Mr. Apple, Grape Man and Banana Boy visited Andalusia Elementary Wednesday to celebrate school breakfast and encourage children to eat.

The special guests are also known as Dr. Bob Burkhardt, Judge Ben Bowden and Dr. Parrish King, and visited in honor of National School Breakfast Week.

Andalusia City Schools Child Nutrition Coordinator Shan Burkhardt said approximately 73 percent of ACS students participate in the school breakfast program, which became universally available to students in grades kindergarten through senior  year last year.

“We added the high school last year,” Burkhardt said. “At AHS, we served from 150 to 200 kids a day.”

She hopes to improve those numbers in the future by adding a grab and go kiosk in the main hall.

“Breakfast is important,” Burkhardt said. “Studies show that kids who don’t eat breakfast, don’t concentrate. There is more tardiness among kids who don’t eat breakfast. They have better behavior, and learn better with their tummies full.”

School officials are required to serve a grain, a fruit and milk for breakfast each day.