We all know the saying, “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” But do we really understand how important it is, especially for school-age children? Are we doing all we can to ensure every child is getting a nutritious breakfast each day?
As a mom of two active kids, I make every effort to ensure my kids eat breakfast every morning. It gives them the energy they need to go about their busy schedules. I was shocked to recently learn that many students are skipping this important meal. Three out of five K-8 teachers say they teach kids who regularly come to school hungry.* Among 21 million kids who get free or reduced-price school lunch, only half of eligible kids get breakfast.** Can’t we do better for our kids?
Fortunately, there is an incredible program that is working hard to increase school breakfast awareness and participation as well as help get kids active for at least 60 minutes a day. By doing so, the program teaches kids to start their day with the fuel they need to help them succeed. Fuel Up to Play 60 is an in-school health and wellness program launched by National Dairy Council and the NFL in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The program offers schools funding opportunities, including the recently announced $35 million in grants aimed at helping schools update or upgrade their existing kitchen equipment together with the USDA, GENYOUth Foundation and the NFL. Opportunities like this help increase the number of school meals through upgrading cafeteria equipment and offering better access to nutritious foods.
https://youtu.be/dP9fjTs59l0
At a recent Fuel Up to Play 60 event at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, local students had the opportunity to tour the stadium, learn more about Fuel Up to Play 60, enjoy smoothies and parfaits, and meet Justin Pugh of the New York Giants.
Community leaders, educators, and parents also participated in a “Best Practices” conference on how to create a healthy school environment.
Early findings show that simple changes to school breakfast options can have significant results in the number of students who participate. For example, Atlantic City High School began serving breakfast after the bell in the classroom, and "participation increased from 20 percent each day to 85 percent," according to Rose Tricario from the NJ Department of Agriculture who spoke at the MetLife Stadium event.
What does this mean in the long run? According to Dr. Katie Wilson from the USDA at the Fuel Up to Play 60 event, breakfast among school age children leads to “better academic performance, better attendance, and certainly better overall health.”
Everyone in the community can play a part in making sure children today are developing healthy habits for a lifetime. You can start by visiting FuelUpToPlay60.com to:
- Learn more about why school breakfast matters and see how school districts and others are helping Fuel Greatness.
- Access resources such as “Breakfast - Anytime, Anywhere” and “A Hero's Breakfast” to help encourage your local school to start a breakfast program and implement alternative breakfast options such as the Grab and Go Breakfast and Breakfast in the Classroom programs.
- Find ways to help schools enroll in Fuel Up to Play 60 or further their involvement in the program.
- Join the conversation on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to show how YOU Fuel Greatness with breakfast using #FuelGreatness
Disclosure: The author was compensated for this article. All opinions are her own.
*Deloitte and No Kid Hungry Center for Best Practices. “Ending Childhood Hunger: A Social Impact Analysis.” www.nokidhungry.org. February, 2013.
** “Breakfast Changes Lives.” Infographic on www.nokidhungry.org.
