Amy was having trouble focusing at school. Although she has always been an obedient student, she forgot to change assignments and her test scores plummeted. During the parent-teacher conference, Amy’s teacher asked what she ate for breakfast. “Sometimes I eat a donut, but usually I skip it,” Amy said, “It doesn’t seem like a big deal.”
Studies indicate that children who eat a healthful, nutritious breakfast each morning are much better able to concentrate, are more energetic, can grasp new concepts more easily and generally score better on tests. Sandra, a first-grade instructor in Salt Lake City, Utah, agrees that providing kids with a suitable breakfast is among the most important things parents could do.
“By ten o’clock I will always tell who’s eaten breakfast and who has not. A few of the children act out whenever they become hungry, and start getting in trouble. It is fairly hard to teach six-year-old reading skills when she is hungry.”
The best breakfast, like any other meal, consists of whole grains, proteins and fruits or vegetables. Some ideas:
- Whole-grain cereal with milk and fruit
- Bagels with peanut butter and banana, or cream cheese and sliced fruit
- Waffles or pancakes served with fruit and eggs
- Hard-boiled eggs and toast
- Breakfast bar with milk
- Fruit smoothie with some protein powder
- Oatmeal with raisins or fruit
You should be eating a healthy breakfast, too. You’ll see your productivity go way up, and if you’re trying to lose weight, eating breakfast can help. Maybe you can do a little kid bonding in the morning over a bowl of oatmeal.