Connecting nutrition and classroom outcomes
I have been working more eggs into my breakfast routine. I don't actually like eggs, so I am only eating boiled egg whites. But research this week suggests I consider more ways to eat them.
A growing body of research links breakfast participation to measurable academic benefits. An early review in the American Dietetic Association reported improved attendance and fewer tardies when schools provided breakfast at no cost. Students also showed higher intake of iron, calcium, and vitamins, nutrients essential for brain development.
In the U.S., the School Breakfast Program serves over 2.5 billion meals yearly. When breakfast moved from the cafeteria to the classroom, participation rose from 37 percent to 94 percent, and diet quality improved.
Healthy starts lead to healthy learning.
Could moving breakfast into the classroom increase participation in your school setting?
References
Pollitt, E.. (1995). Does Breakfast Make a Difference in School? Journal of the American Dietetic Association, Volume 95, Issue 10, 1134 - 1139
https://www.jandonline.org/article/S0002-8223(95)00306-1/abstract
USDA ERS (2024). Child Nutrition Programs: School Breakfast Program.
School Nutrition Association (2025). Egg-Based Universally Free Breakfast Pilot.
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