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Strategies for School Breakfast Program Expansion
(Adapted from University of Wisconsin Extension Family Living Program)
This section outlines various strategies that can be used to increase program participation. Ideas and resources are also included for improving meal quality and incorporating nutrition education into breakfast.
Here are a variety of ways to expand participation in the School Breakfast Program
Provision 2
How Does Provision 2 Work?
Provision 2 allows schools to serve breakfast at no charge to any student who wants it that day, regardless of their household income. However, the school claims the federal reimbursement based on the eligibility category for that student. Schools make this determination using income information from household applications or Direct Certification lists. Provision 2 is usually offered at schools that have a high percentage of students who qualify for free or reduced price meals. Because students don't need to bring cash, tickets or cards, Provision 2 lends itself to breakfast in the classroom, but it also works with other meal service options such as Grab 'N' Go, or a mid-morning nutrition break.
Many schools find that using Provision 2 at breakfast increases participation so drastically that they don't actually realize a loss from otherwise paying students. Provision 2 decreases the paperwork by allowing schools to use base year eligibility data at breakfast for subsequent years when certain conditions are met.
Why Serve Provision 2 Breakfast?
When breakfast is served at no charge, more students eat breakfast. Provision 2 breakfasts can reduce the stigma attached to eating breakfast at school. Provision 2 also provides breakfast for those students who are burdened by paying the 30 cents for reduced price breakfast. In addition, children who participate in school meal programs tend to have improved attendance, less tardiness, and increased test scores. The quality of their diets also improves. While serving breakfast to more students may increase labor costs, the overall cost per meal usually decreases using Provision 2 compared with traditional service methods.
When Does Provision 2 Breakfast Work Best?
Provision 2 breakfast works well in schools with greater than 75% of students eligible for free and reduced price meals. However, schools with fewer eligible students have operated the program successfully. If the following situations are present at your school, Provision 2 breakfast is likely to be a success for you:
- Stigma appears to be a factor in low participation rates
- The number of reduced -price eligible students who eat breakfast is much lower than the number who participate at lunch
- Teachers are supportive of breakfast and realize its importance to learning
- Cafeteria space can accommodate increased participation
- Breakfast in the classroom is an option
Read more information about Provision 2 and related issues.
Eliminating the Reduced Price Fee for Breakfast
How Does the Elimination for Reduced Price Breakfast Work?
Schools that eliminate reduced price for breakfast only offer their students two prices for breakfast – free and full price. Students that qualify for reduced price meals receive their breakfast for free in this model. This works well in schools with a high percentage of students that qualify for free and reduced price meals, but have low participation of reduced price students.
The school serves reimbursable breakfasts as it normally does. The only difference is that a breakfast is offered at no charge to students who qualify for reduced price meals. Even though the school only uses two categories for charging students, the school still receives federal reimbursement at the correct income category for each student.
Schools that eliminate reduced price charges for breakfasts often see an increase in participation in the lunch program, too. Many schools find that federal reimbursements are enough to cover the cost of serving free breakfast to this group of students.
Why Eliminate Reduced Price Breakfasts?
When you eliminate reduced price charges for breakfasts, more students eat breakfast. Offering breakfast for free to students that qualify for reduced price meals removes any financial barrier that these students may experience. The more students who eat breakfast the better their overall diet quality, attendance, tardiness, behavior and test scores. In addition, more revenue is generated from the federal government if more students eat breakfast.
When Does Eliminating Reduced Price for
Breakfast Work Best?
Eliminating reduced price for breakfasts works well in schools with low breakfast participation from reduced price students. Here are some other qualities where eliminating reduced price breakfasts are likely to be successful:
- High free and reduced approval rate at school
- Additional staffing is not necessary to handle the increase in participation
- Staff are supportive of breakfast and realize its importance to learning
- Breakfast is easily accessible to students
Direct Certification
How Does Direct Certification Work?
Children participating in Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly the Food Stamp Program), and the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) are automatically eligible for free meals. Direct certification allows school districts to qualify children for free meals without further application.
Why use Direct Certification?
Direct certification reduces the amount of staff time dedicated to processing and verifying applications. Meal participation counts can increase as direct certification captures new children, and studies show that direct certification can increase both free and reduced price participation. Direct certification benefits parents as well since they are not required to complete an application.
Creative Menu Ideas
Delivering Healthy Meals to Hungry Students
Healthy eating patterns formed during childhood are attributed to healthier eating patterns in later years. Studies have shown that students who eat school meals eat more vegetables, drink more milk and fewer sweetened beverages, eat more grains, and consume fewer cookies, cakes and salty snacks than students who make other food choices. By choosing the reimbursable meal, students are assured a meal that meets national nutrition standards and complies with the recommendations of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Research shows that students who eat breakfast at school have increased standardized achievement test scores, improved attendance and reduced tardiness. Other research shows that students who eat breakfast have improved academic, behavioral, and emotional functioning.
