Our kids need to start their day with a healthy breakfast! I work at a Title 1 elementary school, with over 85% of our population qualifying for free and reduced lunch. The universal breakfast program, while great in concept, lacks in implementation. Our students are given milk/juice, high sugar cereal (lucky charms, applejacks, fruit loops, etc.), giant chocolate chip fiber bars, various bakery breads, or another pre-packaged cold item. Some days they may get an applesauce, a fruit cup, or string cheese. These options are ready on demand and cheap but they are seriously lacking in nutritional value.
Srudents need quality food that will not only fill their bellies, but give their brains the energy they need to learn. This isn’t a “bonus snack” for our kids, it is likely the first thing they have eaten since dinner, or even lunch the day before. They deserve to have a nutritious breakfast every morning, bonus points if it is warm!
However, if districts/states, were given funding for Universal Breakfast without a “preferred vendor list” attached, and could partner with local farms and vendors, clean, healthy, fresh food would be available for all children! Think about how amazing it would be for all students to have fresh fruits and vegetables, yogurt, granola, cheese, and whole grain breads for breakfast.
It has logistical hurdles, as all major change does, but the long-term benefits far exceed the time and money it would cost to implement.
Programs like this also open the door for farms, school districts, and community leaders to collaborate on programs that teach students lifelong skills. Programs that focus on raising and caring for animals, growing and preparing your own food, taking care of the land, and understanding the economics of farming could have a lasting impact for generations.
Please help our kids have access to healthy food at school, and give them lifeskills for their future!
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