American Egg Board Invests $1M in School Breakfasts
Initiative aims to expand access to egg-based meals as nutrition guidance elevates protein
IMAGE COURTESY OF: The American Egg Board
In the days ahead of Easter, US Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins gathered senior federal leaders including US Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and White House Senior Advisor Calley Means as well as agricultural stakeholders at the US Department of Agriculture to discuss the critical role eggs play in feeding America's children a nutritious breakfast. The American Egg Board (AEB), on behalf of America's egg farmers, announced a $1 million investment in innovation, research and partnerships that expand access to egg-based breakfast options in schools nationwide.
The announcement comes as the new Dietary Guidelines place eggs at the top of the protein pyramid and the FDA's Healthy Food designation confirms what farmers and nutritionists have long known: eggs are an inherently healthy food that supports overall health and lifelong wellbeing.
"America's egg farmers are proud of the eggs we produce, and we are grateful to Secretary Rollins and Secretary Kennedy for their support of real food and America's farmers," Andrew Seger, chairman of the American Egg Board and chief financial officer of Wabash Valley Foods, said in a statement. "We want to support our children in having a protein-packed breakfast that fuels them all day and promotes their brain development. Eggs are the solution — and we are putting our money where our mission is."
"This is a perfect opportunity to highlight what an incredible source of protein eggs are for American families, especially as we're rewriting what it means to eat real food and make America healthy again," said Secretary Rollins. "Eggs are as real as food gets — farm-fresh, completely natural, minimally processed and a source of eight essential nutrients. In the new Dietary Guidelines, eggs are listed first among the recommended proteins, and that's a big deal."
"We have flipped the food pyramid and eggs are up top," said Secretary Kennedy. "Eggs are a wonderful, clean source of protein. They help kids with focus, brain development, eye health, and two eggs are cheaper than the donut kids get in schools. This is a wonderful source of American-made protein for the American table and we are very, very proud to be part of this effort."
"With the food pyramid, we started asking common-sense questions like, 'Can we get more high-protein, whole foods into government procurement programs such as school lunches and military meals?'" said Means. "Right now, it's true that children are not getting whole-food, high-protein breakfasts. Hard-boiled eggs and innovations like egg bites can be at the same price or lower than the food we're currently serving our children."
The $1 million investment will fund a comprehensive effort to make eggs more accessible, convenient, and affordable for school meal programs across the country. AEB is developing new recipes, testing how schools can adapt existing cooking equipment to prepare eggs, partnering with school districts to execute egg-based breakfast pilot programs, and developing new affordable egg products specifically designed for school kitchens through its Eggcelerator Lab innovation center.
The event also celebrated the success of a nationwide egg donation drive led by America's egg farmers through AEB in partnership with HATCH. In just weeks, the initiative delivered more than 9.7 million eggs to food banks nationwide, expanding access to high-quality protein for families facing food insecurity.
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