Remember the day care leader who sympathetically and sincerely shook her head and said working parents just don’t have time to fix kids breakfast in the morning? Recall the nutritious breakfast she prepared for them as they were dropped off before school? A piece of white bread slathered in margarine, sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar?
A great summary article appeared in our local paper today, written by Pediatrician Dr. Betsy Neahring. The article should be mandatory reading for every parent and every child care her article:
- Years of research demonstrate that children who eat breakfast get an educational boost that jump-starts the learning process.
- Breakfast improves memory and concentration, and studies have documented higher grades and better test scores in children who eat breakfast.
- Improved verbal skills, hand-eye coordination, and problem-solving abilities have been noted in breakfast eaters.
- Children who participate in school breakfast programs have demonstrated improvement in attendance and behavior and make fewer visits to the school nurse.
- Children who skip breakfast are at higher risk for certain lifelong health problems, including obesity and tooth decay.
- Breakfast eaters tend to weigh less and have lower cholesterol levels than children who skip this important meal.
- Almost any breakfast is better than nothing, but what your child eats in the morning does influence him in some important ways. The body absorbs the carbohydrates, protein and fat in the food we eat and converts them to blood glucose, the energy we need to function.
- Sugary items like frosted doughnuts may give your child a quick rise in blood sugar, but after this rapid peak the level falls dramatically, leaving your child feeling sluggish and impairing his mood, concentration, and memory after just a few hours.
- In contrast, breakfast items with complex carbohydrates, protein and fiber provide a slower, steadier rise in blood sugar that can sustain your child for a longer period of time without such a dramatic crash.
- Multigrain cereals and breads, toast, peanut butter, milk, eggs and fresh fruit are good choices for healthy breakfast fare.
- In a recent study looking at memory and other academic tasks, children who ate oatmeal for breakfast, even the sweetened kind, outperformed children who ate a sugary cereal. The protein and fiber in the oatmeal gave it a nutritional edge over the competition.
- Think outside the box to provide variety: sandwiches, last night’s leftover pasta, and cold pizza can also work.
Having read all this, what if you don’t have children? The interesting thing about all this is that it also works for you and me! Go back and scan through these bullet points. The exact same effect occurs in you and me as it does in the kids.
If you do have children, by you taking care of you, eating a healthy breakfast every morning, you will also be setting an example for your children. Children model what you do. You have the perfect opportunity to make a huge, lasting impact on the lives of your children – extending well into their adult years. What a powerful impact you can have – on their lives and yours as well!
