Breakfast: The Most Important Meal of the Day!

A good breakfast is the key to success this school year.

When it comes to providing your kids with a balanced breakfast, it’s imporant to aim for 3 out of 4 food groups from Canada’s Food Guide. Whether it’s a whole grain cereal with milk and a banana, or a ham and cheese omelette, kicking the day off with a balanced breakfast can benefit a child in so many ways.

Did you know that one in five kids skips breakfast?¹ When kids eat breakfast they are healthier overall and perform better at school.^2,3,4,5,6 They are also more likely to get all the nutrients they need and consume more milk compared to kids who skip breakfast.^7,8

Is your child not ready for breakfast before leaving for school? Sometimes children sleep in too late or don’t feel hungry in the morning. Try to offer encouragement or start with something simple like a smoothie. Remember, breakfast doesn’t have to be complicated. Check out these easy ideas from brief breakfasts, which also includes great recipes for quick blender drinks.

Adding variety can also help with acceptance. Change things up by exploring traditional breakfasts that come from a mosaic of cultures around BC.

References

1. Gleason P, Suitor C. Children’s diets in the mid-1990s: Dietary intake and its relationship with school meal participation. Nutrition Assistance Program Report Series. Alexandria, VA: USDA, FNS, Office of Analysis, Nutrition and Evaluation. 2001. p 62. Report No.: CN-01-CD1.
2. Rampersaud GC, Pereira MA, Girard BL, Adams J, Metzl JD. Breakfast habits, nutritional status, body weight, and academic performance in children and adolescents. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 2005; 105(5): 743-760.
3. Kleinman RE, Hall S, Green H, Korzec-Ramirez D, Patton K, Pagano ME, Murphy JM. Diet, breakfast and academic performance in children. Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism. 2002; 46(1): 24-30.
4. Murphy JM, Pagano ME, Nachmani J, Sperling P, Kane S, Kleinman RE. The Relationship of school breakfast to psychosocial and academic functioning: Cross-sectional and longitudinal observations in an inner-city school sample. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. 1998; 152: 899-907.
5. Adolphus, K, Kawtibm CL, Dye L.. The effects of breakfast on behavior and academic performance in children and adolescents. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. 2013; 7:425.
6. Littlecott, H., Moore, G., Moore, L., Lyons, R., & Murphy, S. 2016; Association between breakfast consumption and educational outcomes in 9–11-year-old children. Public Health Nutrition, 19(9), 1575-1582.
7. Nicklas TA, O’Neil, C, Myers L. The importance of breakfast consumption to nutrition of children, adolescents, and young adults. Nutrition Today. 2004; 39(1): 30-39.
8. Condon, ES, Crepinsek, MK, Fox MK. School meals: types of food offered to and consumed by children at lunch and breakfast. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 2009; 109: S67-S78.