in grants in partnership with USDA to increase the number of school meals through upgrading cafeteria equipment and offering better access to nutritious foods.
What can we do as parents and teachers?
- Visit FuelUpToPlay60.com to learn more about the importance of school breakfast.
- Access Playbook resources such as Breakfast – Anytime, Anywhereand A Hero’s Breakfastto help encourage your school to start a breakfast program or implement alternative breakfast service models.
- Find out if your school is enrolled in Fuel Up to Play 60. If not, learn how to get involved.
- Join the conversation on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Just follow #FuelGreatness and check out Fuel Up to Play 60 on social at @FUTP60 on Twitter and Instagram and @Fuel Up to Play 60 on Facebook.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J81sIjaUH-Q
Sources:
- http://www.hungerinourschools.org/img/NKH-HungerInOurSchoolsReport-2015.pdf
- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3737458/
- http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/09/02/school-days-how-the-u-s-compares-with-other-countries/
- https://www.nokidhungry.org/blog/news-press-media-release/2013/09/statement-share-our-strength%25E2%2580%2599s-bill-shore-new-usda-food
- http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/09/02/school-days-how-the-u-s-compares-with-other-countries/
The author was compensated for this article. All opinions are her own.
*www.nokidhungry.org Hunger In Our Schools Report, Web. 27 Feb. 2015.
*http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3737458/ Web. 08 Aug. 2013.
*The association between family meals, TV viewing during meals, and fruit and vegetables and soda and chips intake among Latino children http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3117953/ Web 1 Sep. 2012.
*www.nokidhungry.org https://www.nokidhungry.org/the-problem
*School Days: How the US Compares with Other Countries http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/09/02/school-days-how-the-u-s-compares-with-other-countries/ Web 2 Sep. 2014.
