We’ve all heard that you should eat breakfast. And that’s for many good reasons. After several hours without food, we need to re-fuel our bodies and our brains for the day. Without a healthy breakfast, research shows we simply are not as likely to function at our best.

Missing breakfast can also lead to weight gain as breakfast-skippers are more likely to eat between meals and these in-between-meals tend to be of high fat/sugar/calorie composition. Those who skip breakfast may also be less likely to be physically active throughout the day, thereby reducing caloric expenditure.

A recent study conducted by cereal giant Kellogg found that Americans do believe breakfast is important, but the reality is that hectic morning schedules cause a large portion of us to skip it.

Kellogg surveyed more than 14,000 Americans of varying ethnicities, income levels, geographic regions and ages on the subject of breakfast and their morning routines. They found that while more than half (54%) of all adults would like to eat breakfast every day, in reality only one-third (34%) actually do.

Most of the mothers surveyed (89%) expressed that they wanted their kids to eat breakfast every day. However, 40% of moms reported that their child doesn’t eat breakfast daily. Moms indicated that their kids were usually too busy watching television, getting their homework done or getting ready for school to eat breakfast.

Among specific age groups, the report found that mostly all toddlers and preschool-age children eat breakfast. Eating a morning meal declined as children grew older. Seventy-seven percent of young children ate breakfast every day, however that number fell to 50% for kids in their middle-school years, and even further to 36% for high school-aged students. Notice that by the time children reach high school, they are skipping breakfast at about the same rate as their parents.

Tips to start the day on a full tank

• Be a role model. If you're constantly on a diet or have erratic eating habits, your children will grow up thinking that this sort of behavior is normal. Be honest with yourself about the kinds of food messages you're sending. Start the day off with a good breakfast and make sure your children do the same.


• Try the three Ps.
  • Prioritize – You can make time for breakfast by shifting other morning activities to the evening before (i.e. homework or deciding what to wear) or prohibiting certain activities (watching TV) before breakfast. Avoid the temptation of eating meals in front of the T.V. or computer as this encourages “mindless eating” and establishes a stimulus to eat during these activities.
  • Plan – Remove all the obstacles to eating breakfast by planning ahead. This includes everything from setting the alarm to allow enough time to eat breakfast to making sure you keep a well stocked pantry. With children, make sure you provide variety of foods to keep it interesting. Boredom can lead to apathy.
  • Portability – Eating breakfast on the run isn’t always the best option, especially if it means eating while driving, but it’s better than skipping breakfast altogether. Good options are meal replacement drinks or bars and trail mix.


• Think outside the bowl. If you or your child just doesn’t care for traditional breakfast foods, that’s no excuse to skip the morning meal. Just try to include a lean source of protein, vegetables or fruit and whole grains. Some examples are yogurt with fruit, granola or nuts, peanut butter and jelly on toast, or dinner leftovers. Avoid a breakfast that consists solely of donuts, pastries or other sweet/ high carbohydrate foods as these can cause insulin spikes (high energy and excitability) followed by insulin crashes (brain fog and fatigue).

Sources:

Nutraceuticals World

WebMD