“I Heart School Breakfast” Campaign Encourages Haywood County Families to Choose Breakfast at School

To encourage more families to take advantage of the healthy choices available for school breakfast, Haywood County schools celebrated National School Breakfast Week during March 5-9, 2018.

Busy weekday mornings make it a challenge for many families to find time for a healthy breakfast. However, US Department of Agriculture data show that more and more students are starting their day with a nutritious breakfast in their school cafeterias. The School Breakfast Program currently serves more than 14 million students every day. Studies show that students who eat school breakfast are more likely to:

  • Reach higher levels of achievement in math
  • Score higher on standardized tests
  • Have better concentration, memory and alertness
  • Have improved attendance, behavior, and academic performance
  • Maintain a healthy weight

The National School Breakfast Week (NSBW) campaign theme, “I Heart School Breakfast”, reminds the entire school community that school breakfast provides a healthy and energizing start to the day for students. Haywood County schools provided “I Heart School Breakfast” stickers to many students, served breakfast in the classroom in some schools & even offered a second-chance breakfast in some cases.

“A healthy breakfast at the start of the day is one way to ensure students are getting the best education possible,” said Melanie Batchelor, School Nutrition Supervisor Dietitian. “National School Breakfast Week helps us educate parents and students about all the healthy, great tasting, and appealing choices we offer.” The district serves over 1200 breakfast meals daily through the federally funded School Breakfast Program. School nutrition professionals in Haywood County prepare breakfast and lunches every day that meet federal nutrition standards – limiting fat, calories and sodium – while encouraging students to choose from the fruits, vegetables and whole grains offered with school meals.”

Submitted by: Melanie Batchelor, School Nutrition