Say “Aloha” to this year’s National School Breakfast Week theme! “Surf’s Up with School Breakfast” is here to bring some tropical warmth to your spring months, particularly as students look forward to Spring Break. The theme is designed to bring the excitement and energy of surfing culture to your cafeteria while keeping the focus on healthy and delicious breakfast options.

NSBW, at its core, is about promoting nutritious breakfast menu items in an engaging way for students. With this beach theme, you can seamlessly integrate a number of unique and tropical breakfast options into your daily offerings. Consider even taking a cue from traditional Hawaiian foods! (And don’t miss the September/October 2023 issue of SN magazine, which will include a Food Focus on Hawaiian cuisine!) Plan a breakfast beach party, complete with a special menu that could include breakfast sandwiches made on Hawaiian rolls, tropical fruit salads, yogurt parfaits, coconut or banana pancakes, pineapple smoothies, banana bread, a K-12-compliant version of Loco Moco (a classic Hawaiian dish consisting of white rice, topped with a hamburger, an egg and brown gravy) or tropical fruit-studded oatmeal.

If you don’t have the time in the morning to highlight some of these special breakfast options or participation is lower than you’d like, themed breakfast-for-lunch options are another convenient way to emphasize participation in school breakfast each morning. Island time means that breakfast foods aren’t meant to only be enjoyed in the morning!

Decorations and celebration ideas can come stress-free, as you might already have everything you need! One easy-breezy idea for you and your co-workers is to come dressed up in your best (appropriate!) beach attire—it’s time to break out your summer wardrobe. Accessorize warm-weather clothing with Hawaiian leis, snorkels/goggles, fun sunglasses or fresh tropical flowers.

The cafeteria can also be decorated with colorful pool floaties, beach balls, umbrellas, sand buckets or anything you might bring with you to the beach. Tropical fruits such as coconuts and pineapple could also be used as decoration, then later made into yummy treats! Carve surfboards out of cardboard, which can be decorated by students. Get creative with other organized crafts, such as a simple DIY lei craft with cut paper flowers, straws and string. Don’t forget about the SNA shop for official #NSBW24 merchandise, including T-shirts, aprons, stickers, posters, balloons and more, which will be available in Fall 2023.

Of course, we’ll want you to show us your shaka on social media by using the hashtags #NSBW24 and #surfsupwithschoolbreakfast. To make the shaka, curl your three middle fingers while extending your thumb and pinkie finger. In surfing culture, it means “right on,” “thank you” or “take it easy.” Don’t wipe out—Surf’s Up with School Lunch is “shore” to help students to hang loose and bring tropical vibes to your cafeteria!