Breakfast Makes The Grade (NAPSA)—Whatoften separates a sleepy “C” student from an energetic “A” or “B” achiever? It may be something as simple as a balanced breakfast. Research has shown that students who eat breakfast have a clear edge over students who don’t. A study published in the journal Pediatrics, for instance, found that hungry children have lower math scores and are morelikely to repeat a grade, while Tufts University reported that children who participate in school breakfast have lower rates of absence and tardiness. Despite breakfast’s proven importance, though, it’s estimated that nearly one in four Americans do not eat a morning meal. While nearly 30 million children participate in the National School Lunch Program, only nine million participate in the School Breakfast Program. But breakfast is available in almost 80 percent, or 78,000, of schools that serve lunch. “The ‘breakfast gap’ is wide— millions of children come to school hungry each day—and that gap needs to be closed by increasing participation in the School Breakfast Program,” says nutrition consultant Tami Cline, M.S., R.D., Cline Consulting. Smart Solutions Schools are taking steps to maketheir breakfast programs more appealing to students. Some are now serving new grab-and-go boxed breakfasts called Breakfast Breaks, made by East Side Entrees. They’re available in seven different varieties and include a cereal bowl pack, an additional bread/erain serving and a serving of 100 percentjuice. rTsy Food For Thought— Studies show students perform better after eating a balanced breakfast. Served with milk, Breakfast Breaks provide a complete, nutritious breakfast that meets government requirements by providing one-fourth the recommended daily key nutrients for children. One menu, for example, includes General Mills Honey Nut Cheerios, animal crackers, and Mott’s Apple Juice. Designed specifically to get kids to eat them, Breakfast Breaks are packaged in colorful boxes that feature trivia and graphics of student characters enjoying activities like skateboarding and soccer. Plus, the boxes include “Play Bucks” that students can collect and redeem for fun prizes such as sports equipment. “We want to reward kids for eating breakfast and make eating breakfast at school cool,” explains Gary Davis, CEO of East Side Entrees. “Then we can begin to close that breakfast gap so more children will be ready to learn at school each day.” For more information, visit www.breakfastbreaks.com.
