Conquering School Breakfast for All

As the push for Healthy School Meals for All continues across the nation, it’s important to not let school lunch steal the spotlight. School breakfast is equally important and starts students’ day off with the nutrients they need to learn and thrive in the classroom. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, total participation in the school breakfast program has increased by approximately 8.5 million between 2021 and 2022.

“Since Healthy School Meals for All started in California, our breakfast participation has grown from 3,000 to 6,000. Access to the breakfast program has become undeniable by simply removing the question or concern around how to pay for the meal. It allows healthy food to be a resource available to students just like libraries, counseling services, or special education. Everyone knows trying to learn on an empty stomach is hard. Now, teachers can ask ‘Would you like breakfast?’ ”

- Kristen Tekell, Food Service Director, Napa Valley Unified School District

Although school breakfast may become increasingly available for students as school meals become free in more states, we recognize it can present other types of challenges compared to serving school lunch. Many school breakfasts are served before the regular school day starts, or ‘before the bell’. For some families, getting students to school before the scheduled start time is difficult due to work schedules and transportation issues. Luckily, serving breakfast ‘after the bell’ can be a successful way to navigate these barriers. Read on to learn about various ways to serve breakfast and how to set students’ days up for success.

Breakfast After The Bell

Breakfast in the Classroom

Breakfast in the Classroom is one of the most successful ways to ensure students are able to get in their first meal of the day. In this serving method, meals are delivered to each classroom and the teacher serves breakfast right after the start of school. Typically a roster is checked off for each student that eats and then the food service staff retrieves the roster along with the remaining breakfast products.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, “Little instructional time is lost [with Breakfast in the Classroom], as breakfast only takes 10 to 15 minutes for the student to eat. Many teachers use this time to take attendance, collect homework, deliver announcements or read to the class. Many teachers feel this is a valuable use of time and that their classes are more productive when students enjoy a healthy breakfast.”

Studies have shown that more kids eat breakfast when served this way as it offers a comfortable environment for eating, is part of the school day and all students have the ability to receive a meal.

Second Chance Breakfast

Second Chance Breakfast is another great serving method to ensure students start off their day nourished and ready to learn. This method is very successful for secondary schools to capture students who aren’t able to come in early to eat before school but are more likely to grab something in between classes.

In this format, there is usually an extension of time between first and second period. During this time, students can retrieve food from the cafeteria on their way to their next class and can sit briefly in the cafeteria to eat their meal. This method is helpful for students who may not be hungry first thing in the morning and can also reduce the stigma associated with school breakfast as it becomes part of the school day.