
Breakfast in the Classroom is a program that provides breakfast to students in the classroom, rather than in the cafeteria. It is designed to improve child nutrition and educational outcomes. The program typically only takes 10-15 minutes, including serving and cleanup time, and schools that implement it often see improved academic, social, behavioral, and health outcomes in their students. Teachers have reported that students who eat breakfast perform better academically and exhibit better classroom behavior. The School Breakfast Program (SBP) provides reimbursement to states to operate nonprofit breakfast programs in schools, and schools that serve breakfast in the classroom may see increased reimbursements due to higher participation rates.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Time taken | 10-15 minutes |
| Benefits | Improved academic performance, better behaviour, improved cognitive skills, stronger coping skills, reduced absenteeism, improved diet |
| Preparation | Meals are packed into bags and delivered to the classroom |
| Clean-up | Students are responsible for keeping their areas clean |
| Timing | Ends at 8:00 a.m. sharp |
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What You'll Learn

Breakfast in the classroom takes 10-15 minutes
Breakfast in the classroom is a program that provides students with breakfast, which they eat in their classroom at the start of the school day. It is a way to ensure that students begin their day nourished and ready to learn, improving their academic, social, behavioural, and health outcomes.
Implementing breakfast in the classroom can be done successfully by coordinating all members of the school community, including food service professionals, teachers, administrative staff, and students. Schools can continue to prepare breakfast as they usually do, but instead of serving meals in a cafeteria line, they are packed into bags and delivered to the classroom. Simple menus with hand-held items can be planned to reduce messiness, and teachers can use a roster to keep track of students who eat school breakfast.
Breakfast in the classroom only takes 10-15 minutes, including serving and cleanup time. This time can be used for completing administrative tasks or teaching, and activities that accommodate eating, such as announcements, attendance, and organisation. Schools that serve breakfast in the classroom can better manage food service costs due to increased federal reimbursements from improved participation.
To make breakfast in the classroom a success, it is important to set clear expectations and procedures, such as ending breakfast at a specific time (e.g., 8:00 a.m.) and communicating this to parents and students. Having a designated classroom job for cleaning up after breakfast and using trays to contain messes can also help.
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Teachers can use breakfast time for admin or teaching
Breakfast in the classroom is a great way to ensure students are well-nourished and ready to learn. It has been shown to improve academic scores and behaviour, as well as reducing absenteeism. Serving breakfast in the classroom also helps schools manage food service costs due to increased federal reimbursements from improved participation.
Teachers can use breakfast time for administrative tasks or teaching. For example, the first 10-15 minutes of class time can be spent on activities that accommodate eating breakfast, such as announcements, attendance, and organisation. This time can also be used for morning classroom meetings or to chat with students, allowing for language development and the formation of friendships.
In addition, teachers can use breakfast time to incorporate nutrition education into the curriculum. They can prepare students with facts about the nutrition of the breakfast items being served and the benefits of the program on student academic achievement. This can be done by including breakfast tasting and samples at PTA or other parent events.
To make breakfast in the classroom a success, it is important to involve all members of the school community, including food service professionals, teachers, administrative staff, and students. Schools can also provide teachers with a free breakfast as a "thank you" for their participation and to model correct eating behaviours. By coordinating with the food service staff, teachers can ensure that breakfast is packed into bags and delivered to the classroom, rather than served in a cafeteria line.
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Breakfast improves academic scores and behaviour
Breakfast in the Classroom (BIC) is a program that has been implemented in schools to ensure that students are well-fed and ready to learn. BIC takes only 10-15 minutes, including serving and cleanup time, and can easily be incorporated into the classroom routine without disrupting instructional time.
Numerous studies have shown that breakfast improves academic scores and behaviour. Firstly, students who eat breakfast perform better academically. For example, a study by Hoyland et al. (2009) found that breakfast consumption is more beneficial than skipping breakfast for cognitive outcomes, with positive effects on attention and memory. Furthermore, a healthy breakfast has been linked to higher levels of adaptive motivation, which in turn leads to higher achievement.
