Help Your Student Achieve with School Breakfast

Back-to-school is right around the corner, along with the morning scramble that most families endure as they get everyone ready and out the door on time for school and work. Do the kids have their backpacks? Are they wearing clean clothes? Did we feed the dog? Did we feed the kids? Are the kids full, focused, and ready to do their best in school? If they miss breakfast, they may not be.

In a recent survey1, a majority of teachers credited breakfast with increased concentration (95%), better academic performance (89%), and better behavior in the classroom (73%). Teachers also said that breakfast prevents headaches and stomachaches among their students. Many schools offer free breakfast to all students during testing weeks for these reasons. The good news for families is that school breakfast is nutritious, delicious, and available every day at most schools.

Federal regulations require that school breakfast includes, at minimum, a serving of fruit, a serving of grain, and a low-fat or fat-free milk carton. Many schools also offer foods from the protein food group like eggs or turkey sausage. Students can often choose from an array of hot and cold items, and cafeteria personnel make sure every student chooses a complete, balanced meal. School breakfast provides one-fourth of the Recommended Dietary Allowance for protein, calcium, iron, vitamin A, vitamin C and calories. All of this nutrition is offered every day at most schools for under $2 per meal.

Make sure your kids are full, focused, and ready to learn by making school breakfast a part of your family's routine this school year. To find out when breakfast is served and what is on the menu at your child's school, simply check the school website or call the office. To learn more about why dairy should be part of every breakfast, visit www.stldairycouncil.org.

1Hunger in Our Schools: Share Our Strength's Teachers Report 2012. No Kid Hungry/Share Our Strength, Washington, DC.

Recipes:

Mini Frittatas

Eggs, milk, and cheese baked into bite-sized puffs make a quick and easy breakfast for a lazy weekend morning.

Makes 5 servings (8 pieces per serving)

Prep Time: 12 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

Nonstick vegetable oil cooking spray

8 large eggs

1/2 cup low-fat milk

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 ounces thinly sliced ham, chopped

1/3 cup grated Parmesan

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray 2 mini muffin tins (each with 24 cups) with nonstick spray. Whisk the eggs, milk, pepper, and salt in a large bowl to blend well. Stir in the ham, cheese, and parsley. Fill prepared muffin cups almost to the top with the egg mixture. Bake until the egg mixture puffs and is just set in the center, about 8 to 10 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, loosen the frittatas from the muffin cups and slide the frittatas onto a platter. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts per serving (8 pieces)

Calories: 192

Fat: 12 g

Protein: 16 g

Calcium: 15% daily value

Easy to Please Yogurt Parfait

This simple, versatile parfait makes a refreshing breakfast or snack. Try substituting your favorite yogurt flavors, fruits, and whole-grain cereals.

Makes 1 serving

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

1/2 cup canned peach slices, drained and rinsed

6 ounces low-fat vanilla yogurt

1/2 cup raisin-bran cereal

Directions

Layer peaches, yogurt and cereal in a glass or cup. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to eat.

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 317

Fat: 2.5 g

Protein: 10 g

Calcium: 26% daily value