Thank you to the School Nutrition Association and National School Breakfast Week for sponsoring our discussion today and reminding us to eat well every morning!
How many times did you skip breakfast this week? How about your kids?
I found myself missing breakfast most days this week because I got caught up in the morning routine. And if I’m not careful, that in itself will become routine. In fact, when I was in high school, I only ate breakfast once a week… because I “wasn’t hungry” or just got used to drinking milk as my morning coffee. I’m sure that had a profound effect on my mood and focus in the mornings. As an adult (before kids!) I ate breakfast religiously – like a queen!
Ever since Red was eating solid foods, he’s had breakfast every day. Especially now that he’s in Pre-K and has mastered all 40 of his sight words (proud Mama, here!). Kindergarten is looming near, and that means proper nutrition is still on the forefront of my mind. In fact, this week is National School Breakfast Week, brought to us by the (non-profit) School Nutrition Association. They are an association of professionals who plan and prepare meals in school cafeterias, and have been working to help share examples from school programs across the country doing positive things for children’s nutrition.
Focusing primarily on elementary school kids, like Red, National School Breakfast Week encourages parents to learn more about their local school nutrition program, and help their kids make healthy choices in the morning. After all, a kid who routinely makes healthy choices right now is more likely to continue those healthy choices into adulthood! For 2015, the National School Breakfast Week theme is “Wake Up to School Breakfast” and it’s emphasizing the importance of starting the school day with a balanced meal.
So what is your local school doing? Bartow county, which is just north of us, is promoting a healthy breakfast like the one below: apples, milk, juice, yogurt parfait, and granola. If only I ate that every morning! Some other schools took the recent “Dr. Seuss Holiday” as a cue to create strawberry / banana Cat-in-the-Hat stacks as a fun breakfast treat. At home, Red’s breakfasts usually consist of his favorite scrambled eggs and raisin toast, milk and sometimes oatmeal (but with no raisins, as directed!). It’s healthy, balanced, and something he loves.
I love the idea of school breakfasts. For one thing, it would save our family time in the morning. For another thing, some kids get the majority of their food at school.
I rarely eat breakfast, I know I need to. I remember school breakfasts were available at my high school, but not like this level!
I’m constantly jamming the importance of a solid breakfast down my kiddos throats. But I clearly need the reminder for myself! I love that so many school programs are on board with giving kids a healthy start to their days.
Breakfast is super important! I know I cannot function If I don’t eat a good breakfast.
When I worked outside the home, I dropped my kids off at school for school breakfast sometimes. It was always much healthier than the bowl of cereal they would have gotten while rushing around at home.
Breakfast at school is a fantastic way to stimulate the students, especially when it is as good as the ones you talk about in your post. I always hoped that breakfast would be given to all the students free of charge, since there are kids between the “free lunch” and “it’ll cost you” status who go hungry every day. Meanwhile, I’ll cheer on the districts that are promoting welcoming breakfasts for at least some of the kids.
Breakfast is so important. I’m glad more schools are offering school breakfast as many kids don’t get enough to eat at home.
This is super important. Eating a good, healthy breakfast is a good habit to start early. My kids’ schools didn’t offer many healthy options.
I never skip breakfast. Since I work from home it’s a bit more flexible but I ensure my kids eat a great breakfast daily before school.
Skipping breakfast is very bad, I never skip my breakfast especially in my family.
I don’t skip breakfast or let the kids, either. You have to remind your metabolism to keep going and that food is coming.
I definitely agree that school breakfast is important, especially for those that don’t have enough time at home! My son hates eating right when he wakes up
Breakfast is important for everyone, but I’m not sure how on board our kids would be with school breakfasts. I think there needs to be a lot of improvement in school food
Breakfast is so important, for sure! I am guilty for not eating it but I do ensure the kids head off to school with some sort of breakfast, it’s that teen of mine that should sneak into the cafe at school to get breakfast at school because she isn’t super hungry before we leave for school!
My son runs a high tab with breakfast at school. he is always running out the door. It is great that his school has breakfast
You are right, healthy eating habits do follow our children. Like you said, if they make healthy choices now, they ate more than likely to continue to do so later.
The kids pack their lunch each day so we know exactly what they are eating. This teaches them how to make good choices as they grow
When my kids were in school, school breakfast was super important for them. This is such a great program!
Breakfast is so important. I always try and get my kids fed breakfast in the morning, but it doesn’t always work out so I am glad they have the option for it at school. Eases my mind.