Good nutrition is essential to brain function. Although all
school breakfasts would not be considered wholesome, they do
provide some nourishment to the student who chooses to have
them. Parents are working, on the go, and children are often
left to fend for themselves in the kitchen. If the cereal
box is empty, many children are happy that their school provides

a breakfast. Most of the breakfast menus I have seen have been
Pop Tarts, pancakes with syrup, milk, sometimes scrambled eggs
with bacon and toast, Granola bars, a nutrition donut coated
with a small amount of glaze, orange juice, or grape juice. Yes,
the breakfasts I have seen have been limited in many ways. Not
very much has gone into the preparation, and some students omit
them.

School breakfasts provide options for children who did not have
one at home, or for some reason did not like what was being
served. They are relatively quick, limited in choices, and often
loaded with sugar. I am sure this is not the case everywhere,
however, where I have been, this was the case.

Parents appreciate these fill-ins for their children. At least
knowing that their children have something to eat before lunch
is a reassuring thought. In large families, food is consumed
very quickly, and some parents rely on the school breakfast to
augment their supply of food for their families. In these cases,
school breaksfasts are a necessity. It is never known whether or
not the school is the only supplier of food for a child.

Children who do not get enough nutritious food to eat become
listless, or moody, or some become just plain mean. After they
have something to eat, they become calmer. The brain operates
best when they partake of breakfast.

I personally would like to see a wider variety of foods offered
at breakfast time. I would like to see more fruit and less
sugar content in the menu. I would like to see whole grain cereals
with reduced amounts of sugar offered also. Students should be
encouraged to try new breakfast foods over a relative time period.
Choices that are totally unpopular should be removed from the menu
and replaced with those foods that children prefer.

In some areas where jobs are scarce, and the economy down, the
school breakfast can bring great happiness to those who need it.
I see it as a great service, and one that should always be in place.

Learn more about this author, Toni Doswell.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

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