In early April, schools across Canada joined our Virtual Gathering Place, an online platform where they could share their successes and challenges in incorporating Indigenous foods and practices into breakfast and other meal programming. Participants also touched on ways to honour the values and communities of the tradutional territories within which their programs operate. Three main topics were covered: challenges and solution; cultural practices and interconnectedness of food, and recipe sharing.

Successes

There were many challenges shared, ranging from time and space within the school community to prepare meals, to food safety regulations and student preferences. However, along with these came many innovative solutions:

• Reducing preparation time:Schools had great ideas to share to help cut down on prep time in the mornings, like baking bannock in a large sheet pan and slicing it into pieces with a pizza cutter. Many foods can also be prepared ahead of time in large batches and stored in the freezer, then warmed up in the morning. Bannock, for example, can be prepared the day before. Slightly toasting or heating it up the next day can restore the soft, delicious texture we know and love.
• Sourcing Indigenous foods:Many schools have found great success in sourcing Indigenous foods through community connections. For example, family or community members who are hunters can provide access to a good supply of meat. Connecting with Elders to gather, harvest or hunt together is also a source of inspiration. Inviting community members or Elders into the school to help make bannock and teach students how to prepare it is another way to introduce traditional foods into your program. Some schools also put out a call to the local community for donations of any meats, foods or produce. Finally, community gardens are a great way to bring foods into your program while maintaining and leveraging local connections.
• Food safety regulations:It is important to consider and follow the food service regulations relevant to your school. Within these regulations, some schools have created a permission form for wild meat when students register, and others have found success purchasing through a local butcher, as the meat is packaged and date-stamped to meet certain requirements.
• Introducing students to new foods:Breakfast coordinators have had success introducing unfamiliar foods by including students in the harvesting or preparation process through community gardens or cooking classes. Inviting Elders or Knowledge Keepers to talk to students about what they ate growing up can also help bridge the gap.

Cultural Practices, Language and Interconnectedness of Foods and Culture

Using language, valuing togetherness and honouring the ceremony around eating can be great solutions for representing Indigenous ways of knowing and being in your breakfast program. Schools shared with us how they bring singing, language, art and communities together with school events, announcements and classes.

Many schools are limited in time or resources to incorporate Indigenous foods into their daily breakfast program. Hosting a community-wide meal is one idea for incorporating traditional foods and practices. Involving members of the community to help cook foods like bannock or salmon soup is a great way to get the positive energy going. Other school events, like Métis Week or Indigenous Celebration Day, can also be used to get students to try traditional foods and talk about their heritage and families. Some schools hold outdoor cookouts, where students can make bannock on a stick over an open fire, and teachers and community members can share their specialties, like fishing, and harvesting and preparing wild meat. Other ways that some schools have incorporated language and cultural practices into their breakfast programs include announcing the daily breakfast menu in Cree and gathering every morning with singing, drumming and round dancing during breakfast. Another school including learning Cree for students during beading classes.

Kicking off Your Breakfast Program and Recipe Sharing 

Some easy recipe ideas to get you started: why not work wild berries into different breakfast dishes? Saskatoon berries, blueberries and other berries can be used in smoothies or parfaits, or served with bannock, pancakes or oatmeal. Fresh summer berries can be preserved by making compote or jam to enjoy all year round.

Bannock can also be served in many ways, including breakfast pizza, breakfast sandwiches, breakfast tacos, French toast or with chili and stew. Try using a blend of whole wheat and white flour, or adding oats or ground oat flour to your bannock, to increase its nutritional value.

Some other ideas:

• Reach out to Nations in your area for recipes
• Ask students and their families to share recipes
• Google or search the local library for a cookbook with local traditional recipes
• Start a “Bannock of the Month” activity and have students bring in their own family recipes
• Hold an outdoor cookout and invite local community members
• View the list of resources from trusted stakeholders that we have compiled here.

The Virtual Gathering Place was a part of our dedication to supporting each program’s unique reality, in this case, the focus on an Indigenous worldview. It was also a way to participate in reconciliation. We hope to continue developing our support for traditional and Indigenous foods and to provide more resources for our schools. We are grateful to have learned from the over 160 schools in attendance.

