Back to School, Breakfast and Health

Breakfast, or in other words, breaking of the overnight fast. It's one of the best ways to start the day the healthy way and begin the school year right. Making a commitment to have a balanced breakfast daily is certainly cool for back to school not to mention your health. After all, it's apparently the most important meal of the day. It's an old saying, but actually has some truth and a whole lot of benefit to it if you consider the science and facts. Yes, the benefits involve eating breakfast itself and hopefully nutritious food, but the benefits go beyond that as well, and some of them may surprise you.
Nutritious food. By the time children wake up to go to school, most have gone for eight, ten or more hours without eating. By eating breakfast, it helps to give kids more of the nutrients they need, including energy and essential factors for healthy growth and development. Kids who skip breakfast may not make up for the nutrients they miss out on at that meal.

Healthy weight and perhaps disease prevention. People who eat breakfast have healthier body weights. Skipping breakfast is not a smart weight control strategy, contrary to what some may think. In fact, children and adults who do eat breakfast daily have healthier weights than those who skip breakfast! In addition to healthier weights, there is also emerging information telling us that eating breakfast may provide other potential health effects including the promotion of heart, digestive, and bone health, reducing the risk of metabolic syndrome (a condition that increases your risk for heart disease) and likely increasing our overall energy.

School. A daily breakfast might be all it takes it get that next A or B on the report card as skipping breakfast can affect success in school. Get this, studies suggest that eating breakfast is associated with improved memory, better test grades, greater school attendance and better behaviour.

Ok, so we know it's good, but what exactly is a balanced (good) breakfast? Examples could include, whole grain toast and nut butter with juice, oatmeal topped with berries and a glass of milk, yogurt with cut fruit and granola, a cheese and veggie omelet. Essentially three or more of the food groups, which in turn provide fiber, protein and healthy fats to keep kids full and alert until recess or lunch. Avoiding heavily processed foods too is a good rule of thumb too to help avoid white flour and high sugar options (e.g. toaster strudels, pop tarts, white flour waffles, eggos and pancakes with syrup and some cereals, and muffins) as these don't help to keep us full, provide more calories but not as many of the other nutrients.

So about 93% of us believe breakfast to be important. What's interesting is that even though most of us know it's good for us, only about 44% of people consume it daily. The list is endless for reasons as to why people don't eat breakfast. Lucky for us, to help ensure kids have access to breakfast at schools daily is a provincial nonprofit organization called Kids Eat Smart Foundation. They focus on providing balanced breakfasts with the help of registered dietitians to schools, helping kids eat their best and do their best. To learn more about Kids Eat Smart, get a breakfast club started at your child's school, or just read more about some of the benefits to a balanced breakfast, visit www.kidseatsmart.ca.

As seen in The Telegram September 6, 2011