Despite the benefits of school breakfast, it’s often underutilized.

There are several barriers that may prevent students from eating school breakfast when it’s served in the cafeteria before the official start of the school day, such as:

• Students arriving late to school due to bus or carpool schedules;
• Stigma that school breakfast is for low-income students;
• Middle or high school students may not be hungry first thing in
  the morning;
• Cafeteria location is not convenient for students; and
• Students prefer to socialize rather than eat alone in the morning.

Breakfast After the Bell (BAB), where breakfast is served after the official start of the school day, addresses those barriers and is one of the most effective ways to significantly boost school breakfast participation. BAB shifts the time breakfast is served so that it’s a part of the school day and moves breakfast from the cafeteria to where students are, like classrooms and common areas. The three most effective BAB models are listed in the full version of this resource.