USDA School Breakfast
Tool Kit

The USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service offers helpful information about good nutrition, including a tool kit for breakfast programs.

The kit includes surveys, analysis tools, marketing ideas, and evaluations.

www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/
breakfast/toolkit

The old saying is right: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Eating a nutritious breakfast promotes energy, alertness, and concentration. Studies show that students who regularly eat breakfast have fewer behavioral problems, tardy slips, and visits to the school nurse. And these students are more likely to have higher math and reading scores and higher standardized test scores.

Healthy eating, coupled with physical activity, promotes strong growth and development, protection from obesity and disease, and happier attitudes toward life. Children are establishing lifelong physical activity and nutrition habits, so the opportunities at home and school make a difference.

Grants from the Carol M. White Physical Education Program administered by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools (OSDFS) help schools and communities encourage healthy habits. Since 2001, the program has funded almost $230 million in grants.

Waterloo Intermediate/Middle School in Waterloo, Wisconsin, used its 2004–05 PEP grant to make physical education a fitness-based program rather than sportsbased. School principal Ann Kox said that 77 percent of students improved their Body Mass Index (BMI), 75 percent reduced their body fat, and 86 percent said they enjoyed physical activity outside of school.

Hundreds of others have used the PEP grants for activities such as adding nutrition to the curriculum; offering more activities like bicycling, climbing, or yoga; and buying equipment such as pedometers and in-line skates.

Health and Wellness Policies
Schools that participate in the National School Lunch Program are required to have a local wellness policy in place as of July 1 for the 2006–07 school year. The requirement, from the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004, is intended to promote nutrition education and physical activity in schools.

Key considerations of a wellness policy include:

Establish a local wellness committee:

• Invite parents, teachers, administrators, food service staff, and students to create policies and monitor progress.

Provide nutrition education:

• Teach concepts of healthy eating such as balanced diet and proper hydration.
• Include discussions about the importance of physical activity to health.
• Use a qualified nutrition professional to develop outreach messages.
• Engage parents and family members in activities and education.

Improve the quality of foods and beverages available at school:

• Provide nutritious choices (fruits, vegetables, and whole grains) in the lunch room, vending machines, and school stores.
• Provide water, milk, fruit juice, and limit carbonated beverages.
• Encourage healthy choices for classroom snacks and celebrations.

Provide a better food environment:

• Make meal presentation appealing (clean facilities, enough seating, short waiting lines).
• Encourage kids to eat breakfast— either before arriving or on campus.
• If possible have recess before lunch.
• Give students enough time to finish eating—upon seating, at least 10 minutes for breakfast and 20 minutes for lunch.

Improve food service operations:

• Plan meals for the week that meet nutrition standards.
• Promote the school meal program.
• Provide training and professional development for food service staff.

Provide opportunities for physical activity:

• Provide physical education classes taught by certified PE teachers.
• Encourage students to get at least 60 minutes of age-appropriate physical activity every day.
• Don’t use physical activity as a form of punishment or discipline.

Improve monitoring and evaluation:

• Assess nutrition and physical activity needs to create and evaluate policies.
• Monitor policy implementation and make adjustments as needed.

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