ESFoods » Breakfast in the Classroom http://www.esfoods.com Mon, 16 Jan 2012 20:27:57 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 en hourly 1 Breakfast Breaks Teams Up with NBA for Kids’ Health http://www.esfoods.com/2012/01/breakfast-breaks-teams-up-with-nba-for-kids%e2%80%99-health/ http://www.esfoods.com/2012/01/breakfast-breaks-teams-up-with-nba-for-kids%e2%80%99-health/#comments Mon, 16 Jan 2012 20:27:57 +0000 Amy Josephson http://www.esfoods.com/?p=727 It’s a slam-dunk!  Breakfast Breaks has teamed up with the NBA to promote active, healthy lifestyles among today’s kids!  Students can now receive NBA Hoop Troop membership cards that provide them with access to the NBA’s kid-friendly website, http://www.nbahooptroop.com/. Sure to be a crowd pleaser, the site has all sorts of information, videos and games. And with this new partnership comes new packaging for Breakfast Breaks.

  • New Packaging:  Each new Breakfast Breaks package has a call out on the front panel regarding NBA’s Hoop Troop Team.  There are trivia questions on the back of the package along with more information of the NBA Hoop Troop membership and website.   We have twenty-four new package designs, with twenty four new headlines.  We have also updated our Breakfast Breaks with four new, vibrant colors.  In addition, we have nutrition facts on each package and a simple diagram showing how to convert a Breakfast Breaks package into a placemat.  
  • Cards and Posters: There are eye-catching posters available for schools too – telling students “Eating Breakfast is a Slam Dunk!” All that foodservice directors need to do is provide the membership cards when they serve Breakfast Breaks. In addition to the on-pack promotion we have over one million membership cards to distribute to kids.  These cards have a password that students can use on the NBA Hoop Troop website.  We have included packs of 50 cards in each 36-count case of Breakfast Breaks (while card supplies last).  This will allow the school to provide all students with the cards (even if those students are not consuming Breakfast Breaks that day).

Beat the buzzer! These cards and posters are available for a limited time. While supplies last, we can provide additional cards if requested. Help us make a difference now in kids’ lives. With the NBA, we at E S Foods are dedicated to reaching students with positive messages to encourage healthy lifestyles which include eating nutritious foods, physical fitness and having fun.  If you would like to order Breakfast Breaks and cards for your school, please email your card request to  AJosephson@esfoods.com .

]]> http://www.esfoods.com/2012/01/breakfast-breaks-teams-up-with-nba-for-kids%e2%80%99-health/feed/ 0 Make New Year’s Resolution to Serve More Breakfasts! http://www.esfoods.com/2012/01/make-new-year%e2%80%99s-resolution-to-serve-more-breakfasts/ http://www.esfoods.com/2012/01/make-new-year%e2%80%99s-resolution-to-serve-more-breakfasts/#comments Wed, 04 Jan 2012 22:41:37 +0000 Amy Josephson http://www.esfoods.com/?p=716 Happy New Year from all of us at E S Foods!  We hope you’ll make it a resolution to serve more breakfasts to more students!  Expanding your School Breakfast Program will benefit your students and your schools.  To give your students a healthy, nutritious start to their day, consider serving our new Protein Breakfast BREAKS. Each three-pack contains a protein, grain and 100% fruit juice. Blueberry yogurt, strawberry yogurt and a cheese pack are available as protein options, while granola or Rice Chex may be selected as the grain. Breakfast BREAKS are available in shelf-stable, refrigerated and thaw-and-serve formats. 

 Serving more breakfasts also mean more revenue for your program.  Here are two proven ways to expand your program:

  • Offer Classroom Breakfast
    Research shows that more kids eat breakfast when it’s served in the classroom.  Plus, it requires less staff  and uses less school time.
  • Provide Grab ‘n’ Go Meals
    Shelf-stable meals like Breakfast BREAKS are ready to go; all components, including utensils, are all in one eco-friendly pouch.
]]> http://www.esfoods.com/2012/01/make-new-year%e2%80%99s-resolution-to-serve-more-breakfasts/feed/ 0 Leaders Urge Classroom Breakfast For All Dallas Schools http://www.esfoods.com/2011/12/leaders-urge-classroom-breakfast-for-all-dallas-schools/ http://www.esfoods.com/2011/12/leaders-urge-classroom-breakfast-for-all-dallas-schools/#comments Wed, 14 Dec 2011 17:30:57 +0000 Amy Josephson http://www.esfoods.com/?p=704 Dallas ISD, the got breakfast? Foundation and Accion America teamed up last week to encourage 100% adoption of Breakfast in the Classroom programs throughout Dallas schools.  Based on a successful model program lead by Dora Rivas, School Foodservice Director for Dallas ISD, Breakfast In the Classroom (BIC) programs can help feed more hungry children and improve student performance.  See the news release below:

