The Most Important Meal

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School Breakfast Linked to Positive Outcomes

Breakfast is considered the most important meal of the day, and recent studies have confirmed this long-held truth. Schools that participate in the federal School Breakfast Program report better outcomes for:

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  • Academic performance: Students who eat school breakfast score higher on math tests.

  • Attendance: Student attendance improves when they provide breakfast to their students through various breakfast programs.

  • Graduation rates: Students who eat breakfast on average attend 1.5 more days of school per year.

  • Behavior: School breakfast reduces disruptive behavior that results in disciplinary actions.

So why aren’t more kids participating in school breakfast?

The truth is that most schools do offer breakfast before classes start. But making a balanced meal available isn’t enough if students can’t get to school in time to enjoy it. That’s why the San Diego Hunger Coalition supports Breakfast After the Bell, a program that give students another chance to get something to eat before the lunch hour.

There are three ways that schools can offer Breakfast After the Bell:

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If you know a school in your area that does not serve Breakfast After the Bell and would like to help them start, contact Paloma Perez, Hunger Free Kids Director, at (619) 501-7917 ext. 104 or paloma@sdhunger.org.