School breakfast participation rises while lunch program participation declines

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Recent data from the United States Department of Agriculture shows that more children are participating in school breakfast. The article below states that the number of children consuming breakfast offered in schools has grown from 12.81 million in 2011-2012 to 13.15 million in 2012-2013.  Allowing children to take breakfast outside of the cafeteria setting, such as with “grab-and-go” meals, have assisted in improving participation rates. According to Janey Thorton, USDA deputy under secretary, there have been more schools offering children breakfast at no charge. This is positive news to see that schools are finding innovative ways to ensure that children are not sitting hungry in their classrooms until lunch time. For parents who have children on the school bus for up to an hour in the morning, waking them early enough for breakfast may not be a top priority. Grab-and-go options or even free breakfasts at schools are convenient for parents, and they can rest assured that their children will not be left with an empty stomach.

On the contrary, the article also states that the USDA recently found that fewer children are purchasing school lunches since the updating of nutrition standards to include healthier options. Participation in 2012-2013 decreased 3% from the previous school year. Some nutrition professionals believe children may not prefer the healthier options while other professionals say that schools in general are choosing not to participate in the lunch program anymore. Either way, the hope is that students who are no longer purchasing school lunches are bringing their own packed lunches instead so they are not hungry throughout the rest of the school day.

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Hellmich, Nanci. "More Kids Skip School Lunch, but Breakfasts Are up." USA Today. 20 Aug. 2013. Web. 11 Oct. 2013.


http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/08/20/school-breakfast-up-lunch-down/2673275/

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