“What’s for breakfast?” is the question for National School Breakfast Week

“What’s for breakfast?”  That’s a question children ask every day.  With mornings being a busy time for families, parents can leave breakfast to our school cafeterias since that is where students will find a nutritious meal to start the day.
 
Busy weekday mornings make it a challenge for some families to find time to even think about a healthy breakfast, according to Gaston County Schools’ nutrition director Angela Calamia.
 
“Fortunately, we offer a nutritious school breakfast in our cafeterias, complete with fruit and low-fat or fat-free milk, so students are fueled for learning every school day,” said Calamia.  “We know that a healthy breakfast at the start of the day is a great way to ensure students are nourished and ready to learn.”
 
Studies show that students who eat breakfast are more likely to achieve at higher academic levels, have better concentration and memory, and pay attention in class.  In Gaston County, the school cafeterias offer an assortment of healthy items for breakfast to energize the start of the day for students, added Calamia.
 
For National School Breakfast Week (March 3-7) with its fun, investigative “Clue In to School Breakfast” theme, Calamia agrees that the message for parents is this: “We hope families who have never investigated school breakfast will put on their detective hats and crack the case of the tastiest breakfast available for students.”
 
National School Breakfast Week began in 1989 as a way to raise awareness of the availability of breakfast programs in schools and encourage more families to take advantage of the healthy choices that come with a school breakfast.  Students at our schools are encouraged to eat breakfast in the cafeteria; parents who have questions about school breakfast can contact the principal or their child’s teacher.