School Breakfast – TrayTalk.org

Tennessee Students Get Hands-on for Breakfast Week

Morgan County students really dig school breakfast – more than 90% of students in the eastern Tennessee district have breakfast at school every day. To celebrate the benefits of school breakfast, Morgan County Schools planned a jam-packed week of celebrations for National School Breakfast Week (NSBW), March 6-10, 2023. They are embracing the theme “Dig In To School Breakfast” at all seven schools in the district.

National School Breakfast Week Around the Country

To celebrate school breakfast and the people who prepare and serve meals to children across the country, National School Breakfast Week 2022 was held March 7-11 with the theme “Take Off with School Breakfast.” From the kitchens to the cafeteria lines, so many creative examples have been seen showcasing the importance of breakfast.

Masks Can’t Hide National School Breakfast Week Smiles!

Each year, National School Breakfast Week (NSBW) offers an opportunity to highlight the importance of student access to healthy breakfast options in schools. This year’s theme, “Score Big with School Breakfast,” helps relay how balanced school breakfast supports students to be healthy, active and energized throughout the day.

Nutrition staff pack breakfast meals for Burlington Public School (VT) students to pick up curbside.

Benefits of Breakfast Available For All Students

While school meal service might look very different this year, the importance of providing easily accessible and healthy school meals hasn’t changed. Now more than ever, families can count on schools to nourish students to start the school day, with breakfast provided free for all students through special USDA waivers this school year. National School Breakfast Week (NSBW) offers an opportunity to focus on the benefits seen from providing equal access to free meals, with many school districts seeing an increase in breakfast participation.

Score Big With School Breakfast

Easy access to a healthy, balanced school breakfast each day can be a positive game-changer for students. This year’s National School Breakfast Week (NSBW) theme, “Score Big with School Breakfast,” emphasizes how students, parents and school communities all win when students nourish their school day with the important morning meal. Whether their students are learning in person or remotely, schools across the country are still finding ways to safely celebrate NSBW with special menu items, events and fun activities to raise awareness of the benefits of school breakfast, currently provided for free to all students.

Winter Break Isn’t a Break from Meals in Many Schools

The holidays can be a hard time for families already struggling to make ends meet. The threat of children going hungry increases when school is out and guaranteed nutritious school meals are no longer available. While many school districts must close food service operations, an increasing number of programs are making arrangements to provide food pick-up or meal service during the break this year to support their communities.

To ensure students are well-fed during the Winter Break, Madison School District Food & Nutrition Services (AZ) has a Free Bulk Food Box Program for children 18 years and younger. Informational fliers in English and Spanish encourage families to sign up in advance for food boxes pick up on December 23.

Schools Shoot for the Stars to Celebrate Breakfast

School districts around the country celebrated National School Breakfast Week (March 2-6) last week. This year’s galactic theme, “School Breakfast: Out Of This World,” supplied schools with plenty of creative ideas to highlight the importance of school breakfast and help make students mornings a little brighter!

This year, school nutrition and food service departments created cafeteria decorations and wore out-of-this-world themed outfits!

Kentucky School District Makes Breakfast More Accessible for Students

The breakfast pizza meal offers students a hearty serving of protein, dairy, whole grain and fruit.

Students are able to build a breakfast using items they are familiar with, but made with whole grains, reduced sodium and sugar and less artificial ingredients.

When speaking with school nutrition staff from Fayette County Public Schools (KY) last month for “Lunch Participation Jumps When Students Learn About Local Ingredients” it was hard not to get excited about the amazing things they’re doing in school breakfast too! Continuing the trend with local ingredients and increased menu options, FCPS implemented programs to provide more scratch-made cooking – creating popular breakfast pizza and yogurt parfaits. They also incorporated more on-the-go breakfast options, like cereal packs and grab and go breakfast bags. Read more…

Spring ISD Proves Even School Breakfast Is Big in Texas

When serving nearly 20,000 breakfast meals a day, the foodservice department must be a well-oiled machine. In the case of Spring Independent School District (TX), it’s more like a massive food workshop. Read more…

National School Breakfast Week (NSBW) Blasts Off In March

Schools across the country will once again celebrate “the most important meal of the day” during National School Breakfast Week, from March 2-6. This year’s theme, created by the non-profit School Nutrition Association (SNA), is “School Breakfast: Out of this World!” – there’s a whole galaxy of nutritious breakfast choices out there! Whether students land on Planet Fruit or Planet Protein, a healthy foundation to the day is essential for learning. Some exciting new trends are protein and dairy alternatives, like chia seeds and almond milk.

Bexley City Schools (OH) offer grab and go oatmeal, yogurt and fruit parfaits as part of their breakfast program.

Chelsea Public Schools (MA) have introduced a number of over night oats, like this cinnamon apple option.

As part of their extensive breakfast menu, Chelsea Public Schools (MA) use healthy chia seed pudding to offer something unique for students.

The School Breakfast Program helps ensure that students have access to a balanced morning meal. Even those who eat a light breakfast at home early might feel hunger twinges well before lunch, which is often served five to six hours later. Options like Second Chance Breakfast, Breakfast in the Classroom or grab-and-go service can help keep students fueled until lunchtime. Read more…