I received this today and thought I would pass it along:
There’s a reason why breakfast is called the “most important meal of the day”: studies conclude children who eat breakfast tend to have more adequate nutrient intakes and be more productive in the classroom than children who do not.
When compared to their breakfast-skipping peers, school children who started the day with a healthy breakfast of cereal and milk consistently showed improved attention and memory over the morning. A review of more than 40 studies relating breakfast consumption to nutrient adequacy and academic performance found that children who eat breakfast show improvement in memory, achievement test scores, grades, school attendance and tardiness rates compared to children who skip breakfast. Breakfast eaters are more likely to have better overall diet quality and nutrient intakes that align with current nutrient recommendations. Furthermore, children who skip breakfast are less likely to make up the nutrient deficit later in the day.
Milk is one of the most commonly consumed foods by children at breakfast. A nutritious breakfast can provide children with at least one of the recommended three daily servings of nutrient-rich dairy foods. The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans identified low-fat and fat-free milk and milk products as a food group to encourage because consuming them may have important health benefits, such as improved dietary quality and bone health. In addition, dairy foods provide three of the five “nutrients of concern” for which children have low intakes: calcium, magnesium and potassium.
Encouraging consumption of ready-to-eat cereal with fat-free or low-fat milk may be an easy way to improve kids’, teens’ and adults’ calcium and milk intake. Researchers analyzing the diets and ready-to-eat cereal and milk intake in more than 7,000 adults and children found that average calcium intake at breakfast was seven times greater when the cereal was consumed with milk than when it was eaten alone. Breakfast eaters choosing cereal were also more likely to meet their daily calcium needs.
Make Breakfast a Healthy Habit with These Breakfast Strategies
· Start the day with nutrient-rich foods
· Make breakfast easy. Keep breakfast foods in convenient spots for kids to serve themselves.
· Add on-the-go foods to your breakfast routine, including milk, fruit, cereal, yogurt, wheat toast or instant oatmeal.
· Role model. Eat breakfast yourself and with your children when possible. Start the day together with a quick and healthy meal.
· Take advantage of school breakfast programs. School breakfast programs offer another nutritious option for busy families on the go. Breakfast served in schools offer a wide variety of foods and must provide at least one-fourth of the recommended daily intakes of calories and key nutrients children need, with no more than 30 percent of calories from fat and 10 percent from saturated fat.
In 2006, a record 9.6 million children participated in federal School Breakfast Programs, and a growing number of schools are also participating in the Expanding Breakfast program, which makes breakfast available outside of the cafeteria to ensure more children and adolescents get a healthy start to their day.
For more information about breakfast and tips to help kids get a nutritious meal at home or at school, visit www.3aday.org.
