Confession: I am not a morning person. Consequently, I have never been the best at preparing breakfast – even though it’s my favorite meal. So, as my children have gotten older, I have delegated more of the breakfast preparation to them. Sure, I cook sometimes, but most times it’s an on-the-go thing, or they eat breakfast at school. After all, my mornings are likely similar to yours – we’re looking for PE clothes, school ID’s, homework folders, or (ahem) a clean uniform shirt.
Thankfully, our school district offers free breakfast as a part of their meal service. While I do try to ensure that my children eat something at home, it’s encouraging to know that if they don’t have that opportunity, breakfast is available for them at school. And with Houston ISD’s breakfast in the classroom, my elementary and middle-school aged children are able to grab their breakfast and eat it in the classroom right after the bell. That way, they don’t have to worry about being tardy to class, and they can eat - even if I’m running a smidgen late with drop-off.
I know how important breakfast is to help fuel my kids for their school day. That’s why I was excited to learn about Fuel Up to Play 60. Have you heard of it? It’s the largest in-school health and wellness program launched by National Dairy Council and the National Football League, in collaboration with the USDA, to help encourage today’s youth to make healthy choices by following nutritional guidelines and incorporating 60 minutes of exercise into their daily lives.
Fuel Up to Play 60 is working to increase school breakfast awareness to make sure all kids start their day with the fuel they need to help them succeed. School breakfast is the key driver of helping students Fuel Greatness inside and outside of school. Fuel Up to Play 60 champions nutritious breakfasts for kids, with a meal that helps them meet their nutrient needs and provides energy to start the day. As a bonus, school breakfast may even benefit school performance!*
A Fuel Up to Play 60 event took place recently in Houston at Orange Grove Elementary, in celebration of National School Breakfast Week. Special guests included Texans mascot Toro, Houston Texans alumni player JJ Moses, Deputy Undersecretary for Rural Development Lillian Salerno, Regional Administrator Bill Ludwig, Director of Education for the mayor's office Juliet Stipeche, Dairy Farmer Brandon Ribeiro and more. Fuel Up to Play 60 students greeted guests, pinned them with a lapel pin and escorted them to their seats. Texans mascot Toro, former NFL wide receiver JJ Moses and Dairy Farmer Brandon Ribeiro not only served Fuel Up to Play 60 students a team breakfast but also sat down to join the kids and eat together. JJ Moses also emceed the breakfast games as well as answered questions about eating healthy while playing football. Brandon Ribeiro led the Fuel Up to Play 60 student teams into the gym carrying an Olympic torch to start the breakfast games and also answered students’ questions about the dairy farm. Students then enjoyed participating in an obstacle course.
Why all the fuss over school breakfast?
- Three out of four public school teachers of grades K-8 report that their students regularly come to school hungry. **
- Some studies show that school breakfast can lead to improved academic performance. *
- Not all kids have the availability to receive breakfast at home. Approximately one in five households with children struggles to put food on the table at some time during the year. ***
- School breakfast not only provides nutrition, but it’s also an opportunity for children to share a meal with classmates and increase social interaction with peers.
How can you get involved? Visit FuelUpToPlay60.com to learn how school breakfast can provide children with the nutrients they need and how you can help make breakfast available to all students. Here, you can:
- Learn more about why school breakfast matters and see how school districts, and others are helping Fuel Greatness.
- Access Playbook resources such as Breakfast - Anytime, Anywhere, Breakfast in the Classroom and A Hero's Breakfast to help encourage your local school to start a breakfast program and implement alternative breakfast options.
- Get involved by finding ways to help schools either enroll in Fuel Up to Play 60 or further their involvement in the program.
- Join the conversation on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and show us how YOU Fuel Greatness with breakfast using #FuelGreatness.
Check out how the program is helping make breakfast time fun, too!
Disclosure: I was compensated for this article. However, opinions expressed are my own.
* Adolphus, Katie, Clare L. Lawton, and Louise Dye. "The Effects of Breakfast on Behavior and Academic Performance in Children and Adolescents." Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. Frontiers Media S.A., 8 Aug. 2013. Web. 29 Jan. 2016
** “Hunger In Our Schools.” 1st ed. Washington: No Kid Hungry, 2015. Web. 22 Feb. 2016.
*** Felling, Christy. "STATEMENT: Share Our Strength's Bill Shore on New USDA Food Insecurity Numbers | www.nokidhungry.org." STATEMENT: Share Our Strength's Bill Shore on New USDA Food Insecurity Numbers | www.nokidhungry.org. No Kid Hungry, 4 Sept. 2014. Web. 01 Feb. 2016.