 

Carlos Quintanilla, Accion America; Dora Rivas, Dallas ISD; Catalina Presas-Garcia, Brownsville ISD; Gary Davis, got breakfast?

 

MEETINGS ENCOURAGE SCHOOLS TO ADOPT CLASSROOM BREAKFAST PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT DALLAS

Dallas, TX, December 12, 2011 – Approximately 50 school principals and administrators from Dallas Independent School District came together over breakfast on the mornings of December 7, 8, and 9 to talk about school breakfast – in particular, classroom breakfast.  Hosted by Dallas ISD and the got breakfast? Foundation, the meetings were a call to action to implement Breakfast In the Classroom (BIC) programs at every Dallas school, district-wide, in order to help reduce hunger in the community and improve overall student performance.

Speakers included Dora Rivas, Executive Foodservice Director from Dallas, TX, who also spearheaded this event, to share her district’s school breakfast success story, along with, Catalina Presas-Garcia of the Brownsville, Texas ISD School Board. Other speakers included Carlos Quintanilla, President of Accion America, Margaret Lopez, Director for Nutrition, Dallas ISD; and Gary Davis, founder of the got breakfast? Foundation.

 Dallas ISD’s Lopez explained to her colleagues, “We have a lot of food insecurity in our community, but only one-third of the students take advantage of the breakfast program in the cafeteria.  When we offer a free, convenient, tasty, healthy meal to students, everyone wins; students, teachers, administrators, parents and the community.”  With Dora Rivas, she and her team are working closely with principals to implement BIC programs smoothly so everyone benefits.

Nationwide, childhood hunger is an epidemic, with one in five children going to school hungry each day.  And in large metropolitan cities like Dallas, the percentage of hungry school children is even greater. “Working together and feeding our children we can help with their success in education,” said Brownsville’s School Board member Catalina Presas-Garcia. “Our children should not have to suffer from hunger.”

“ The mission of the got breakfast? Foundation, which co-hosted the event, is to ensure that every child, regardless of background, starts the school day with a nutritious breakfast in order to learn, grow and develop to their fullest potential.

Speaking on behalf of got breakfast?, founder Gary Davis noted that our children’s hunger is unfortunately being overlooked. Davis stated that schools not fully accessing existing federal nutrition entitlements are short-changing our in-need children.  But by completely switching from the traditional cafeteria breakfast to serving “grab ‘n’ go” classroom breakfasts, schools can feed so many more children, up to 4-5 times as many ,and make a real difference in our children’s lives.

Carlos Quintanilla, President of Accion America, whose organization served over 100,000 meals to children this summer, emphasized the important role the community has in supporting school districts to participate in Breakfast in Classroom programs.  His goal is to promote healthy eating habits among the fast-growing Hispanic population of Texas.

“This is an outreach effort that includes the Dallas Independent School District, its principals, its teachers, our community and the got breakfast? Foundation, with all of us working towards the goal of achieving 100% enrollment in Breakfast in the Classroom, so that we will make a difference in the educational success of our children,” said Quintanilla.  “Eating breakfast in the classroom is a step in the right direction – it is not out of reach, it is not a burden – but it is a benefit for all of us.”

According to the Food Research and Action Center’s School Breakfast Scorecard for 2009-2010, serving Breakfast in the Classroom is a key strategy for increasing participation rates.  Research has documented the following benefits:
o Improvements in attendance
o Reduction in tardiness
o Fewer stomachaches and visits to the nurse
o Higher test scores
o Fewer disciplinary problems
o Improved diets
o Reduction in obesity rates

“We need to give students every opportunity to be successful in school.  Breakfast In the Classroom improves learning readiness so children can focus on the job at hand, learning,” said Lopez.

