Celebrating National School Breakfast Week

The first week in March is set aside to recognize the important role school breakfast plays in helping students succeed. School nutrition teams nationwide celebrated National School Breakfast Week with this year’s theme “Dig In To School Breakfast” with a variety of special activities, from putting big trucks on display to re-naming nutritious foods, such as “dirt parfaits”.  

Aprons and hair nets were traded for safety vests and hard hats in Alabama. The Hoover City Child Nutrition program brought in tractors and treats for students as they started school with the most important meal of the day.

A special group of students are considered breakfast heroes in Oregon – they help bring the most important meal of the day to their peers each day. At the Sue Buel Elementary School in the McMinnville School District, the students pick up their breakfast bags and deliver them back to the classrooms.

Not just anyone can be a breakfast hero. The students are recruited at the beginning of the year based on teacher recommendations. To wear the cape, they must be committed to delivering breakfast every day for the entire school year.

“The breakfast heroes are made up for 4th & 5th graders and it is so awesome to hear the younger grades say that they want to do it next year,” said Shiloh Ficek, Nutrition Director for McMinnville School District.

The district supports a variety of breakfast service models, from breakfast in the classroom to traditional breakfast served in the cafeteria. Among breakfast favorites for McMinnville School district students are housemade banana chocolate muffins and yogurt.

In Texas, Crosby Independent School District (ISD) held a raffle for students to be “junior chefs” at breakfast. The Crosby Elementary School junior chef arrived early and ready to work, suited up with gloves, an apron and a hat. The student made s colorful whipped topping for the emoji waffles and served cereal to his peers.

Crosby ISD has started grab-n-go breakfast service at its high school and middle school to help students who want to start their day with a quick and light breakfast. It has been so well received by students that the school nutrition department plans to extend the program to a few of its elementary schools next year.

“We are thrilled our breakfast participation has increased this year compared to pre-Covid participation numbers,” said Evelyn Parra, Child Nutrition Dietitian, Crosby Independent School District.

They even brought in “Elsie the Cow” from Borden Dairy Company for elementary school visits to show her support for breakfast and milk!  

In Kansas during NSBW, students also learned that staying hydrated is an important part of fueling up. Maize Middle School, part of the Maize Unified School District, held a water bottle giveaway during breakfast time each day.

The whole-grain cinnamon roll remains a favorite breakfast item at many schools. From Connecticut to Washington, school nutrition directors are in agreement that cinnamon rolls are a hit among students. Parfaits and smoothies are also top the list of favorite breakfast items.