We all know that “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day”. If we have not heard it from educators, or Doctors, we have heard it from our own parents. While I am not a big breakfast eater, I have come to realize the importance of it. Not only for my sake, but especially for my children.
With obesity being an epidemic, especially and scarily among children, here is something you may be interested in:
It is scientifically proven that fat burning processes are most active in the morning, and fat storage – in the evening. So if you eat a healthy breakfast in the morning, you will boost your metabolism to burn fat and calories, and will give your body a good energy start for the day. What is more, eating healthy breakfast will help you maintain normal and healthy body weight. You will avoid making bad food choices for breakfast – poor quality and quantity of breakfast meals, which are the main reasons for overweight and obesity. ~WeightLossAdvisor.com
According to Dr. Thomas Booth, studies have shown that eating breakfast gives children the nutritional boost they need to get the learning process going – to stimulate learning – and there are other benefits as well. Children who ate breakfast (when compared to those who rarely ate breakfast):
- Learn better (and have improved memory)
Achieve more (better math and reading scores – almost a whole letter grade higher; and better standardized test scores)
Participate in the class more often (and have increased attentiveness in the classroom and less anxiety)
Behave better (less disciplinary actions or incidences and are more socially developed)
Attend school more often (less absences and tardiness)
Visit the school nurse less often
Think about this, skipping breakfast can mean going more than 16 hours without anything to eat. This, of course, means no fuel for your child’s body to function properly. Your children have no energy for running and playing, or even for brain power in school. So the phrase “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day” is not just a cliche’.
Breakfast helps to jump start the metabolism which not only effects your ability to burn calories. Burning calories is only a bi-product of what the metabolism does. Metabolism causes the entire body to function properly. Sending the energy your body needs to your brain, muscles, and other places in your body. Not eating causes the metabolism to slow down because it is afraid of starving and not having the energy it may need later. Therefore it reduces the amount of energy it allows your body to burn. Not having this needed energy causes your body to slow down, meaning you can not concentrate, you can not retain as much information, and you can not be as active. And, of course, it means you will not burn as many calories in a day.
So while breakfast may seem to be the overlooked part of a hectic routine, it really needs to be the first thing to be considered. It can be as simple as cereal, just try to keep it healthy. A healthy cereal can contain all the necessary nutrition.(My girls love Kashi cereals, they have protein, fiber, and are low in sugar. Plus they are getting the milk. Did you know that for a toddler, and young children, the fat in milk is important for brain development?)Â Eggs are another natural and fast breakfast. It takes less than five minutes to scramble a few eggs with cheese on it. A piece of whole wheat toast with it can complete a healthy breakfast. Even a smoothie before you head out the door can contain all you need to start their day in a healthy way, or a glass of Carnation Instant Breakfast with milk, the nutrition is pretty good. And while it is important to be healthy, if all your child will eat is the left overs from last night, it is better than eating nothing at all.