ARAMARK's Breakfast Programs Help Students Shine

PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 28, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- While breakfast has long been touted as the most important meal of the day, studies conclude that students who eat school breakfast increase their math and reading scores, improve their speed and memory in cognitive tests, and perform better on standardized tests than those who skip breakfast or eat breakfast at home.

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ARAMARK, a leading provider of school food and nutrition services to more than 3,000 K-12 schools across the nation, is proud to celebrate National School Breakfast Week (NSBW), March 4-8, 2013, by promoting the positive effects breakfast can have on academic achievement and the development of healthy lifestyle habits. 

Sponsored by the School Nutrition Association, National School Breakfast Week raises awareness about the availability of the School Breakfast Program (SBP) and demonstrates the academic and lifestyle benefits of eating breakfast. This year's theme, "Be a Star with School Breakfast," highlights how eating a balanced breakfast at school can help students shine like their favorite stars in the movies, on the field, and on TV.

"ARAMARK is committed to supporting student achievement by providing healthy, nutritious menu options and innovative breakfast programs to help students have a nutritious start to their academic day," said Dennis Maple, President of ARAMARK Education. "In conjunction with our school district partners, we recognize the important academic and behavioral benefits of eating a balanced breakfast and want to ensure that our students receive the nutrients they need to succeed in the classroom and in life." 

According to the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC), during the 2011-2012 school year, over 12.5 million children participated in the National School Lunch Program each day with 84 percent of them receiving free and reduced price breakfast. School districts are also taking note of the positive impacts of offering students breakfast and for the first time ever, 91.2 percent of schools that participated in the National School Lunch Program are now also offering the School Breakfast Program, a win for students who may not be able to eat breakfast at home due to a lack of time or food insecurity. 

Each and every day, ARAMARK helps students to "shine" by providing school districts throughout the country with a variety of customized breakfast programs tailored to fit students' preferences and school districts' needs:

Breakfast Carts: A key component of ARAMARK's AMP Up with Breakfast™ program, the mobile cart encourages students to eat breakfast even if they are on the go.  Each cart can be placed outside the cafeteria or in high traffic areas so that students can grab a nutritious, healthy breakfast as they run to their first class. 

Breakfast in the Classroom: As part of ARAMARK's First Class Breakfast^SM program, Breakfast in the Classroom (BIC) allows students to choose their breakfast items from a cart that is arranged outside of their classroom. Not only can students enjoy a hot, nutritious breakfast, but they don't miss a minute of class time.  BIC provides a meal that is sure to energize students in the morning without needing a separate cafeteria or dining hall.  The program encourages students who may not have the time or resources to eat breakfast at home to enjoy the most important meal of the day.

Breakfast in the Cafeteria: ARAMARK's AMP Up with Breakfast™ program can utilize the school's cafeteria to offer a variety of hot and cold meal options served in convenient grab and go breakfast bags. Students are free to eat on the run or settle in at a table and socialize with friends.

ARAMARK is committed to improving childhood nutrition and creating healthier school environments through nutritious meal offerings and wellness education.  To learn more, please visit www.myhealthyforlife.com.

About ARAMARK Education

ARAMARK Education provides a complete range of food, facility, uniform and other support services to more than 500 K-12 school districts in the U.S.  It offers public and private education institutions a family of dining and facility services including:  on-site and off-site breakfast and lunch meal programs, after-school snacks, catering, nutrition education, retail design and operations, maintenance, custodial, grounds, energy management, construction management, and building commissioning.  For more information on ARAMARK's K-12 food service programs, please visit www.aramarkschools.com.

About ARAMARK

ARAMARK is a leader in professional services, providing award-winning food services, facilities management, and uniform and career apparel to health care institutions, universities and school districts, stadiums and arenas, and businesses around the world. The company is recognized as one of the "World's Most Ethical Companies" by the Ethisphere Institute, one of the "World's Most Admired Companies" by FORTUNE magazine and one of America's Largest Private Companies by both FORTUNE and Forbes magazines. ARAMARK seeks to responsibly address issues that matter to its clients, customers, employees and communities by focusing on employee advocacy, environmental stewardship, health and wellness, and community involvement. Headquartered in Philadelphia, ARAMARK has approximately 250,000 employees serving clients in 22 countries. Learn more at www.twitter.com/aramark.

SOURCE ARAMARK