A Healthy Breakfast is as Easy as 1-2-3

March 2010
Dr. Susan Bartell

“I’m not hungry”...“Can I have a donut for breakfast?”...“I don’t have time to eat”

Are these phrases that you hear most mornings? If so, then the month of March with National School Breakfast Week (March 8-12) and National Nutrition Month, offers the perfect opportunity to remind yourself of the importance of a healthy breakfast for your child—whether at school or at home!

Breakfast is the first chance your child’s body has to refuel after eight or more hours of sleep. Without the nutrient power that breakfast provides, a child is much more likely to be tired, irritable and have trouble concentrating as the day wears on—making it more difficult to learn, play and have the energy for sports. In fact, a child who eats breakfast is likely to have a better memory and get better grades in school!

Eating a healthy breakfast actually stops a child from overeating later in the day. In fact, kids who regularly skip breakfast are likely to eat more overall daily calories than those who eat breakfast. Also, children who skip breakfast more often experience anxiety, have difficulty focusing in the classroom, and aren’t able to recall subjects just learned as well as students who regularly start their day with a healthy meal.

So what makes a healthy breakfast? Actually, it’s as easy as 1-2-3:

1. Include one serving of a food high in protein like low-fat/fat-free cheese, milk or yogurt, meat, peanut butter or eggs.
2. Add one serving of a food high in carbohydrates like whole-grain bread, cereal or fruit.
3. Be creative! No need to stick to breakfast foods. If your child doesn’t love breakfast, try a slice of pizza, a grilled cheese sandwich, a small potato and a glass of low-fat milk, a PBJ sandwich, or lean deli meat rolled in a wrap; left over dinner. As long as it’s healthy, it’s a YES!

Congratulations, your child is on the way to a more energized day—and remember, kids learn best from their parents, so you should eat a healthy breakfast too!

A supporter of Action for Healthy Kids, Dr. Susan Bartell is a nationally recognized psychologist and award-winning author who seeks to help people recognize that they can have greater control over their emotional health and physical well-being, and can improve the quality of their lives. She facilitates healthy lifestyle seminars on topics that include teaching parents how to raise children with healthy relationships with food and eating, and how to care for themselves through physical activity and exercise. She is the author of Dr. Susan's Fit and Fun Family Action Plan: 301 Things You Can Do Today.

Dr. Bartell writes a monthly feature for Action for Healthy Kids’ Family Corner.