What is a healthy breakfast?
A healthy breakfast should consist of a variety of foods, for example, low-fat or fat free milk, whole grains, low-fat meat or meat alternates, and fruits and vegetables. Offering these menu items will help provide nutrients that will help delays hunger symptoms until lunchtime.
There are many menu options for a healthy breakfast. To make a healthy breakfast each day, offer a variety of items from the following food components:
- Fruits and vegetables. Fresh, frozen, canned, and dried fruits and vegetables, 100 percent juice without added sugar
- Grains. Whole-grain rolls, bagels, hot or cold whole-grain cereals, low-fat bran muffins, whole grain crackers
- Milk. Fat free or low-fat milk
- Meat and Meat Alternatives. Hard-boiled eggs, peanut butter, beans, lean slices of meat and poultry, low-fat yogurt, low-fat cheeses such as cottage cheese or low fat cheese sticks
Have Fun! Serve the unexpected and you just might surprise your students!
- Vegetable pizza on whole wheat crust
- Fruit Parfait with fresh fruit topped with low-fat yogurt and crispy whole-grain cereal
- Vegetables, beans, salsa and low-fat shredded cheeses wrapped in a tortilla
- A smoothie blended from frozen fruits, some low-fat yogurt and a spoonful of wheat germ
- Whole-wheat crackers with low-fat cheese
Read/print a Sample Healthy Breakfast Menu [PDF].
Click here for success stories about improving meal quality from USDA's USDA's Making It Happen.
How Does Breakfast in the Classroom Work?
Just as the name implies, students eat breakfast in the classroom at the beginning of the day or during morning break time. Breakfasts can be either hot or cold, depending on a school's facilities. Breakfast in the classroom can be offered in several ways:
- Students can stop by the cafeteria and pick up their breakfast in grab 'n' go bags, along with milk and then go to class.
- Breakfast can be delivered to the classroom on carts.
- A student representative can go to the cafeteria, pick up the breakfasts for those students eating breakfast, and take it back to the class in a cart or wagon.
Little teaching time is lost, as breakfast only takes 10 to 15 minutes for the student to eat. Many teachers use this time to take attendance, collect homework, deliver announcements or read to the class. Many teachers feel this is a valuable use of time and that their classes are more productive when students have a healthy breakfast.
Students are responsible for clearing away their trash into trash bags provided by the cafeteria. Classroom representatives return the trash bags to the cafeteria or leave it in the hallway for the janitorial staff to collect.
Why Serve Breakfast in the Classroom?
When breakfast is served in the classroom, more students eat breakfast. Breakfast in the classroom is a great way to reach students who do not have time to eat before school, or who are not able to get to school in time for breakfast. In some cases, schools do not have space that is available or large enough to serve breakfast. Classrooms are familiar to students and offer a comfortable environment for eating. Breakfast in the classroom is convenient and can be prepared quickly with few staff.
When Does Breakfast in the Classroom Work Best?
Breakfast in the classroom works well in many different schools. Here are some qualities that make breakfast in the classroom successful:
- Students are in the same room at the start of each school day
- Buses arrive just before classes begin
- Teachers are supportive of breakfast and realize its importance to learning
- There is no space to serve breakfast
- The cafeteria is centrally located
Breakfast after First Period
How Does Breakfast after First Period Work?
This model is also called a nutrition break or second chance breakfast. As the name implies, students eat breakfast during a break in the morning, usually between 9:00 am and 10:00 am. Reimbursable breakfasts are individually packaged in grab 'n' go bags. These are usually offered from mobile carts or tables located in high traffic areas where there are many students. Breakfasts can be hot or cold, depending on school facilities. Foods that are easy to eat or hand held are popular and more convenient.
Many schools already offer a break from classes in the morning. By serving a reimbursable meal at this time, students who were not hungry first thing in the morning or those who ate breakfast very early now have a chance to eat a healthy meal. Serving a reimbursable meal is a healthy choice compared to ala carte options. Reimbursable meals also accommodate students who may not have the money to purchase vending.
Students are responsible for discarding their own trash. Extra trash cans in the area where students are between classes helps to ensure that trash is discarded properly.
Why Serve Breakfast after First Period?
When you offer a mid-morning nutrition break, more students eat breakfast. Many middle and high school students are not interested in eating breakfast first thing in the morning. A mid-morning nutrition break is a great way to reach these students as well as those who do not have time to eat before school, or who ate very early in the morning. In some cases, schools do not have available space to serve breakfast. Serving breakfast from carts outside of the cafeteria eliminates this problem. A mid-morning nutrition break can be prepared quickly with few staff.
When Does Breakfast after First Period Work Best?
