Breakfast

Healthy Kids for Breakfast Grant

Why Universal Breakfast?                     

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and the most underserved from both federal and state standpoints. Despite the fact studies have proven breakfast's importance as a key to overall health and improved academic performance, we do not do enough to ensure our children have access to breakfast every single day.

Of the nearly 20 million children that participate in the National School Lunch Program classified as free and reduced status, only 47.2 percent also participate in breakfast. Though breakfast is served at 87% of the nation's schools, it is a program that suffers primarily because it is not mandated to be scheduled as part of the school day. Breakfast suffers lack of time, lack of marketing, lack of parent knowledge and lack of equipment and space.

With over 17 million households classified as food insecure children's guaranteed access to breakfast at school is the gateway our nation needs to combat hunger and give our most at risk population the chance they deserve to live a healthier life. If we are to overcome these challenges we need to close the nutrition gap and ensure that every child every day eats healthy and delicious food in schools.