(PCM) Happy National School Breakfast Week!
This week (the first full week in March) is celebrated in schools and communities to promote the School Breakfast Program (SBP), a federally funded program that provides nutritious breakfasts to school children for free or at reduced cost.
Healthy eating throughout the day is important for everyone, but children especially benefit from a nutritious, filling meal before the start of the school day. Studies link eating breakfast to better academic performance and overall physical and emotional well-being in kids and teens.
For this reason, groups like the USDA, the School Nutrition Association, and State- and District-level organizations strive to ensure that students throughout the nation have access to the healthy meals they need to succeed.
Though eligibility for free and reduced lunches is determined at the start of the academic year, schools report that participation in the School Breakfast Program spikes in March, thanks to National School Breakfast Week celebrations like decorations, school letters, promotional events, and fun menu items.
Each year focuses on a new theme, such as “Wake Up to School Breakfast” (March 2016).
If you are a kid, or were a kid, or know a kid, this week is a great time to celebrate the School Breakfast Program. Heck, if you see a kid today, chances are there’s an army of people working hard to keep that young person healthy and fed – not just loving family members but also government workers, cafeteria staff, and even tax payers like you. So thanks! Grab yourself a banana. You done good.
