Better Breakfast served to Revere students

REVERE – A better breakfast means better school attendance, said School Superintendent Paul Dakin Wednesday as he applauded Project Bread’s award of $12,000 in school breakfast money to the city.Project Bread, the state’s largest anti-hunger organization, awarded the money to local principals in recognition of their commitment to serving a healthy school breakfast to more than 2,000 Revere school children every morning.All nine of Revere’s elementary and middle schools now provide meals that meet the guidelines of Project Bread’s Better Breakfast Initiative. This initiative, which was developed in partnership with the Harvard School of Public Health and Chartwells School Dining Service, typically includes whole-wheat bagels, low-sugar cereal, low-fat milk, yogurt and fresh fruit as well as hot items such as eggs and whole wheat French toast sticks.”It is a pleasure to see our children enjoying the nutritious breakfast and learning better lifelong eating habits. Our kids are calmer and more able to concentrate in class and they’re missing fewer days of school,” Dakin said.To develop the Better Breakfast Initiative, Project Bread partnered with researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital to find a way to improve the health of school children. Researchers found that eating breakfast close to the start of the school day improved a child’s ability to learn, improved health and behavior and reduced tardiness and absenteeism. As a next step, Project Bread asked the Harvard School of Public Health to develop guidelines promoting healthier food choices for school children. This meant finding ways to reduce sugar, salt and saturated fat, while increasing fiber – all within the framework of a tight school food budget. Chartwells Dining Service, which provides the breakfasts for the Revere school system, developed menus that meet the healthier guidelines.”The city of Revere is proud to partner with Project Bread to expand the Better Breakfast Initiative to all Revere Elementary and Middle Schools,” said Mayor Thomas G. Ambrosino. “I appreciate Project Bread’s leadership in helping us go district-wide with this initiative, which will provide all of our children with access to a better start to their school day.”In a short ceremony at the Beachmont School, Project Bread’s Executive Director Ellen Parker presented the $12,000 check to Ambrosino and Dakin.”In tough economic times, we’re happy to provide this money to Revere to promote healthy eating habits for school children,” says Parker. “We know how important nutritious school food is to children and want to congratulate these leaders and Chartwells for making the changes that will improve lives.”As childhood obesity becomes an issue of official statewide concern, 30 public schools across Massachusetts have instituted Project Bread’s Better Breakfast Initiative.Project Bread has taken the lead in advocating for nutritionally enhanced school meals for low-income children as part of its mission to alleviate, prevent and ultimately end hunger in Massachusetts. Best known for The Walk for Hunger, the oldest continual pledge walk in the country, Project Bread provides millions of dollars each year in privately donated funds to 400 emergency food programs in 128 communities statewide.Project Bread also seeks new ways to provide food to hungry families in everyday settings. With the support of the state’s legislature, Project Bread has invested millions in grants to community organizations that feed children where they live, learn, and play.For more information, visit www.projectbread.org.