Why eat breakfast?

Breakfast makes a big difference to a child’s diet, as a good breakfast can supply up to 1/4 of a child’s daily nutrient needs, it also improves the total daily nutrient intake. A simple breakfast of cereal, milk and fruit often provides the greatest amounts of calcium, B6, riboflavin, folate and iron.

Recent Studies on a group of students to evaluate the impact of having breakfast on their school performance revealed that having breakfast regularly for 1 week improved memory, alertness and mood among all students especially males. Other studies showed that eating breakfast is associated with improved memory skills, better test gradesandgreater school attendancerates. Additionally, children who don't eat breakfast may feel tired and hungry, and find it difficult to concentrate and learn.

Breakfast Improves Ability to Concentrate: Children who eat breakfast have shown greater improvements in standardized test scores and increased ability to concentrate in class; they also are more alert and creative.

Breakfast Improves Ability to Control Weight:children who skip breakfast are more likely to be overweight as Skipping meals sets up extreme hunger patterns later in the day, resulting in excess calorie intake.

Children who eat breakfast have healthier lifestyle behaviors.

Children and adults who eat breakfast tend to make healthy food choices throughout the day and are more physically active than those who skip breakfast.

Another important reason to eat breakfast is that healthful habits learned early in life could stave off many adulthood health problems associated with poor diet, such as diabetes and obesity.

What exactly constitutes a "balanced breakfast"?

• Whole grains for energy and fiber; (cereals, whole grain toast)

• Fruit for fibers and for vitamin power

• Protein for lasting energy. (Dairy products, egg, Beans)

NB: Healthy habits start early our kids look up to us. If mom and dad don’t have to eat breakfast—why should they? By eating breakfast everyday, we are teaching our children that it is important to eat breakfast. Establishing this habit early ensures that they will have healthy eating habits when they grow up.