Goals of Breakfast Programs Initial and Later Goals. This review has concentrated on breakfast programs, since breakfast seems to have more demonstrable effects on cognitive functions in children than lunch. Improving the cognitive performance of children is a subsidiary goal at best for United States and Canadian programs. Other goals, such as offering nutrition education and providing a positive social experience, are also important reasons why communities initiate programs. Sometimes the more intangible goals are considered the most important ones.
Most Canadian programs rely on families to voluntarily assist with expenses.
While the initial goal was to feed hungry low-income children, it soon changed to helping any family cope with morning time stress, providing nutritious meals for children from all socioeconomic levels in a warm, caring atmosphere, helping children viewed as neglected , and encouraging healthy eating habits. Subsidiary goals in Toronto programs included recognizing and trying to cater to ethnic diversities and running environmentally-friendly programs. The Invisible Undernourished. Results of scientific literature differentiating between well-nourished and chronically undernourished children have not been conveyed to the general population and do not seem to be recognized by breakfast program providers. Instead, it seems that the continuing motivation for breakfast programs is to feed young children who might not otherwise eat breakfast for whatever reason, whatever their nutritional status.