In the US, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has kicked off National Nutrition Month by marking the start of National School Breakfast Week (4-8 March), highlighting the importance of promoting healthy choices for children throughout the school day.
'Making sure that children get the best start to their day is part of our commitment to providing all of our children access to safe, nutritious, and well-balanced meals,' said Vilsack. 'Eating breakfast helps maintain a healthy weight and gives our youngest generation the greatest chance at success.'
Every year, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) partners with the School Nutrition Association to celebrate National School Breakfast Week. This year's theme is 'Be a Star with School Breakfast,' highlighting how eating a balanced breakfast at school can help students.
The USDA's School Breakfast Programme provides a nutritious start to each school day for nearly 13m children in over 91,000 schools and residential child care institutions, offering children of all economic backgrounds a well-balanced, healthy meal consistent with the latest nutrition science and dietary guidelines.
'Research shows that children learn better after a healthy breakfast,' said Kevin Concannon, undersecretary for food, nutrition and consumer services. 'Through the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, we have an historic opportunity, which schools are embracing throughout the country, to make the healthy choice also the easy choice for children at school, from morning to afternoon.'
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