Breakfast is a BIG deal!

Growing up, do you remember your mom always telling you to eat your breakfast? Well, research shows that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

In fact, children who eat a healthy and filling breakfast have better concentration in class and are more likely to receive higher grades in school. According to Terrill Bravender, a professor of pediatrics at Duke University, “Children who skip breakfast or who eat high-sugar foods for breakfast suffer from physical, behavioral and intellectual problems”.

However, a report published by the University of Florida stated that about 30% of kids, aged 8-13, are missing out on breakfast. There is a clear need for more school districts to make school breakfast widely available to all students after the bell. Alternative breakfast programs like Boston’s Universal Breakfast Program and Maryland’s Meals for Achievement have seen huge increases in the number of children participating in the school breakfast program daily.

So, what can you do to get involved to increase the number of students eating breakfast in your school? The Salem Health and Wellness Foundation in New Jersey want to partner with local school districts to increase awareness of the Breakfast After the Bell program. Districts interested in learning more about instituting breakfast in the classroom should visit the Advocates for Children of New Jersey’s website, and click on “School Breakfast in New Jersey.” Check out the full Op-Ed here and read more.

Also, check out NEA HIN’s Breakfast in the Classroom project and guide for all your breakfast needs!