Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam encourages Florida schools to “Take the School Breakfast Challenge” and celebrate National School Breakfast Week from March 6-11. National School Breakfast Week celebrates healthy starts to the day in cafeterias throughout the state. Last year, more than 140 million breakfasts were served to Florida’s K-12 students.
“Academic success begins at breakfast, and we have worked hard to make sure students start their day with nutritious options,” said Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam. “I thank our partners for organizing fun activities to excite kids about wholesome meals.”
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services administers the School Breakfast Program at the state level to ensure schools have the ability to provide healthy, wholesome breakfasts to students every day.
Some events to promote National School Breakfast Week include:
- Okaloosa County Public Schools will host a 1950s costume event and coloring contest.
- Volusia County Public Schools will host fruit samplings and help students create themed posters.
- Chile Elementary and Ft. Clarke Middle School in Alachua County will host giveaways, games and photo booths and participate in a breakfast “Egg Pop” promotion featuring new menu items.
- Double Branch Elementary in Pasco County will use a “Minecraft” theme to excite students about “Building Your Way to a Better Day Starts With Breakfast.’
- Pasco High School will host a beach-themed event.
- Woodland Elementary in Pasco County will host special guests from the community, including policemen, firemen and nurses.
- Sunray Elementary in Pasco County will host a motorcycle “Born to ride Straight to Breakfast” event with Bikers Against Child Abuse, police officers and Pasco County Fire.
In an effort to enhance school nutrition, new dietary guidelines were implemented in 2012. New requirements include: providing age-appropriate caloric ranges, larger servings of fruit and vegetables, a wider variety of vegetables, fat-free or 1-percent milk, more whole grains and less sodium.
For more information about the School Breakfast Program or the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, visit FreshFromFlorida.com.
