First Class Breakfast

By October, more than 130,000 Houston students will be experiencing improved access to breakfast, thanks in part to support from DairyMAX.

The Houston Independent School District has unveiled its innovative “First Class Breakfast” program that brings students a free and healthy breakfast to their classroom door before the first bell rings.

The breakfast must meet strict nutrient guidelines – including low-fat milk – to help students meet their daily recommended servings of the “Food Groups to Encourage.”

The program projects to double the amount of milk currently served at participating schools, a figure that equates to an additional 9 million pounds annually.

HISD Superintendent Dr. Terry Grier made increased breakfast participation a top priority when he assumed his new position in September. The district adds 10 new elementary and middle schools to the “First Class Breakfast” program each week, making it the largest program of its kind in the country.

The ultimate goal is to increase daily breakfast participation from about 30,000 students to 130,000 in 220 schools. So far, schools are seeing that through this program, participation increases to 80 percent of the students when breakfast is served in class.

Getting more kids consuming a healthy, nutrient-rich breakfast can yield positive results. According to the 2008 Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) report, 35-38 percent of kids nationwide skip breakfast and their participation declines as they get older.

But the FRAC reports that breakfast participation can:
•    Improve school performance
•    Reduce behavioral problems
•    Improve children’s diets
•    Help reduce obesity

The USDA’s National School Breakfast program covers the cost of the “First Class Breakfast” program. DairyMAX contributed communications assistance and a grant to assist HISD in launching the program.