Breakfast after first period works well in many different schools, the following qualities help make a breakfast after first period successful in schools:
- A milk break or other break in the morning already exists
- Buses arrive just before classes begin
- There is no time to serve breakfast before classes
- Students rely on vending machines for snacks in the morning
- Teachers are supportive of breakfast and realize its importance to learning
- There is no space to serve breakfast
- The cafeteria is centrally located
Grab 'N' Go Breakfast
How Does a Grab 'N' Go Breakfast Work?
Grab 'N' Go breakfasts are packaged in paper bags, boxes or trays. Students pick up their breakfast and eat it when and where they want, within school guidelines. Food service staff pack reimbursable breakfasts into individual paper bags, usually the day before, or purchase prepackaged reimbursable breakfasts in boxes. These are served with milk the next morning. Breakfasts are usually cold, but can include hot items as well.
Grab 'N' Go breakfasts can be served first thing in the morning, between classes, or at a mid-morning break. Bags can be served from mobile service carts located in high traffic areas such as the school entrance, cafeteria, hallways, or near the gym. Students can take the breakfast and eat it outside, in the hall, in class, or in the cafeteria, depending on what the school decides is appropriate. The serving carts usually have a computer or point of service machine. A school food service staff operates the cart before school, during morning break, or between classes. There is a lot of flexibility with this method of serving breakfast, depending on the school's needs. Students are responsible for following the school's guidelines as to where and when they can eat and for throwing out their trash.
Why Serve a Grab 'N' Go Breakfast?
Grab 'N' Go breakfasts bring breakfast to the student, making it easier for them to choose to eat breakfast. Many middle and high school students are not hungry first thing in the morning or they want to hang out with friends. Grab 'N' Go breakfasts allow students the flexibility and choice to eat breakfast where and when they want. Grab 'N' Go breakfasts are convenient for food service staff and prepackaged breakfasts can take less time to prepare than traditional breakfasts. Because it is so easy and efficient for students to grab a bag, this method also allows schools to serve a breakfast more quickly to students.
Why Use Mobile Serving Carts
Schools find that by bring breakfast to the students; more students eat breakfast because they do not need to leave their friends to get breakfast. Breakfast carts mean that students do not need to choose between socializing and eating breakfast. Breakfasts served from a cart are convenient for food service staff and take less time to prepare than traditional breakfasts. Offering Grab 'N' Go breakfast from mobile carts allows schools to serve breakfast quickly to more students.
When Does a Grab 'N' Go Breakfast Work Best?
Grab 'N' Go breakfasts work particularly well in middle and high schools because older students enjoy the flexibility and choice that Grab 'N' Go provides. Here are some other qualities where Grab 'N' Go breakfasts are likely to be successfully:
- The cafeteria or gym is crowded or not available for breakfast
- A large number of students have to eat in a short amount of time
- Buses arrive just before the start of classes
- Teachers and custodial staff are supportive of breakfast and realize its importance to learning
- Students rely on ala carte and convenience foods from outside the school for breakfast
- The cafeteria isn't located where students enter the building or hang out
- The breakfast menu can easily offer Grab 'N' Go options
Breakfast Carts
How Do Breakfast Carts Work?
Breakfast carts act as mobile serving areas for breakfast. Instead of having the students come to the cafeteria for breakfast, breakfast is brought to students. Grab 'N' Go breakfast work best with a breakfast cart. Breakfast can be prepackaged; however, some schools offer choices from their breakfast cart. The general rule is the food has to be portable and easy to grab.
Schools typically put their breakfast carts in high traffic areas such as the main entrance, hallway, outside the front door, or near the gymnasium. Wherever the students hang out is where the cart is located. Carts usually have a computer or point of service machine. A school food service staff operates the cart before school, during morning break, or between classes, depending on the school.
Carts can be purchased for a reasonable cost, but remember, you will have to also fund the portable milk coolers. Students are responsible for their trash and following school rules as to where they can eat their breakfast.
Why Use Breakfast Carts?
Schools find that by bringing breakfast to the students more students eat breakfast because they do not need to leave their friends to get breakfast. Breakfast carts mean that students do not need to choose between socializing and eating breakfast. Breakfasts served from a cart are convenient for food service staff and take less time to prepare than traditional breakfasts. Because breakfasts are Grab 'N' Go, breakfast carts allow schools to serve breakfast quickly to more students.
When Does Using a Breakfast Cart Work Best?
Using a breakfast cart works particularly well in middle and high schools, but it has also been successful in elementary schools. Here are some other qualities where using a breakfast cart is likely to be particularly successful:
- The cafeteria is located apart from where students hang out
- Environment service staff are supportive of serving breakfast at school
- The breakfast menu can easily be made into Grab 'N' Go breakfasts
- There is one main area of the school where students tend to gather
- The cafeteria tends to be congested or is too small to serve breakfast
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