It’s hard to believe that summer is quickly approaching and breakfast programs will soon be winding down! In preparation for this hiatus, consider the following tips to use up any ingredients you have left or to store food properly over the summer months.

5 Tips to Use What You Have Left Before Summer

• Plan — Find recipes that use the ingredients you have on hand. For example, you can make pancakes with leftover applesauce and oats. If you have extra eggs, why not whip up some breakfast sandwiches!
• Adapt — Swap the fruits or veggies called for in a recipe with what you have. You can do this with other ingredients as well, such as different types of flour or oil.
• Make smoothies, sauces and compotes — They are the perfect way to use leftover fruit! Freeze any fruit that hasn’t been eaten at the end of each breakfast. When you have enough set aside, throw it into a smoothie, sauce or compote.
• Hold a theme day or celebration breakfast — It will help you use up ingredients in new recipe and menu ideas!
• Cook big batches and freeze them — In order to buy less food as summer approaches, cook big batches and freeze them. You’ll see your inventory of fresh ingredients get smaller and smaller as you do.

Don’t forget to use your egg coupons before summer, too!

If you’re not able to use everything before school ends, think about ways to store food properly:

• Milk and yogurt can be frozen. This may affect their texture, but they are still safe to consume and can be used in smoothies and baking.
• Cheese can be frozen, either whole or grated. Ensure that it is well wrapped or sealed to maintain quality.
• Vegetables can be blanched and frozen. Place in boiling water for 1 to 3 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon and plunge into ice cold water. Open freeze as explained below.

Open freezing allows you to store fruits and veggies without them clumping together. This also allows you to use only the amounts you need without having to defrost a whole batch. Open freeze fruit and blanched veggies by spacing them out on a non-stick or parchment-lined baking sheet. Place in the freezer until solid, then transfer to freezer-safe bags or containers. Don’t forget to label them clearly, complete with the date!

Saint-Charles School is a small school in the scenic Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region of Quebec. They set up a breakfast program for their 75 students a little more than a year ago. Special education teacher Myriam Servais is the one who got the initiative off the ground, with support from her fellow staff members. “Madame Myriam,” as she is affectionately known, is in tune with the needs of her students. From day one, she has put her all into making the program a success, so that every child can start their morning with a wholesome breakfast.

This year, some extra help was needed to keep everything running smoothly, so the breakfast program decided to reach out to the parent population. Marie-Soleil Aupin-Keighan, a mother of one of the students and a very creative person by nature, responded immediately. As someone bursting with ideas for recipes, decorations, crafts and more, she was the perfect fit for the role of site coordinator. So she decided to take the plunge!

Thanks to the efforts of all the volunteers and the staff members who help out, the breakfast program at Saint-Charles School is a hive of activity every morning. Students from Grades 5 and 6 are also on hand to pitch in with breakfast preps. “Without all these great people, I’d have much less time to plan, organize and cook!” said Marie-Soleil.

It turns out Marie-Soleil is also a wiz at cutting down on food waste: “I work hard to keep waste to a minimum. I’ll inevitably find a way to turn one thing into something else or invent new no-bake recipes to get students to eat food they may otherwise turn their nose up at. I make energy balls and apple sauce popsicles. When yogurt gets close to its best-before date, I freeze it and make yogurt pops. Unopened drinkable yogurt gets put into a blender with frozen fruit to make smoothies. And that’s just the beginning!” This week, she’s testing out a new egg spread. We’re sure that, like everything else she dreams up, it will be a huge hit!

She has generously agreed to share one of the kid-tested recipes she has come up with. Feel like giving it a whirl?

MARIE-SOLEIL’S NO-BAKE ENERGY BALLS

Yield: 32 balls

Ingredients:

• 2 c. (500 mL) soy butter* (WowButter)
• 1 c. (250 mL) granola
• ⅓ c. (80 mL) honey or maple syrup
• ¼ c. (60 mL) raisins

Preparation:

1. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or a reusable silicon mat.
2. Combine the soy butter and honey with an electric mixer or a fork.
3. Add the granola, using your fingers to crumble some of the bigger pieces. Blend together with a mixing spoon.
4. Shape the mixture into balls, about 1 Tbsp. (15 mL) at a time. If it is too sticky to handle, try moistening your hands with a little water. Add extra soy butter and honey if needed for the balls to hold together.
5. Place them on the prepared cooking sheets, making sure they don’t touch. Chill for at least an hour.

