Tuesday, March 12, 2024
Thanks to Kristan O’Toole, Susan Bostian Young, and Haley Donlan, Wisconsin Department of Public School Nutrition Team’s School Breakfast Specialists.
March is National Nutrition Month, an annual campaign established in 1973 by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. This year's theme is "Beyond the Table," which addresses the farm-to-fork aspect of nutrition, from food production and distribution to navigating grocery stores and farmers markets — and even home food safety and storage practices. It also describes the various ways we eat — not only around a dinner table, but also on the go, in schools and restaurants, at games and events. Did you know that the School Nutrition Team has many Registered Dietitians that help ensure that Wisconsin school meals are serving balanced meals? Reach out to them with any school nutrition related questions you have! DPIFNS@dpi.wi.gov
We celebrated National School Breakfast Week the first week in March (March 4-8, 2024) and this year’s theme was “Surf’s Up with School Breakfast.” It was a chance to celebrate school breakfast and reflect on the importance of breakfast in helping students achieve academic success. Studies have shown that students who eat school breakfast are more likely to reach higher levels of achievement in reading and math, have higher scores on standardized tests, have better memory and concentration, take fewer trips to the nurse due to illness, and maintain a healthy weight.
To ramp up for National School Breakfast Week, DPI and its SNT partners: No Kid Hungry, Hunger Task Force and School Nutrition Association of Wisconsin, searched for Wisconsin’s School Breakfast Champions and accepted nominations through the middle of February. A breakfast champion is anyone who takes action to improve school meal programs and helps kids get the nutrition they need to fuel their learning. This person can be from any part of the district or school - a student who facilitates a taste test, a principal who promotes the program, a superintendent who supports a new breakfast service model, a teacher who lends a hand, or a school nutrition staff member who goes above and beyond. Awardees will be announced in time for National School Breakfast Week!
If you are interested in learning more about the School Breakfast Program, visit the School Breakfast Program Webpage.
For more information, contact the School Breakfast Specialists at the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction at DPISBP@dpi.wi.gov.