School Nutrition Services (SNS) Research

Publication: JAND

Date Published: March 2016

Reference: 

School Breakfast Policy Is Associated with Dietary Intake of Fourth- and Fifth-Grade Students
Ritchie, Lorrene D. et al.
Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Volume 116, Issue 3, 449 - 457

Key Takeaways: The study examined how different school breakfast policies affect dietary intake among 4th and 5th-grade students. Participants in the study included 3,944 students from 43 elementary schools in California. Schools were compared using various breakfast service models such as traditional cafeteria service, breakfast in the classroom, and "second chance" breakfast served after the first recess. Results showed that schools that served breakfast in the classroom had a significantly lower percentage of students skipping breakfast compared to those with the traditional cafeteria. The study concluded that implementing breakfast in the classroom can increase breakfast participation without leading to excessive calorie intake and may even increase dietary quality in students with these policies.

#SchoolMealPrograms