N.B.: For special occasions, drizzle melted chocolate over top, as illustrated.

*You can substitute other nut or seed butters if that’s what you have on hand!

Maverick School joined Breakfast Club of Canada in December 2021. See what their principal, Jayne Nicholson, has to say about their daily breakfast program.

 What is the one thing people need to know about your breakfast program?

The most important thing you need to know about our breakfast program is that students are truly appreciative of the opportunity to enjoy breakfast when they arrive at school! They LOVE smoothies!

What are you most proud of in your breakfast program?

I’m most proud of how the program has been streamlined. Students order their breakfast through a Google Chat with our breakfast program coordinator, and food is delivered right to students’ work area. This began because of COVID, but I think we will keep it in place as it is time-efficient and there is no food waste! I’m also proud and grateful that the additional funds have allowed us to ensure food security over school breaks in the form of food hampers containing non-perishable breakfast items.

Is there a student/school staff/community member who has gone above and beyond in your breakfast program?

I’d like to give a shout-out to Alisa Meyer, our coordinator. Lis is kind, caring and efficient! She knows that students value her work, and she is always eager to try new breakfast items to expand our menu and provide variety. On Fridays, she creates a breakfast casserole, pancakes or French toast as a special treat. She is mindful of the budget and keeps our kitchen shiny clean. Our breakfast program is in capable and caring hands. Thank you, Lis!

Special breakfasts: What do students look forward to?

SMOOTHIES! Wow, do they love smoothies! Our smoothies contain a variety of fruits, greens and Greek yogurt to make sure that hit of protein is part of their morning meal. They also love breakfast wraps.

Have students asked for specific foods? What are they? Any interesting, unique requests?

We have not had requests for specific foods. Everyday breakfast items include fruit and yogurt, whole wheat toast, oatmeal, low-sugar cereals and, of course, smoothies!

The desire to give back can start at any age, as 7-year-old Béatrice can tell you. Hers is a story of humble beginnings that lead to big achievements!

How it All Started 

In 2021, Béatrice and her friends Annabella and Zoé decided to sell lemonade to raise money for Breakfast Club of Canada and give other kids an equal chance to succeed. The idea then grew and grew, with six school friends, siblings and children from the neighbourhood joining in on the fun. With the help of their parents, the small group of young entrepreneurs pulled the whole thing off admirably, bringing in the tidy sum of 5.

The beautiful lemonade stand created specially for the occasion!

A New Year, a New Goal! 

This summer, the group decided to repeat the experience, only with a loftier goal in mind. 

Even more of their friends, brothers and sisters decided to pitch in as well, as did their parents, who built a lemonade stand, spread the word on social media and put up signs in the neighbourhood.

A Perfect Day 

The sale ended up happening on a warm, sunny afternoon in mid-July, in a specially made wooden lemonade stand. Béatrice and her teammates, Mathias, Florence, Abygaëlle, Massoma, Zoé, Annabella, Lee-Anne, Anaëlle and Édouard, went all out, making and hanging decorations, putting up BCC-themed balloons and greeting thirsty customers.  

Lots of people stopped by, intrigued by what was going on and happy to make a donation in exchange for a refreshing glass of lemonade. The great weather meant that the stand could stay open until 7 p.m.

Béatrice, 7 years old, ready to sale lemonade!

Proud parents 

This year’s efforts definitely paid off, raising ,282 to help Breakfast Club of Canada feed children throughout the year. 

The parents who helped out were very proud and touched to see their children lend a hand to such a worthy cause. Maxime and Mélissa, Béatrice and Mathias’s parents, told BCC that they were already talking about doing it again next year — bigger and better than ever! 

