The Importance of a Child’s Morning

Does your child start their day with a healthy breakfast?

At times, some children can be cranky mid-morning or start asking for food earlier than snack time so let's address the importance of eating breakfast every morning.  Studies show that 30 percent of U.S. Children skip breakfast every day. This means those children might never realize their full academic potential because breakfast consumption has been shown to enhance cognitive performance and improve memory and attention span.

• Children who skip breakfast are more tired, irritable, or restless by late morning. These symptoms lead to aggressive behavior that can cause children to be cranky and not well-focused.
• Children who regularly eat a morning meal have more energy and are less likely to exhibit aggressive behavior or have a better attitude toward school.
• Breakfast can improve cognition.  A review of different studies shows that breakfast consumption has a positive effect on cognitive performance, in particular on memory and attention span, especially in the second half of the morning when there tends to be a decline in these skills.
• Breakfast can improve health overall.
• Miss out on breakfast and miss out on nutrients.  If you don't eat breakfast you will be missing nutrients, which you'll be hard-pressed to find in other meals throughout the day.  Many breakfast items (like cereal) are fortified and offer up to 25 percent or more of your daily value of many vital nutrients.  Still, other breakfast offerings, like skim milk, toast fruits, and oats offer fiber and nutrients like potassium and calcium.
• Offer cereal—what you eat for breakfast does matter.  Consumption of cereal has been found to reduce blood pressure and consumption of a high-fiber wheat bran cereal for two weeks led to improvements in bowel function and digestive feelings.
• Offer milk. More protein at breakfast can lead to increased satiety, and in a study that compared consumption of two similar caloric breakfasts, one with fruits Juice and one with skim milk. The group that drank more skim milk showed increased satiety four hours later.

Creating healthy habits in your children

Here are a few tips for parents on incorporating breakfast into their children's before-school routines:

• Prepare for school the night before by preparing the next day's clothes, lunch, and backpack
• Set the alarm for 15 mins earlier to allow more time for breakfast.
• Say no to TV, iPads, and computers in the morning.
• Choose food that requires little preparation such as fresh and canned fruits, milk, yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese, hard-boiled eggs, whole grain cereals, or instant oatmeal.
• For those with little hunger in the morning, offer Juice, milk, or a fruit smoothie made with skim milk and fruit.
• For those who dislike breakfast foods, offer something non-traditional like cold pizza or leftover chicken.

Set a good example to your children: eat breakfast yourself because children imitate the behavior of adults so if they don't see their parents eating breakfast, they are likely to resist themselves.

We are just concerned about the health of our children in the class, so make sure you offer a well-balanced breakfast every day at home to ensure your child's well-being.

-Toddler Teacher

(references TheDietChannel.com)