Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2019 May;89(5):417-422.
doi: 10.1111/josh.12749.

An Economic Analysis of Updating and Expanding School Breakfast Program Offerings in High Schools

Amy Shanafelt  1 , Brandon Magliocco  2 , Kathleen Milbrath  3 , Marilyn Susie Nanney  1 , Caitlin Caspi  1
Affiliations

An Economic Analysis of Updating and Expanding School Breakfast Program Offerings in High Schools

Amy Shanafelt et al. J Sch Health. 2019 May.

Abstract

Background: School breakfast is an important nutritional component of a student's day. Many schools operate a school breakfast program, but high schools have low rates of participation. This study aimed to investigate the economic impact on school food service, of expanding the school breakfast program to increase participation in high schools.

Methods: Ten rural high schools participated in the economic analysis of expanding their school breakfast program. Schools provided data on costs of daily operation and start-up costs. Analyses calculated the daily breakeven point, revenue, cost, and days needed to recoup costs.

Results: Schools sold enough breakfast meals to break even on daily costs of operating an expanded program. Schools saw daily profits ranging from $196-$432 and recouped costs associated with expanding the breakfast program within 15-46 days.

Conclusions: Expanding the school breakfast program can be economical for schools, while increasing student exposure to the health and academic benefits of school breakfast.

Keywords: economic analysis; high school students; nutrition; school breakfast; school food services.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. United States Department of Agriculture: Food and Nutrition Services. Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act. Available at: http://www.fns.usda.gov/school-meals/healthy-hunger-free-kids-act. Accessed on October 12, 2016.
    1. Bartfeld JS, Ahn H-M. The School Breakfast Program strengthens household food security among low-income households with elementary school children. J Nutr. 2011;141(3):470–475. - PubMed
    1. Gundersen C, Kreider B, Pepper J. The economics of food insecurity in the United States. Appl EcoN Perspect Policy. 2011;33(3):281–303.
    1. Caspi CE, Wang Q , Shanafelt A , Larson N , Wei S , Hearst MO and Nanney MS (2017), School Breakfast Program Participation and Rural Adolescents’ Purchasing Behaviors in Food Stores and Restaurants. J School Health, 87: 723–731. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Pedersen T, Meilstrup C, Holstein BE, Rasmussen M. Fruit and vegetable intake is associated with frequency of breakfast, lunch and evening meal: cross-sectional study of 11-, 13-, and 15-year-olds. INt J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2012;9(1):9. - PMC - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources