With summer winding down families are busy getting the pantry stocked and meals planned for those first days of school. While adults need to eat breakfast each day to perform their best, kids need it even more. Their growing bodies and developing brains need regular refueling often, from food. When kids skip breakfast, they do not get what they need to be at their best.
I recently heard a speaker address the questions of concerned parents related to the school lunches that now include more whole grains and fruits and vegetables. Parents seem to be in an uproar because their student is starving before the end of the school day and throughout the evening hours. The speaker said her first question to those parents is, “Did your child start their day with a balanced breakfast?” Hardly any hands rose up. Breakfast really is the key.
Studies show that eating a healthy breakfast (as opposed to the kind containing doughnuts) can help give you:
• A more nutritionally complete diet, higher in nutrients, vitamins and minerals.
• Improved concentration and performance in the classroom or the boardroom.
• More strength and endurance to engage in physical activity.
• Lower cholesterol levels.
Eating breakfast is important for everyone, but it is especially so for children and adolescents. According to the American Dietetic Association, children who eat breakfast perform better in the classroom and on the playground, with better concentration, problem-solving skills, and eye-hand coordination.
Now is the time to visit with your child; talk about their favorite breakfast foods and have some healthy choices on hand. Remember too that children tend to copy eating habits of other family members, so your modeling of positive food choices is important. After all, it may be hard to ask your kids to eat if you skip breakfast.
Donna Krug is the Family & Consumer Science Agent with K-State Research and Extension – Barton County. You may reach her at: (620)793-1910 or dkrug@ksu.edu