In the morning, it’s sometimes easier to hit the snooze button than reach for the cereal. Breakfast often takes the backseat to catching a few more minutes of sleep. As a result, the most important meal of the day is often the one most skipped — a decision that will continue to affect you hours later.
Passing on breakfast is anything but productive, especially for teenagers. Studies show that kids who eat breakfast on a regular basis perform better academically, have increased attendance and make fewer trips to the school nurse’s office. In fact, research reflects that students who eat breakfast each day, on average, score more than 17 percent higher on math tests and are 20 percent more likely to graduate than students who don’t eat breakfast at all.
When kids miss out on breakfast in the morning, they often become distracted more easily, their grades can suffer and they’re more likely to miss class. Still, millions of children in the U.S. start their school days on empty stomachs.
That’s why it’s important to provide an alternative option — one that starts in schools and makes it harder for students to skip an early meal. With some flexibility, all students can get a nutritious start. As classes pick back up in the fall, schools should consider serving food before, during and after the first bell in the morning.
Any teacher knows that the challenging part of serving breakfast at school, however, is that students arrive at different times. Latchkey students, for instance, often arrive earlier than other children. Teenagers, the group that skips breakfast more than any other, frequently get to school just before classes start.
Despite these challenges, it’s becoming increasingly important for schools to find a way to fill students’ stomachs in the morning. Groups in Ohio, like the American Dairy Association Mideast, the Children’s Hunger Alliance, the Ohio Action for Healthy Kids and the Ohio School Nutrition Association, are urging schools to make breakfast a daily routine. By doing this, they’re challenging schools to increase the performance and productivity of their students.
Some schools already take steps to make breakfast a priority, and their methods are working. Here are three proven strategies that can increase the number of students who eat breakfast:
Breakfast in the classroom. When breakfast is served in the classroom, students can eat in a familiar, comfortable and convenient environment. Easy-to-eat foods, such as whole-grain cereal, fruit and milk or breakfast sandwiches with milk, are served to children in the classroom as the day begins. As kids finish up breakfast, teachers can take attendance and get the class focused on the day’s assignments.
Grab-and-go. Popular with older students, the idea behind this approach is for students to pick up a bagged breakfast on the way to class, and eat at their desks or wherever their school designates. Paper bags are filled with items such as fruit, a cheese stick, milk and whole-grain cereal or bagels that make breakfast easy and convenient. It can be served in a variety of high-traffic areas such as the cafeteria, hall or entryways, making it easy for students to pick up on their way to class.
Second chance breakfast. Some students simply aren’t hungry when they wake up, but they still need to eat. Second chance breakfasts, which are served after first period, are a great way to reach these students, or even those who ate much earlier in the morning. Like the grab-and-go bags, these meals are designed to be easy to carry and eat on the run.
The key to the program options above is to make eating breakfast as convenient as possible. Some schools even installed vending machines that feature healthy breakfast choices on different floors and in various locations throughout the campus. The more accessible the options, the more likely students are to participate.
It’s important to remember, though, that not just any foods will do. It’s the healthy, nutrient-dense foods such as fruits, protein, dairy and whole grains that jump-start kids’ energy and help them feel fuller for longer. If your child’s school doesn’t offer a breakfast program, reach out to the principal or food service director to see how you can help get one started.
Simply eating breakfast won’t make kids smarter, but it will put healthier, more engaged students in those desks every morning. Before we let our kids skip breakfast, remember why it’s considered the most important meal of the day.
Karen Bakies is a registered dietitian and the Nutrition Affairs Director for the American Dairy Association Mideast. A scientist at heart, she seeks out quality nutrition research to share with others in a profession she is passionate about. Karen is a mother of three and enjoys cooking, gardening, running and traveling.
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The Breakfast Benefit: Why Schools Should Make Morning Meals a Priority originally appeared on usnews.com
