eakfast is strongly linked to academic performance. Upon knowing these facts, we find that it is now the responsibility of the United States to provide an answer to many of its educational problems by offering a free universal breakfast program. According to the Journal of the American Dietic Association, schools and communities have a shared responsibility to provide children access to high quality foods and positive nutrition experiences that will have a lifelong impact on their health and education(Local, 1). Nutrition definitely plays a large role in breakfast increasing academic performance; currently, there are strict regulations in place to ensure that if a federal program was started, that the food offered would be nutritious and healthy, leading to the intended results. Currently, school breakfasts must be planned to provide one fourth and on third of the RDAs, respectively, for protein, vitamins A and C, iron, calcium, and energy when analyzed over one week. In addition, limits on fat and saturated fat are in place to address Dietary Guidelines recommendations (Nutrition, 1). With many strict regulations already in place, the basic framework for a federal breakfast program has already been established. It is now the responsibility of the federal government to carry through on its promise to improve our nations education, and set forth a free breakfast program for all students.With the need for a cure to our ailing education system, the government should indeed turn toward a breakfast program to solve many educational problems. High academic performance, however, is not the only benefit that breakfast can reap. Along with increased achievement in our schools, breakfast has also been shown to have a profound impact on a childs cognitive skills and mental health. According to Houstons Baylor College of Medicine, kids who skip breakfast often have trouble concentrating and are more likely to be described as depressed, anxi...