]]> http://www.esfoods.com/2011/12/leaders-urge-classroom-breakfast-for-all-dallas-schools/feed/ 0 New Protein Breakfast BREAKS in November School Nutrition Magazine http://www.esfoods.com/2011/11/new-protein-breakfast-breaks-in-november-school-nutrition-magazine/ http://www.esfoods.com/2011/11/new-protein-breakfast-breaks-in-november-school-nutrition-magazine/#comments Wed, 16 Nov 2011 16:41:14 +0000 Amy Josephson http://www.esfoods.com/?p=699 Don’t miss this month’s issue of SNA’s School Nutrition magazine.  It has a school breakfast focus with articles such as “A Hot Potato in the Morning” and “School Breakfast Detectives: Mission Accomplished.” In addition, get a preview of this year’s National School Breakfast Week theme, “School Breakfast: Go for Gold.”   Our new line of Protein Breakfast BREAKS are included in the “On the Market” section on page 62, highlighting new breakfast products.  See below:

“Break and Go: Looking for a product that you can serve to your hungry students as part of breakfast in the classroom?  E S Foods has expanded its line of grab ‘n’ go breakfast options with its new Protein Breakfast BREAKS. Each three-pack contains a protein, grain and 100% fruit juice. Blueberry yogurt, strawberry yogurt and a cheese pack are available as protein options, while granola or Rice Chex may be selected as the grain. Breakfast BREAKS are available in shelf-stable, refrigerated and thaw-and-serve formats.  Find out more by visiting www.esfoods.com or calling (516) 682-5494.

]]> http://www.esfoods.com/2011/11/new-protein-breakfast-breaks-in-november-school-nutrition-magazine/feed/ 0 In Texas, Children Rally for Classroom Breakfast http://www.esfoods.com/2011/10/in-texas-children-rally-for-classroom-breakfast/ http://www.esfoods.com/2011/10/in-texas-children-rally-for-classroom-breakfast/#comments Wed, 26 Oct 2011 21:19:22 +0000 Amy Josephson http://www.esfoods.com/?p=692 Chanting in unison, “We want classroom breakfast!” more than 1,000 children ate breakfast together Saturday, October 22, at a rally sponsored by Accion America. The rally kicked off an effort to promote healthy eating habits among the fast growing Hispanic population of Texas and raise awareness about the benefits of Breakfast in the Classroom programs. 

Attending the rally were kids from 60 soccer teams, parents, representatives from school districts throughout Texas, and Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings. The got breakfast? Foundation donated breakfast and milk to more than 1,000 children.

Guest speakers encouraged parents to get their kids to participate in current school breakfast programs and become got breakfast? Ambassadors for Breakfast in Classroom programs within Texas.  A video of the event is available on YouTube.

Carlos Quintanilla, President of Accion America, whose organization served over 100,000 meals to children this summer, emphasized the importance of eating healthy and getting school districts to participate in Breakfast in Classroom programs by addressing the myths that go along with failure to have this program available to  all students.

By switching from the traditional cafeteria breakfast to serving “grab ‘n’ go” classroom breakfasts, schools can feed more children. “For school districts with high free or reduced fee student population, cafeteria breakfast is a dinosaur,” says Gary Davis, founder of the got breakfast?  Foundation.  “Cafeteria breakfast is fiscally inefficient and socially impractical.  For school districts truly desiring to feed more eligible children breakfast each school day while positively impacting their bottom line 100 percent, classroom breakfast is the real and proven solution.”

According to the Food Research and Action Center’s School Breakfast Scorecard for 2009-2010, serving Breakfast in the Classroom is a key strategy for increasing participation rates.

Read the full news release.

]]> http://www.esfoods.com/2011/10/in-texas-children-rally-for-classroom-breakfast/feed/ 0 FRAC ‘Breakfast for Health’ Report Shows School Breakfast Benefits http://www.esfoods.com/2011/10/frac-%e2%80%98breakfast-for-health%e2%80%99-report-shows-school-breakfast-benefits/ http://www.esfoods.com/2011/10/frac-%e2%80%98breakfast-for-health%e2%80%99-report-shows-school-breakfast-benefits/#comments Fri, 14 Oct 2011 16:22:16 +0000 Amy Josephson http://www.esfoods.com/?p=686  Looking for proof on why school breakfast is important?  Here it is – all in one document. The newly-released Breakfast for Health brief, Fall 2011, by the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) summarizes a large body of research on the strong link between school breakfast consumption and favorable dietary, health, and educational outcomes among children and adolescents.

