|
 |
The Breakfast Connection: Children Who Eat Breakfast Learn More
by Dyane Gogan Turner,
Director of Early Care and Nutrition, Children's Hunger Alliance
|
|
Originally published in the January, 2006 Columbus Parent Magazine.
Reprinted by permission.
|
COLUMBUS - In schools throughout the country, the ringing of the morning school bell is
answered by the growling of empty stomachs. Children come to school to learn, but there are many reasons why child
come to school hungry. Some face long bus rides each morning and arrive at school hungry, even if they've already
eaten. Many families have hectic morning schedules that lead to a lack of breakfast preparation time. In other
households, children are sent to school with empty stomachs simply because there is no available food.
Breakfast is often lauded as the most important meal of the day and rightfully so. Breakfast breaks
a fast of eight to 12 hours on average, even longer for children who do not have access to an evening meal. During
this fast, blood-sugar and energy levels plummet drastically. A healthy breakfast provides nutrients necessary
to raise blood sugar back to normal levels, and that supplies children with the energy that they need to learn,
play and grow. If breakfast is skipped, energy and blood-sugar levels remain low until lunch and children are listless
and unable to focus on lessons.
Many traditional breakfast foods, such as milk, yogurt and fruit juice, are high in calcium and
vitamins A and C. which are essential nutrients for growing children.
Unfortunately, too many children in Ohio do not receive adequate nutrition each morning.
Children who do not eat breakfast suffer from headaches, fatigue, dizziness and hunger pains more
frequently than their peers and are prone to colds and viral infections. Hungry children spend more time in the
nurse's office and are absent from school more frequently than well-nourished children.
In addition to the physical torments of hunger, children who skip breakfast also suffer an academic
disadvantage. According to a 1998 article in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition by E. Pollitt,
children who skip breakfast make more errors in their school work and have poorer memory recall than regular breakfast
eaters.
A 1998 study by the Center on Hunger, Poverty, and Nutrition Policy found that hungry children
have lower math and standardized test scores than their peers.
Children who come to school hungry are less energetic and curious than their peers and are more
likely to exhibit behavior problems.
Children's Hunger Alliance, a nonprofit anti-hunger agency, is working to make sure children have
the opportunity to reach their full potential by expanding federal child-nutrition programs in Ohio. USDA federally-funded
meal programs are available to serve the immediate nutritional needs of hungry children, yet Ohio has trailed most
states in taking advantage of available federal dollars. These programs feed children and benefit low-income families
by allowing them to use their limited resources to pay for other expenses such as rent and utilities.
Expansion of school breakfast in public and private schools, after-school meal programs and summer
meal programs throughout the state is an initiative supported by the Ohio legislature to make a dramatic impact
on the problem of hunger facing one out of six Ohio children.
In partnership with the Ohio Department of Education, the agency is reaching out to superintendents,
principals and teachers throughout Ohio with proven methods and incentive programs programs specifically developed
to increase the number of children taking advantage of the School Breakfast Programs.
What can you do to help? Make sure that your child is prepared to learn by starting their day right
with breakfast. Whether a child eats breakfast at home or in school, children who eat breakfast learn more. For
more information on school breakfast programs, contact Children's Hunger Alliance School and Summer Nutrition team
at 800-227-6446.
Web Sites:
 |
Fit Source Web Directory
Includes physical-activity ideas, lesson plans, healthy recipes and many other downloadable tools |
 |
My Pyramid
See the new food pyramid. Includes physical activity ideas.
Fruit & Oat Snack Mix
2 cups oat cereal
2/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup other dried fruit
Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Store in an airtight container.
|
|