From left to right: Annabella, Anaëlle, Lee-Anne, Béatrice, Florence, Isaac, Abygaëlle, Édouard, Massoma, Zoé and Mathias.

Everyone here at Breakfast Club of Canada would like to thank and congratulate Annabella, Anaëlle, Lee-Anne, Béatrice, Florence, Isaac, Abygaëlle, Édouard, Massoma, Zoé, and Mathias, as well as all those who supported them, for doing such a wonderful job again this year. It is inspiring to see children take the lead on initiatives like this that let them make a real difference in the lives of other children their age.  

See you again next year, we hope!  

Welcome back, students! Welcome back, teachers! AND let’s not forget the support staff, volunteers and all those who make your school’s breakfast program possible! Collaboration is often the key to a successful program and we are grateful to see so many hard-working individuals on the ground at every school serving up breakfast. Remember, YOU are Breakfast Champions!

In the spring, we were thrilled to see so many schools take part in the Club’s Breakfast in Unison event. Your participation created a wave of recognition for all our Breakfast Champions from coast to coast to coast. In June, Jocelyn Dudley, one of our program coordinators, was lucky enough to attend a virtual Breakfast in Unison with Riverside Public School in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. The event highlighted the contributions of six staff members who graciously prepare and serve breakfast daily. It was also an opportunity to acknowledge and express gratitude to two community partners, Save-On-Foods Prince Albert and the Prince Albert Food Bank. During the event, we heard from students and teachers about the importance of the daily breakfast program.

Here are some quotes that were shared.  

From students: 

“It helped us taste different things we haven’t had before.” 

“It got rid of the rumble in my tummy.”

“It helped me wake up a little bit more.”

“It made me not talk loud and concentrate on my work and be good.”

“When you eat food, it makes you big and strong.”

From teachers: 

“A lot of my students rely on this food program. Breakfast first thing in the morning creates happy students with full tummies and full hearts ready to learn. There would be more setbacks in behaviour if students were hungry.” 

“I can say that when my students are not hungry, they are more willing to participate in class activities! They almost all come to school without breakfast. They are hungrier and they often ask for that second snack in the afternoon. I appreciate the food very much!” 

“Parents often comment that they appreciate the provided breakfast and snacks for students, especially with the rising cost of groceries. For many of the children, they either do not have enough in their lunch kit to fill them up or the food they do have provides limited nutritional value.” 

A daily school breakfast makes a difference in the lives of these students, teachers and families, and it takes collaboration to make it happen! We encourage you to integrate recognition into your day-to-day and annual calendars. It is never too early to start planning to celebrate your school’s Breakfast Champions! Keep an eye out in upcoming newsletter articles to learn more about creating a culture of recognition in your program.  

Back to school also overlaps with apple picking season. Try this super simple and no bake “apple pie” recipe submitted by Coldwater School in Merritt, BC, as a fun way to welcome students back — they’ll love it! If you have some leftover summer peaches or any other fruit, why not give those a whirl instead? Use your creativity to add your own flair.  

Apple pie

In individual cups or bowls, place nut-free granola on the bottom. Add sliced or diced apples and top with yogurt.  

“Simple, easy and the students love it.” – Coldwater School in Merritt, BC  

Call for recipes 

We’d love to hear from you! Do you have any recipes you’d like to share? Send your favourite cultural, traditional, unique or easy-to-make dishes to testimonials@breakfastclubcanada.org and you could be featured in one of our future newsletters or on our website. All submissions will also be entered into a draw to win some sweet BCC swag! 

Whole vegetables and fruits are an essential part of a healthy diet and offer many nutritional benefits over their liquid counterparts, which often contain added sugar and salt.

Here are a few more reasons you should serve them instead of juice for breakfast: 

• They contain fibre: Fibre plays an important role in naturally controlling your appetite. Most of the fibre in a vegetable or fruit is found in its peel and pulp. When these are removed, as they are with juice, the benefits of the fibre are lost.  