Some of the report highlights:

1.  School breakfast participation improves children’s dietary intake.

  • Low-income children who eat school breakfast have better overall diet quality than those who eat breakfast elsewhere or skip breakfast.

2.  School breakfast decreases the risk of food insecurity.

3.   School breakfast may protect against childhood obesity.

  •  School breakfast participation is associated with a lower body mass index (BMI, an indicator of excess body fat), lower probability of overweight, and lower probability of obesity.
  •  Increasing participation in the federal nutrition programs – including school breakfast – is a childhood obesity prevention strategy recommended by two recent Institute of Medicine (IOM) committees and the White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity.

4.  School breakfast participation protects against other negative health outcomes.

  • - School breakfast, including breakfast offered free to all students, has been linked with fewer visits to the school nurse, particularly in the morning.
  • School breakfast participation, especially breakfast offered free to all students, positively impacts children’s mental health, including reductions in behavioral problems, anxiety, and depression.

5.  School breakfast helps improve children’s academic performance, whereas skipping breakfast and experiencing hunger impair development and learning.

  • - Students who participate in school breakfast show improved attendance, behavior, and academic performance as well as decreased tardiness.
  • -Participating in school breakfast is associated with improved math grades, attendance, and punctuality.

6.  Breakfast in the classroom programs‡ and programs offering breakfast free to all children in the cafeteria yield other positive results for health and learning.

  • -Programs offering breakfast free to all students and breakfast in the classroom boost student breakfast participation.
  •  Students attending schools that offer a breakfast free to all students are more likely to consume a nutritionally substantive breakfast and to consume significantly more calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, fruit, and dairy products at breakfast, when compared to students from schools with a traditional means-tested school breakfast in the cafeteria program.
]]> http://www.esfoods.com/2011/10/frac-%e2%80%98breakfast-for-health%e2%80%99-report-shows-school-breakfast-benefits/feed/ 0 FDA Sets Record Straight on Apple Juice Safety http://www.esfoods.com/2011/09/fda-sets-record-straight-on-apple-juice-safety/ http://www.esfoods.com/2011/09/fda-sets-record-straight-on-apple-juice-safety/#comments Fri, 30 Sep 2011 20:56:49 +0000 Amy Josephson http://www.esfoods.com/?p=677 Recently, a flurry of media attention surrounded the safety of U.S. apples juice as a result of claims to the contrary made on “The Dr. Oz Show.” On his program, Dr. Oz asserted that apples juice is unsafe due to elevated levels of arsenic. This claim is unfounded and should not cause concern about serving apple juice to your students. If you have school administrators or parents who are concerned, please direct them to the following  FDA links for further information.

FDA Questions and Answers about Apple Juice

Letter from FDA to Dr. Oz Show

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration disproved the show’s report, called it “irresponsible,” and says drinking all brands of apple juice is safe, a position confirmed by many other health experts.

Our E S Foods apple juice is produced under the strict guidelines of the Federal Food & Drug administration and is fully compliant with the standards set forth by that agency. Furthermore, our concentrates are tested before use and we retain Certificates of Analysis attesting to their safety and purity.

There is currently no evidence to suggest a public health risk from fruit juices, including apple juice. The FDA has been in communication with the producers of the show and has reviewed the show’s findings in great detail. FDA’s conclusion is that the show’s findings were based on the wrong tests and believes it was irresponsible and misleading for The Dr. Oz Show to suggest that apple juice contains unsafe amounts of arsenic based solely on inaccurate testing.

]]> http://www.esfoods.com/2011/09/fda-sets-record-straight-on-apple-juice-safety/feed/ 0 NEW Meals for NEW School Year http://www.esfoods.com/2011/09/new-meals-for-new-school-year/ http://www.esfoods.com/2011/09/new-meals-for-new-school-year/#comments Thu, 15 Sep 2011 18:31:20 +0000 Amy Josephson http://www.esfoods.com/?p=672 A new school year means new teachers, new school supplies, new schedules . . .  and NEW food choices!  E S Foods has expanded its popular Breakfast BREAKS line as well as introduced other new items to include on your menu.  Here’s a sampling:

