Midwest Dairy Council Supporting Iowa Schools to Reduce Stigma, Increase Access to Breakfast
March 22, 2016
“You will love Breakfast in the Classroom, when we implemented the program we saw a significant
improvement in classroom behavior. I had 50% fewer morning referrals to my office.” – School Administrator,
Des Moines
While breakfast remains to be the most important meal of the day, only 13
million students consume school breakfast compared to the 31 million students
who consume school lunch. Much of this is due to the stereotype that breakfast
is for students who are certified for free or reduced priced meals. To help reduce
stigma and encourage participation, the Midwest Dairy Council helps schools
across Iowa implement programs such as Breakfast in the Classroom, Grab ‘n’
go breakfast, and second chance breakfast.
For example, Midwest Dairy is partnering with Marshalltown Community Schools
to introduce Grab ‘n’ go breakfast into their middle and high schools. Students
can now quickly grab a pre-packaged, nutritious breakfast from the school’s Grab ‘n’ go breakfast kiosk and
eat it in the cafeteria, the classroom or on the school grounds in Miller Middle School. By prov