• They are chock-full of vitamins and minerals: Whole vegetables and fruits are complex foods that are rich in vitamins and minerals from root to stalk. By eating all the edible parts, you’ll be getting the most out of every nutrient.  
• The sugar and salt they contain are naturally balanced: Think of the last time you squeezed an orange. How much juice did you get out of it? Barely enough to fill the bottom of a glass, right? So you can imagine how many it would take for a full serving! The result is very high in sugar (the same sugar content as a soft drink!) and does not make you feel full. What’s more, many commercial fruit juices contain added sugar, and many vegetable juices contain salt, which is a shame because vegetables and fruits in their natural state are already bursting with flavour.  

All in all, there really is no comparison between whole vegetables and fruits and juice, be it store-bought or freshly pressed. No matter how you serve whole vegetables and fruit — fresh, frozen, canned, stewed or blended — be sure to work as many of them as you can into your breakfast menu. They are as versatile as they are colourful, making the first meal of the day appealing to the eye as well as the taste buds. Use them to introduce your students to a world of flavours and textures.  

Visit our Recipes section for more tricks and information!

On September 14, 2022, Duke of Marlborough School welcomed two Breakfast Club of Canada staff members and more than 20 other guests on a learning trip led by the Northern Manitoba Food, Culture, and Community Collaborative to get a better idea of how the school’s breakfast program works.  

Duke of Marlborough School is located in Churchill, Manitoba, a community of about 1,000 people. The school attempts to offset the food insecurity challenges that come with living in the North by providing breakfast to its students. A thank-you wall in the hallway has been created to thank all the funding partners that have provided support to the program. The students are currently working on making the wall even more visually appealing and adding 3D elements. 

Claire Gould, the site coordinator in charge of the breakfast program, spent the afternoon with the guests, enthusiastically explaining that breakfast is open to all students, every morning. She said she has been organizing breakfast at the school for many years, emphasis on “many.” In a community where access to healthy, affordable food is tough, the program has proved to be very beneficial to those who attend. The school also takes pride in building character and instilling virtues that are vital to forging strong relationships and promoting a safe school environment, as the posters below show.

The school serves fruit (apples, pears or grapes, depending on availability), cereal, crackers and yogurt to students to enjoy in their classroom before the bell rings. Volunteer support in recent years has been overwhelming. After one local organization offered to cook a hot breakfast for the kids and was celebrated for it in the community, more and more offers rolled in from different groups and organizations who wanted to help. What an incredible culture of community and volunteer engagement has emerged to support these kids in the best of ways! 

Claire mentioned that their four dishwashers in the home ec room have transformed their breakfast system. Students are asked to do their part by placing their dirty dishes into the dishwashers after breakfast. A volunteer then checks to ensure they’re all loaded correctly. Once the dishes are clean, they are put away for use the following school day. As a result, everyone involved has a sense of responsibility and ownership. 

Claire still feels there’s so much more she could do. But considering all the difficulties the community faces in terms of food access, the fact that she’s getting a variety of delicious, nutritious foods into kids’ bellies every day is already more than enough! 

Thank you, Claire, and thank you to all the teachers and volunteers out there who do so much for these kids.

Read more stories about breakfast programs here.

Breakfast Club Of Canada Recipies

We’ve got a yummy muffin recipe for you that will help you clear out the fridge. Use up your apples, applesauce, carrots, raisins, milk and eggs — all in one shot!

Now here’s an apple, carrot and raisin muffin that is as nutritious as it is delicious. Want to make a double batch? Or more? We’ve included a handy conversion chart to help you out.

Merry muffin-ing!

Apple, Carrot and Raisin Muffins

(Adapted from the Robin Hood recipe: https://www.robinhood.ca/En/Recipes/Apple-Carrot-Raisin-Whole-Wheat-Muffins)

Preparation:

1. Heat oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease 12 muffin cups or line with paper baking cups (based on the number of servings you are making).
2. Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon (if using) and salt in a large bowl.
3. Add the applesauce, apples, carrots and raisins. Mix well. Add oil, milk, vanilla and eggs. Stir just until moistened.
4. Fill prepared muffin cups ¾ full.
5. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Immediately remove from pans. Cool and serve!

*If you don’t have individual applesauce cups on hand, you can use any other homemade or store-bought fruit compote.