NEW: Protein Breakfast BREAKS
Our newest addition to the Breakfast BREAKS line-up.  There are three varieties that come shipped refrigerated.  Just add milk for a fully reimbursable meal.
• Blueberry Yogurt, Granola and 4 oz.  Fruit Juice
• Strawberry Yogurt, Snack and 4 oz. Fruit Juice
• Cheese Pack, Rice Chex and 4 oz. Fruit Juice (Gluten Free)

NEW: Healthier Macaroni & Cheese
Who doesn’t love mac ‘n cheese?  Our new, healthy version is  “Whole Grain, Reduced Fat, Reduced Sodium Mac & Cheese”.  Our Reduced Fat, Reduced Sodium Macaroni & Cheese and Cheese Sauces are crowd pleasers too!

NEW: Thaw & Serve Sandwiches
Our Thaw & Serve wrapped sandwiches have been so successful that we are expanding the product line.  Currently we have the following sandwiches available:
• Turkey Bologna and Cheese
• Turkey and Cheese
• Combo Sandwich
• Turkey Salami and Cheese

Please let us know if you would like to see samples of any of the new items or any  product from E S Foods. We’d love to hear from you.

]]> http://www.esfoods.com/2011/09/new-meals-for-new-school-year/feed/ 0 Put Breakfast BREAKS on Your Back-to-School “To-Do” List http://www.esfoods.com/2011/09/put-breakfast-breaks-on-your-back-to-school-%e2%80%9cto-do%e2%80%9d-list/ http://www.esfoods.com/2011/09/put-breakfast-breaks-on-your-back-to-school-%e2%80%9cto-do%e2%80%9d-list/#comments Fri, 02 Sep 2011 19:44:18 +0000 Amy Josephson http://www.esfoods.com/?p=665 It’s that exciting time of year when the kids are back and lining up to see what’s new on the school menu. Hopefully, you have joined the increasing number of schools that are now offering Breakfast in the Classroom programs. Research shows it’s a great way to increase breakfast participation. If you’re ordering meals for your next term, be sure to include Breakfast BREAKS, as they are the best grab ‘’n’ go solution for BIC programs.

Breakfast BREAKS is our most popular brand that we continue to expand and improve. Last year we introduced new eco-friendly, pouch packaging – and this year, just introduced at ANC this summer – we’ve added Protein Breakfast BREAKS. These new meals are refrigerated, featuring yogurt and cheese portions. Each 3-pack contains a protein, grain and 100% juice
• Blueberry Yogurt, Granola and 100% Fruit Juice
• Strawberry Yogurt, Snack and 100% Fruit Juice
• Cheese Pack, Rice Chex® and 100% Fruit Juice (gluten-free too!)

All Breakfast BREAKS varieties are the perfect grab ‘n go solution for school breakfast, especially classroom breakfast.

And be sure to check out our latest tool kit: How To Make Breakfast a Winner, featuring helpful tips on how to help your school food service program make money. In fact, did you know that by feeding 1,000 kids breakfast each day, your school would receive over $250,000 in federal funding?

So I urge you to make classroom breakfast a priority this year and get your students off to a great start each day!

]]> http://www.esfoods.com/2011/09/put-breakfast-breaks-on-your-back-to-school-%e2%80%9cto-do%e2%80%9d-list/feed/ 0 See Our New Video and Make the Switch! http://www.esfoods.com/2011/08/see-our-new-video-and-make-the-switch/ http://www.esfoods.com/2011/08/see-our-new-video-and-make-the-switch/#comments Tue, 09 Aug 2011 03:14:04 +0000 Amy Josephson http://www.esfoods.com/?p=659 We are pleased to showcase our new video for food service directors that demonstrates the many benefits of switching to classroom breakfasts and Breakfast BREAKS!   We compare for you the traditional breakfast process against our own grab ‘n’ go classroom breakfast, Breakfast BREAKS – and guess which wins!  It’s the outside-of-the-box thinking that can make your breakfast program profitable by using kits such as Breakfast BREAKS, mobile carts, second chance and classroom breakfasts.  Some of the benefits include:

• No additional labor needed
• Simple to distribute
• Easy to manage inventory
• Serve more breakfasts
• Make breakfast profitable

And we can even provide you the math that will help convince your schools to give it a try. 

Breakfast Breaks – Food Service from ES Foods on Vimeo.

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