Parents
Start Smart Utah for Parents
Why is Breakfast Important?
Higher Test Scores
Hunger makes school and tests harder. For brains to be fueled they need proper energy from breakfast. On average, students who eat school breakfast achieve 17.5% higher scores on standardized math tests.
Calmer Classrooms
Children who do not regularly get enough nutritious food to eat tend to have significantly higher levels of behavioral, emotional, and educational problems. Students who participate more often in school breakfast experience decreased anxiety and hyperactivity.
Stronger Attendance & Graduation Rates
On average, students who eat school breakfast attend 1.5 more days per year. Students who attend class more regularly are 20% more likely to graduate from high school.
The Nutritional Balance of Breakfast
Eating breakfast every morning results in better students. However, breakfasts eaten on the run to school may not always be very healthy. By offering a complete breakfast of whole grain options, fruit rich in vitamins, and calcium rich milk, students get a healthy balance of nutrition to fuel students learning. Read more below on the benefits of each food group served at school breakfast.
It is well known, milk is a high source of calcium; good for strengthening bones and teeth.
Milk is the main source of calcium in American diets.
Milk offered in school breakfast programs are non- or low-fat which contain very little saturated fat.
A whole grain rich breakfast food adds dietary fiber, iron and B vitamins to a student’s diet, allowing them to stay fuller longer.
Whole grains are rich with B vitamins, releasing energy from protein, fat, and carbohydrates, students have the energy to learn.
Whole grains eaten at breakfast have been found to be healthy for your heart.
Whole fruits contain dietary fiber which helps lower blood cholesterol and improves bowel movement.
Rich in vitamins and minerals, whole fruits served at breakfast benefit all the systems in the body.
Fruit is naturally low in sodium and good for heart health.
Making Breakfast Available
Utah’s new breakfast legislation requires all schools to have an operating breakfast program for students who want or need a meal. Read more below to discover the different breakfast service style options soon to be making breakfast a part of your school’s instructional day.
Breakfast in the Classroom
Breakfast is offered to students in the classroom after the start of the instructional day. Students have an opportunity to eat breakfast with their classmates while teachers begin morning activities.
Grab “N” Go
Students grab conveniently packaged meals from mobile service carts in designated high traffic areas. Students can eat in their classroom or in a common area before and after the bell has rung.
Second Chance
In addition to a traditional breakfast service, breakfast is offered between classes or the first recess of the day. Students are offered a meal via Grab n’ Go or in the cafeteria to eat during break or in class.
Would You Like to Get Involved?
School Administrators and School Food Service staff need parents who will step forward and be advocates for breakfast in schools. Become a Breakfast Champion by taking part as a stakeholder in developing your student’s school breakfast program at their school. Click below to learn more and get involved.
Parents Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why are schools required to start a breakfast program?
A: In the 2020 Utah legislative session, two bills were passed addressing the School Breakfast Program. The Start Smart Utah Breakfast Program (Utah Code 53G-9-205.1) requires all Utah schools that operate the National School Lunch Program to also operate the School Breakfast Program. Additionally, it requires schools with certain free and reduced percentages to provide alternative styles of breakfast service. These styles usually occur after the bell and coincide with instructional time.
Q: My school is serving breakfast in the classroom, is my child required to eat?
A: Student participation in the school breakfast program is voluntary. If you wish your child to not eat breakfast at school, inform your child’s teacher.
Q: Will breakfast after the bell cut into my child’s time to learn?
A: No, under the Utah State Board of Education rule R277-419-5 on Pupil Accounting, activities such as alternative breakfast service models, such as breakfast after the bell, can be counted toward instructional time. Teachers usually plan activities to coincide with breakfast to help start the day, such as reading, board work, and homework review.
Q: Is this an overstep of the government to force breakfast into schools?
A: This legislation helps to ensure all children have access to breakfast. It requires for children to be offered a breakfast at school. However, no children will be required to participate in the program. Schools can and should individualize breakfast programs to best fit the needs of their student population. Providing the opportunity for children to eat school breakfast as research demonstrates students who eat a nutritious breakfast tend to perform better in school, have better attendance, and exhibit fewer behavioral problems.
Q: What if students take a breakfast against parent’s consent or lack funds to purchase a breakfast from the school?
A: Contact your district/school for it’s local policies and procedures, including the unpaid meal charge policy. Discuss with school leadership for a solution. Some strategies for preventing or reducing unwanted charges or school meal debt include offering breakfast at no charge to all students (Universal Free Breakfast) when it is financially viable.