According to US legislation, some categories of schoolchildren can be fed on the money from the state budget. Their rights are protected by the School Breakfast Program involving the provision of free meals.

Development of the SBP

his project was launched in 1966 as a 2-year action. It was intended for schools in poor areas where students had to overcome considerable distances to get into an educational institution. During the first year, the program served 80,000 schoolchildren.

In 1971, the amendments entered into force. Support was provided to kids whose parents had a low level of income. In 1975, the SBP became permanent and was practiced at all schools which strived to improve nutrition. The state began to provide educational institutions with monetary rewards for each free breakfast. The volume of payments depended on the income of the parents of a child who took part in the program.

SBP today

Now, all American students can claim food sponsored by the state. However, only a few of them can get free meals. For this, the family income should be less than 130% of the poverty level. If the parents' wages are 130-185% of the poverty level, the child can enjoy special discounts.

In all other cases, the student must pay a standard price in the school canteen. It is important to note that even in this situation, an educational institution receives material compensation. The amount of state support may vary in different regions of the country.

The content of the breakfasts is controlled by official dietary regulations. Several years ago, a question was raised about changing the menu. It was considered necessary to introduce more grains, to reduce the sodium content and to pay attention to the level of calories in food.

In 2010, the SBP has become one of the most significant and large food programs in the country. Thanks to it, 16 million students received free meals.

Why is it necessary to expand free meals programs?

The authorities' interest in the sphere of school feeding is quite understandable. Experts from the United States studied the influence of nutrition on health and came to the unequivocal opinion that school performance depends on a child's diet. Effective mental work is impossible without timely replenishment of the energy balance. Such a conclusion was made on the basis of a research in Guatemala. Specialists studied the diet of pupils and their development as the kids grew up.

Proper breakfast in many ways determines the child's state of health, his behavior and ability to learn well. It is extremely important that a school menu should include only natural products. Sugar and food additives can cause irritability, excessive aggression. But porridge, on the contrary, eliminates drowsiness, absent-mindedness, and instead, a child receives energy, vigor, and strength.

The development of such programs as SBP, the improvement of the school menu will allow the country to grow an educated and healthy generation. This important issue can become a topic for long and fundamental reflection, the search for new approaches and decisions. It is often considered in academic essays. If you also need to write such a paper and want it to be really good, it's worth using the professional writer service.

Scientists say that if a child does not have the time for breakfast or just refuses to eat, he experiences a shortage of energy, which is fraught with overeating during lunch and dinner. And this is true, because if a schoolchild neglects breakfast, he is often sluggish, not active, and in addition, can develop obesity. Excessive weight, in turn, can provoke a whole bunch of diseases, such as diabetes, inflammation of the pancreas, gastrointestinal disorders, etc.

But children who do not miss a full breakfast have better memory and concentration of attention. They attend all classes and have a higher intelligence factor than those who do eat in the morning.

Nutritionists claim that the schoolchild's breakfast should consist of 3 main components:

1. Cereal products in which there is enough vitamin D, as well as iron. In addition, they contain complex carbohydrates that give energy.

2. Milk, cottage cheese, yogurt. Dairy products are rich in calcium, which is necessary for a growing body.

3. Fruits that contain useful fiber and vitamin C, which fights against colds and improves immunity.

Experts recommend adding hazelnuts, almonds, walnuts to the cereals because they contain vitamin B1. This vitamin is a perfect component for a breakfast of a schoolchild: firstly, it concentrates attention, secondly, calms the nervous system, and thirdly, it increases immunity.

Parents do not always have an opportunity to prepare a healthy breakfast at home, because they hurry to work. Moms and dads also cannot control the child while one is at classes. In such a situation, school meals are the optimal solution. Adults do not have to worry about the fact that kids will remain hungry or go to the nearest store for chips and soda. Nutrition of pupils remains under the total responsibility of a personnel of an educational institution.