Additionally, breakfast can help improve classroom behaviour. Students who eat breakfast are more likely to exhibit on-task behaviour, meaning they are more able to concentrate, pay attention, and stay alert at school. This can lead to a reduction in disruptions and the creation of a more productive learning environment.
The quality of breakfast also plays a role in academic performance. A high-quality breakfast that includes a variety of food groups and adequate energy has been positively associated with improved school performance. For example, a study of 648 Australian high school students found that the consumption of a healthy breakfast was associated with higher levels of adaptive motivation and achievement.
Implementing BIC in schools can help ensure that students are well-nourished and ready to learn, leading to improved academic scores and behaviour. By coordinating with food service professionals, teachers, and administrative staff, schools can successfully provide breakfast in the classroom and promote the academic success and well-being of their students.
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Schools can use existing kitchen operations
Schools can successfully transition to breakfast in the classroom by coordinating with their food service professionals, teachers, administrative staff, and students. The food service staff can continue to prepare breakfast as usual, but instead of serving meals in a cafeteria line, they can be packed into bags and delivered to the classroom. Schools can use their existing kitchen operations and work with their current waste management system.
To ensure a smooth transition to breakfast in the classroom, schools can use food cost and preparation tools. Teachers can use a roster to keep track of students who eat school breakfast and choose to use breakfast time for administrative tasks or teaching. Schools can also incorporate nutrition education during breakfast time by conducting morning classroom meetings.
Schools can also get creative with their classroom setup to ensure a calm and peaceful breakfast time. For example, providing trays can help keep food off the floor and contain messes. Each classroom can have its own disinfectant spray bottle, paper towels, and a broom or dustpan for spills. However, these items are rarely needed as students tend to be careful when eating their meals and can be assigned classroom jobs to clean up after breakfast.
To promote breakfast in the classroom, principals and administrators can use marketing strategies and highlight the benefits of the program to stakeholders, including improved academic scores and reduced absenteeism and classroom disruptions. Schools can also provide teachers with breakfast at no charge to model correct eating behaviours and teach nutrition education.
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Trays are useful to avoid messes
Breakfast in the Classroom (BIC) is a program that has been implemented in schools to ensure students start their day with a nutritious meal. Studies show that good nutrition leads to improved classroom performance, higher test scores, and better behavior.
One concern that teachers may have about BIC is the potential messiness of meals in the classroom. However, this can be easily managed with proper planning and organization. One way to avoid messes is by using trays during breakfast. Trays are useful to avoid messes and spills, especially in classrooms where students eat on the floor or at tables and desks. By containing the food and drinks on a tray, spills and messes can be minimized.
In addition to using trays, schools can implement simple menus with hand-held and easily consumed items to reduce messiness. Schools can also provide each classroom with disinfectant spray bottles, paper towels, and a broom and dustpan for quick cleanups. However, these items are rarely needed as students are typically responsible for keeping their own areas clean and tend to be careful when eating.
To further avoid messes, students can be taught to clean up after themselves. For example, they can throw away trash, wipe down their trays, and even take on designated classroom jobs, such as cleaning up after breakfast. By encouraging students to take ownership of their space and be independent problem solvers, messes can be minimized.
Overall, trays are a simple and effective way to avoid messes during BIC. By using trays and implementing other organizational strategies, schools can ensure that breakfast time is calm, orderly, and mess-free, allowing students to focus on starting their day with a nutritious meal.
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Frequently asked questions
Breakfast in the classroom for K-2 students takes around 10-15 minutes, including serving and cleanup time.
Breakfast in the classroom has been shown to improve academic performance, increase attendance, and reduce tardiness and discipline issues. It also ensures that students start their day with a nutritious meal, which can lead to better classroom behavior and healthier diets.
Schools can implement breakfast in the classroom by coordinating with food service professionals, teachers, and administrative staff. Breakfast can be served in the classroom while educational activities are taking place, such as the teacher reading aloud or students reading relevant materials.
There are several breakfast program models, including "Universal Classroom Breakfast," where all students eat in the classroom; "Grab-and-Go," where students receive breakfast from mobile carts as they arrive at school; and "Second Chance Breakfast," where breakfast is offered after the first period or during recess.


























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