The School Breakfast Program serves 12 million students each day

National Harbor, Md., February 28, 2012 – Next week, school cafeterias across the country will celebrate National School Breakfast Week (March 5-9) by hosting “School Breakfast – Go for Gold” a fun campaign designed to highlight how eating a balanced breakfast at school helps students shine.

Studies have shown that students who eat breakfast make greater gains on standardized tests, pay attention and behave better in class, and are less frequently tardy, absent or visiting the nurse’s office. Eating breakfast is also positively linked with maintaining a healthy weight – and avoiding health problems associated with obesity.

“The School Breakfast Program is helping 12 million students jump start their days with a healthy meal,” said Helen Phillips, SNS, President of the School Nutrition Association. “School breakfast offers a critical service to children whose families struggle to make ends meet and a huge convenience for students who aren’t hungry for breakfast when they wake up.”

Federal nutrition standards for school breakfast limit fat and portion size, and cafeterias are already working to meet new requirements for more whole grains, fruits and vegetables with breakfast.

To reach more students with these healthy breakfasts, many schools are launching breakfast in the classroom programs, grab-n-go kiosks at the school doors, and breakfast-in-a-bag choices.  Last school year, the School Nutrition Foundation (SNF), as a member of Partners for Breakfast in the Classroom, launched an initiative funded by the Walmart Foundation to increase breakfast consumption among schoolchildren and spark the academic and nutritional gains associated with the morning meal. The pilot program served free breakfasts in the classroom to more than 15,000 students each school day and developed new resources to help other school districts launch their own programs.

“School Breakfast – Go for Gold” will help cafeterias celebrate school breakfast programs with special menus and decorations, fun puzzles and school breakfast related brainteasers to help students to warm up their brains before they head to class. Kids will also have the opportunity to create their own school breakfast t-shirt design highlighting the benefits of eating a healthy breakfast.

“School Breakfast – Go for Gold” was created by the non-profit School Nutrition Association with support from General Mills Foodservice. This national campaign recognizes National School Breakfast Week, launched in 1989 to raise awareness of the availability of the School Breakfast Program (SBP) to all children and the links between eating a good breakfast, academic achievement and healthy lifestyles.

National Harbor, Md., February 23, 2012 – Next month, over 900 school nutrition professionals from across the nation will gather in Washington DC to discuss new school meal nutrition standards and urge Congress to ease the financial burden on school meal programs working to meet these regulations. School Nutrition Association’s (SNA) 40th annual Legislative Action Conference (LAC) runs from March 4 – 7, 2012 at the JW Marriott Hotel, 1331 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW.

LAC comes at a critical time for the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs, as school cafeterias work to meet the new meal pattern starting in the 2012-2013 school year, and Congress prepares to draft a new Farm Bill. LAC will feature several key discussions on these topics including:

• Former Secretaries of Agriculture John Block and Dan Glickman and Former Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Charles Conner will participate in a roundtable discussion on school nutrition, the upcoming Farm Bill and the general election.
• Dr. Janey Thornton, USDA Dep. Under Sec. for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services, and Cindy Long, USDA Child Nutrition Division Director of the Food and Nutrition Service, will brief attendees on the new meal pattern and continued implementation of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act (Public Law 111–296)
• Attendees will hear from Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS), Ranking Member of the US Senate Committee on Agriculture. Noted political commentator Charlie Cook will deliver a keynote address.
• LAC also includes a “Charge to the Hill” allowing SNA members to meet with their representatives to discuss school nutrition issues and SNA’s 2012 Legislative Issue Paper.

Media wishing to attend these events must contact Diane Pratt-Heavner at 301-686-3124 or media@schoolnutrition.org to register for the conference.

About School Nutrition Association:
The School Nutrition Association (SNA) is a national, non-profit professional organization representing 55,000 school nutrition professionals across the country. Founded in 1946, SNA and its members are dedicated to making healthy school meals and nutrition education available to all students. To find out more about today’s school meals, visit www.TrayTalk.org.