**Keep your apple peels and make chips out of them! Check out this super-easy recipe to add a bit of crispy deliciousness to your next breakfast: https://www.vivai.ca/en/blog/apple-peel-chips/.

What do you and your family celebrate this time of year? Christmas? Kwanzaa? Hanukkah? Lunar New Year? Diwali? Las Posadas? The winter solstice?

What do you and your family celebrate this time of year? Christmas? Kwanzaa? Hanukkah? Lunar New Year? Diwali? Las Posadas? The winter solstice? Before we all take a well-deserved break from school and work, let’s have a closer look at some of the special morning meals that can accompany these and other celebrations.

Check out the great ideas below and in our Special Occasions info sheet.

And be sure to share your celebrations, recipes and pictures with us at testimonials@breakfastclubcanada.org.

Jazz it up!

String Cheese Snowmen

• Use a black marker to draw the eyes, mouth and buttons on the plastic wrapper of the cheese string. Use an orange marker to make the nose.
• Cut out a top hat from a piece of black construction paper and glue to the wrapper above the face.
• Make a scarf with a bit of colourful ribbon tied around the “neck.”

Santa’s Belly Mini-Cheeses

• Cut a strip of black construction paper long and narrow enough to wrap around a mini-cheese.
• Cut a small square out of yellow construction paper, with a second hollow square about the same width as the black paper strip.
• Glue the “belt” around the middle of the mini-cheese, with the yellow “buckle” on top.

Whip it up (and get the kids involved)!

Snowman Fruit Kabobs

• Slide three banana slices onto a skewer to make the “body” of the snowman.
• Insert pretzel sticks for arms, and decorate with mini chocolate chips for the eyes and buttons.
• Add other kinds of fruit cut into different shapes to make the hat, scarf and other accessories.

Grape Grinch Kabobs

• Assemble one green grape, one banana slice and one hulled strawberry together on a toothpick to make the Grinch’s head.
• Slide a marshmallow “pompom” on top, as desired.

Evergreen Pancakes

• When preparing a batch of your favourite pancake recipe, put the wet ingredients into a blender, add a cup of fresh spinach and blend until smooth.
• Combine with the dry ingredients and cook as usual. Cut the cooked pancake into four.
• Pile three of the wedges, one on top of the other, in a plate to make your “tree.” Decorate with the fruit of your choice.

Photo Credits: https://stripedspatula.com/gallo-pinto

Be sure to give this tastebud-tickling, tummy-warming rice-and-bean dish a whirl! Top up with extra veggies, depending on what’s in season and what you have on hand.  

Gallo Pinto 

Adapted from https://stripedspatula.com/gallo-pint

Ingredients 

• 2 tbsp. (30 ml) vegetable, olive or canola oil 
• 1 red pepper, chopped 
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped 
• 2 cloves garlic, minced 
• 1 can (14 oz./398 ml) can black beans  
• ¾ c. (180 ml) water  
• ¼ c. (60 ml) Salsa Lizano* 
• 3 c. (750 ml) cooked brown rice,** preferably day-old and refrigerated 
• ¼ c. (60 ml) chopped fresh cilantro 

* Salsa Lizano (Lizano sauce) is a Costa Rican condiment that can be found in many specialty grocery stores. It gives a wonderful flavour to this dish, but if you can’t find any, try this instead: 

• 2 tbsp. (30 ml) Worcestershire or HP sauce
  OR 
• 3 tbsp. (45 ml) soy sauce + 1 tbsp. (15 ml) maple syrup  

**Check the yield on the packaging. As a rule of thumb, 1 cup of uncooked brown rice makes 3 cups of cooked rice.  

.  

Preparation 

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Sauté chopped pepper and onions until peppers are soft and onions are translucent, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute.  
2. Add black beans, water and Salsa Lizano, stirring to combine. Simmer for 5 minutes, until slightly thickened and a little bit of the liquid has evaporated. Gently stir in cooked rice, and cook until heated through and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 3 to 5 minutes. 
3. Stir in chopped cilantro. Season to taste with additional Salsa Lizano, if desired, and serve. 

Photo Credits: https://stripedspatula.com/gallo-pinto