Providing breakfasts to many schools and school districts, I have learned a tremendous amount about breakfast; what students will and will not eat, concerns from school professionals and what SBP's do and do not work.
Most people understand the importance of breakfast, so I will not go into that here.
Hot breakfast programs are a start but fall short for the following reasons. It only reaches 30% of students due to time constraints and student preference. Nutrition is questionable at best. You can't ensure students will take each nutritional component. Out of sight out of mind=less breakfasts and, unless mandated... let's say a Home Economics class is implemented for first period class where breakfast is served, these issues will remain constant.
The best alternative that I have seen is a "grab-n-go" pre- packaged breakfast or a combination of this and a hot breakfast.
A "grab-n-go" (pre-packaged) breakfast, if nutritionally correct, is a great solution, even as an augmentation to a hot breakfast program. With "grab-n-go", regardless of what time bus's, arrive, there is little if any line, thus all students can participate, which should be the ultimate goal. As well, a "grab-n-go" breakfast lends itself to a Universal Breakfast Program and can easily be distributed to the classroom.
Note: In most cases, where we have added a "grab-n-go" program, we have helped school's go from 30% participation to 80%+.
The major concern I am hearing is the mandate to include a protein for breakfast. While I agree that a protein would be a little more beneficial, nutritionally speaking, the addition of this would cut down the number of potential students eating breakfast.
Why? The #1 reason is cost and, in particular, the increased cost for protein to "grab-n-go". If the cost increase reduces the purchase of "grab-n-go", as this has been the most nutritious and cost effective way to increase participation, less students will eat tomorrow than they do today. Program defeated!
Comment from Noel Luhn
This is comment on Proposed Rule
Nutrition Standards in National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs: Incorporating 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans into Proposed School MealPatterns
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