Overview

In March, schools across the country celebrate National School Breakfast Week. Take this time to review participation in your school’s breakfast program and get students excited about eating breakfast. A healthy breakfast energizes students and helps them stay focused at school.

Try some of these breakfast activities to celebrate the importance of breakfast during National School Breakfast Week (or any week during the year):

Monday: Promote Breakfast

• Post signs around the school and in the cafeteria to get students interested and invested in eating breakfast every day. Include information about the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommendations for a healthy breakfast.
• Use daily announcements to enforce and reiterate the importance of eating breakfast.
• Invite a local sports personality, athlete or mascot to have breakfast with students.
• Ask older students to serve as breakfast photographers to take pictures of students eating breakfast at school. Share pictures on social media, on the school website and in the school newsletter.

Tuesday: Engage Teachers

• If your school doesn’t have a Breakfast in the Classroom program, switch it up and bring breakfast to the classroom! The most helpful way to support students is to have them make a schedule of their morning routine so it includes time to eat breakfast.
• Make a list or create a graph of the foods students ate during breakfast that morning.
• Create a bulletin board for students to write down their favorite healthy breakfast items.

Wednesday: Engage Parents

• Post a blurb on social media, in the school newsletter and on the school’s website about the importance of eating breakfast and availability of breakfast at school.
• Send materials to parents to review, implement, and track healthy breakfast ideas at home. Reward students who complete the tracker.
• Invite parents to eat breakfast with their children at school.
• Encourage families to each breakfast together on the weekends. This helps maintain a routine for students, and is good family time.

Thursday: Host a Taste Test!

• Host a yogurt parfait taste test in the classroom. Ask students to bring in various fruits and healthy toppings.
• Host a milk taste test – Can students tell the difference between non-fat and low-fat milk?
• Does your school want to add new breakfast items to the menu? Host a taste test of these new items, and survey students to get their input.

Friday: Chat with Your School Nutrition Manager

• Does your school have an alternative breakfast program? If not, start the conversation with your food service manager to see if it’s possible to bring Breakfast in the Classroom, Grab & Go Breakfast or Second Chance Breakfast to your school.
• Explore ways to be creative with the school menu and to expose students to new foods.
• Do a breakfast survey: What breakfast items do students love? What would they like to see for breakfast?