USDA | Tina Namian

Branch Chief, School Meals Policy Branch

Child Nutrition Programs

Food and Nutrition Service

Breakfast Innovations

Beyond the Cafeteria

School Breakfast Stats

• For more than 50 years, USDA’s School Breakfast Program (SBP) has provided children of all economic backgrounds in schools nationwide with the opportunity for a well-balanced, healthy meal.

• Over the last year, over 14.5 million children participated in the SBP, with more than 2.4 billion meals served in the more than 90,000 schools!

• Roughly 90% of schools that operate lunch operate breakfast as well, but overall participation is much lower than it is for lunch.

Benefits of Breakfast

• Provides a morning meal for students that don’t have the time or resources for a meal at home

• Provides food to help during long stretch of time between leaving home and lunch

• Eating breakfast can:

o Improve student health and nutrition

o Improve learning and help students pay attention and behave better in class

o Decrease tardiness, absences, and visits to the school nurse

o Help prevent overweight

Breakfast Meal Patterns & Reimbursement Rates

• Schools may receive a higher SBP reimbursement if at least 40% of lunches served in the 2nd preceding year were served free or at reduced price.

• Schools without 2nd preceding year history may qualify for higher reimbursement.

• About 77 percent of the breakfasts serviced in SBP receive severe need reimbursement.

• Provided on an individual school (not SFA) basis,

Severe Need Schools

• Serving methods:

• Breakfast in the Cafeteria

• Grab and Go

• Breakfast in the Classroom

• Breakfast After 1st Period

• Breakfast on the Bus

• Market the SBP and seek buy-in from stakeholders such as principals, superintendents, teachers, custodians, parents, students, and other key partners

School Breakfast Service Methods

• A collection of digital resources to assist in the launch or expansion of the SBP

• Toolkit designed primarily for school food service directors

• State agencies may use to supplement their materials

• Not intended to replace/duplicate policy or technical assistance documents

School Breakfast Program Toolkit

School Breakfast Program Toolkit

Benefits of Alternative Breakfast Models

Western Regional Office: 2018 Champions of Breakfast Awards

• 41 nominees and 19 recipients • Award Categories:

• Boosting Breakfast Meal Quality • Implementation of Innovative Service Models • Successful Startup of a New School Breakfast Program

Mountain Plains Regional Office

Nebraska

Kansas

Mid-Atlantic Regional Office: Alternative Delivery Models Expanding

PA: Awarded mini-grants to schools to start or expand alternate breakfast delivery models in SY 18-19.

NJ: Beginning in SY 19-20, “Breakfast after the Bell” program will be required in all schools all schools with 70% or more of students eligible for free or reduced price meals

Resources

• SBP Homepage: https://www.fns.usda.gov/sbp/school-breakfast-program-sbp

• SBP Toolkit: https://www.fns.usda.gov/sbp/toolkit

• Team Nutrition SBP Resources: https://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/sbp-materials

School Breakfast Week Tweets