When We Nourish, They Flourish

Published on : 1/28/20
  • How can school districts boost students’ health, focus and academic performance all at once? The answer is simple: good nutrition.

    In Massachusetts, Springfield Public Schools wanted to promote health, elevate academic achievement, improve student behavior and reduce absenteeism. The district worked with Sodexo to develop a comprehensive enhancement to their food service program and achieve these ambitious goals.

    After collaborating with Sodexo’s local and regional registered dietitians to identify and implement meaningful changes, Springfield saw steady and measurable improvements across the board. Average daily participation in the program spiked, and program revenue steadily grew.

    Of the many successful elements of the program, one stood out for its popularity with students: breakfast in the classroom.

    Sodexo partnered with the New England Dairy & Food Council and community organizations to provide mobile carts filled with milk, yogurt, cereal, fruit and other breakfast staples. Carts that were rolled into classrooms allowed students to eat at their desks during first period.

    The meals were free, convenient and selected to reflect student preferences identified via surveys, making them an immediate hit. They also removed the stigma around participating in a free breakfast program.

    The offering led to a district-wide jump in average daily participation for breakfast of 22%. In some schools, close to 90% of students participated.

    The impressive participation rates qualified the district for federal and community grants.

    According to school officials, the embrace of breakfast may have helped improve students’ satiety and mood during the school day, making them more ready to learn.

    It used to take three bells to get students to the classroom, said Timothy Gray, Springfield’s school nutrition administrator. But now they’re there before the first bell rings.

    In both primary and middle school, students who eat breakfast every day score about 31 points higher in academic performance than those who do not. This indicates that eating breakfast every day has a significant effect on students’ cognitive development, said Quintina Reddington, RDN, LDN, National Manager of Nutrition for Sodexo.

     

    Read more about the successful Springfield and Sodexo partnership.

    Learn how your district can partner with Sodexo to boost students’ well-being and performance.