Haverhill Public School students can soon expect healthier breakfasts and more options.
After elementary students expressed their concerns at Thursday’s Haverhill School Committee meeting, the vendor that supplies meals said changes are already underway. Three second-graders, taught by Dr. Sandy Green at Golden Hills School told the committee why they believe changes are necessary. One of them, Sofia Contreras explained it this way.
“The first reason is because there is too much packaging, also the trash might hurt the animals and the last reason is because there is too much sugar. Because of those reasons, I think that it is clear that they should change our school breakfast,” she said.
Joseph Armenti of the Whitsons Culinary Group, promised to provide less sugary cereals as well as alternatives such as bagels and yogurt.
Nutritionists say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and educators agree a student who has had a good morning meal will perform better academically. That was the reason that the state passed a measure last year called Breakfast After the Bell a program that ensures that students enjoy a breakfast before beginning their studies.
Haverhill School Committee member Toni Sapienza Donais told the Committee there are other benefits as well.
“The Breakfast After the Bell program is an amazing program on many levels. It helps hurried parents get their kids off to school. It helps children who arrive to school hungry to have a breakfast before school starts and it really starts all children out on a happy note, chatting with their friends and enjoying a breakfast together,” she said.