Classroom Breakfast for Free

Select LA students to receive free morning meal. The program was kicked off on March 29, 2012


The joint effort of L.A. Unified and a fundraising group is aimed at boosting the share of students who eat the meal at school from 29% to 70%. Research has linked breakfast to higher academic performance

A new initiative, "Food for Thought," will provide free breakfast to students at 267 of L.A.'s poorest schools.

About 56 percent of California students – more than 3.4 million – qualify for free or reduced-price meals, but less than one-third of those eligible take part in school breakfast. Difficulty getting to school early, social stigma and the timing of appetites can impede or discourage participation in traditional cafeteria breakfast programs.

Muesli (/ˈmjuːzli/ or /ˈmuːzli/; Swiss German: Müesli [ˈmyəz̥li], Standard German: Müsli) is a popular breakfast meal based on uncooked rolled oats, fruit and nuts. It was developed around 1900 by Swiss physician

Oftentimes, the breakfast menu requires tweaking as well. Districts retire sticky items like syrup or oatmeal, which can be difficult to clean off desks and out of classroom carpets. They look for whole fruits and pre-wrapped muffins that keep crumbs to a minimum.

Studies show that eating breakfast can lead to higher test scores and increased student attendance, LA Fund reports, in addition to affecting the children's overall health. School nurses also reported receiving less complaints from students about stomachaches and headaches, after a "universal breakfast program" was implemented at their school.

Similar programs have been introduced in Chicago, Houston, San Diego, Detroit and Compton as a key strategy to feed breakfast to more children, especially those in poverty.