This article is a compilation of Child Nutrition Showcase research poster abstracts. Abstracts for the following papers are included: (1) Key Performance Indicators for Use as Benchmarking Tools for School Nutrition Programs (Penny Howard and Alicia Landry); (2) Professional Standards and District Directors' Qualifications (Caitlin Merlo); (3)…

Background: Many Australian primary schools have established school breakfast clubs (SBCs) to address concerns about children arriving at school hungry and the subsequent impact on learning but their effectiveness is uncertain. This study aimed to identify the perceived benefits, impacts, operational practices, and challenges of running SBCs.…

Background: Adjustments in teaching resources and school meal programs are urgently needed during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study examined teaching resources that would have been helpful when schools closed, and how school meal programs should be changed in the 2020-2021 school year. Methods: In October 2020, a 27-item, cross-sectional, online…

To improve children's academic achievements, parents often try to provide them with adequate nutrition or/and send them to attend extracurricular tutoring classes. The effect of extracurricular tutoring on students' performance has been well explored, whereas no rigorous empirical study was conducted to observe the relationship between breakfast…

Background: Many Canadian schools offer breakfast programs; however, students' engagement in these programs is low, while breakfast skipping is highly prevalent among youth. This study examined whether the availability of breakfast programs supports adolescents' regular breakfast eating, and identified characteristics of breakfast skippers who are…

FNS Research Corner provides a continuing series to summarize recently completed and current research conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) in the area of Child Nutrition Programs (CNPs). Summaries of recently completed research projects and in-progress research are provided in this article.

Purpose/Objectives: The purpose of this study was to identify key drivers of students' breakfast habits, including eating breakfast at home or at school, to inform strategies that school nutrition professionals might use to increase participation in School Breakfast Programs (SBPs). Methods: A convenience sample of students in grades 1-12 from two…

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. The purpose of this study is to examine breakfast-eating behaviors of Historically Black College and University (HBCU) students in conjunction with their breakfast awareness and eating habit satisfaction. A self-administered survey was distributed in fall semester 2016 (N 289 students). Results show…

Background: We assessed the cost-effectiveness and student outcomes related to providing breakfast in the classroom (BIC) setting versus breakfast in the traditional school cafeteria (Cafe). Methods: The sample included 2906 African American and Hispanic students attending urban elementary and middle schools in a city in the Northeastern United…

Background: Breakfast consumption often decreases as youth get older. The School Breakfast Program (SBP) provides an opportunity to intervene and increase breakfast consumption, especially among high school students. Methods: Project breakFAST implemented an expanded breakfast service at 12 high schools. In this longitudinal evaluation, school…

Purpose/Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the "Team Up for School Nutrition Success" pilot initiative, conducted by the Institute of Child Nutrition (ICN), on meeting the objectives of the individual action plans created by school food authorities (SFAs) during the workshop. The action plans could address improving…

This paper examines whether schoolwide free meals affect disciplinary outcomes, focusing on the use of suspensions. Under the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), schools serving sufficiently high-poverty populations may enroll their entire student bodies in free lunch and breakfast programs, extending free meals to some students who would not…

This paper examines the discourse on school meals, as evidence suggests that political agendas feed into policy making. The paper fills a void by proposing new insights into how school meals could be reformed, following reflections from a doctoral study and a review of the changing narrative on school food in England. Recommendations include…

Drawing on ethnographic research with organisations redistributing wasted food, this paper explores potentials for political and ethical learning by comparing different approaches to food handling and teaching. Food acts as instigator and tool for learning about ecological impacts, wellbeing, provenance, health and pleasure. Re-learning wasted…

Purpose/Objectives: The study aim was to evaluate parent support for breakfast after the bell programs (BABPs). Methods: Data were collected through an online survey from parents (n=488) of school-aged children enrolled in public schools in Utah. Data were analyzed using generalized estimating equation (GEE) regression methods. Results: Parents…