Breakfast
Success starts with a balanced breakfast
Interesting Facts
 Healthy eating patterns in childhood and
adolescence promote optimal childhood health,
growth and intellectual development (CDC, 1996).
Why a Breakfast Initiative?
 You have often heard that breakfast is an
important meal.
 What does the literature say …
The Literature
 Skipping breakfast can adversely affect children’s
performance in problems solving tasks (NTS, 2007).
 Students who are hungry can’t learn effectively (NTS,
2007).
 Breakfast provides the energy needed to be
productive and alert - focus, think and play (NTS, 2007).
NTS – Nutrition Tools for Schools
The Literature
Students who eat breakfast:
 Concentrate better, make fewer errors, score higher
on tests, are more creative and work faster
 Less likely to be late or absent from school (NTS, 2007).
 Behave better in school (NTS, 2007).
 More cooperative and get along better with
classmates (NTS, 2007).
Toronto Study
• Feeding our future - a two year study done by the
Toronto District School Board (2008-09)
• Followed 6,000 students in grades 6 -8 and three
secondary schools.
• Studied effect of providing breakfast (via a student
nutrition program) on student health, behaviour,
attendance, attention and achievement.
video: http://www.ctvnews.ca/good-breakfast-boosts-gradesand-behaviour-study-1.808868
Toronto Study - Results
• Study linked eating a healthy breakfast with
improved student achievement and overall
behaviour (Toronto District School Board (TDSB), 2012,
http://www.tdsb.on.ca/Media/News/TabId/372/ArtMID/2750/ArticleID/20/A-Good-Breakfast-Boosts-
Grades-Reduces-Suspensions.aspx )
.
Toronto Study - Results
• 78% of secondary students who ate breakfast at
school were on track for graduation compared to
61% of students who only ate breakfast on a few
days or not at all (TDSB, 2012
http://www.tdsb.on.ca/Media/News/TabId/372/ArtMID/2750/ArticleID/20/A-Good-Breakfast-BoostsGrades-Reduces-Suspensions.aspx )
Toronto Study Results
• Secondary students who ate breakfast less likely to
be suspended (3% vs. 6%).
• Secondary students who ate breakfast more likely
to attend school (4.8% absenteeism rate vs. 6.7%)
•
( TDSB http://www.tdsb.on.ca/Media/News/TabId/372/ArtMID/2750/ArticleID/20/A-Good-BreakfastBoosts-Grades-Reduces-Suspensions.aspx )
Toronto Study Results
Grade 7 and 8 students who ate breakfast on most days:
- achieved or exceeded provincial reading standards
by
a rate 10% higher than those who didn’t eat breakfast .
75% of students who ate morning meals on most school days:
– rated their health as excellent or good compared to just
58% of those who ate on two days or fewer.
Toronto Study …
• Study showed eating breakfast can make a positive
difference.
• Breakfast provided at school but still demonstrates that
eating breakfast had a positive impact on learning, reported
health and absenteeism rates.
• Eating breakfast is a good start to the day - no matter if it is
eaten at home or at school.
Breakfast
No breakfast = No Nutrients
Breakfast makes you Brighter
Full Stomach = Full Mind
Eating Breakfast is
important so…
Why are there so many
who don’t?
Not hungry
Too rushed
Would rather sleep
No breakfast foods
at home
No time
The Stats …
As children
get older
breakfast
consumption
declines.
By grade 10,
60% of girls
didn’t eat
breakfast daily
(Boyce, WF. 2004)
An Important Meal of the Day?
YES!
• Both the literature and studies point to the fact
that breakfast is an important meal .
• Yet as kids get older breakfast eating declines.
• You need to refuel your body to give you energy
for the morning because overnight, your body
has gone 8-12 hours without food.
• Your brain uses energy from food and needs a
boost in the morning!
Balanced Breakfast?
• Includes foods from at least 3 of the 4 food
groups from Canada’s Food Guide
www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/food-guide-aliment/index-eng.php
The 4 Food Groups:
Vegetables and Fruit
• Fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables
• 100% juice
• Canned fruit in juice
• Salads
• Fresh Fruit
The 4 Food Groups
Grain Products
• Bread and buns (whole wheat, rye,
pumpernickel
• Bagel, tortilla or pita whole grain muffins
• cold cereal or hot cereal
• Pasta, rice, or couscous
The 4 Food Groups
Milk & Alternatives
• Milk or fortified soy beverage
• Yogurt
• Cheese
The 4 Food Groups
Meat & Alternatives
• Cooked fish, shellfish, poultry or lean meat
• Tuna, salmon
• Eggs
• Beans, lentils
• Tofu
• Nuts & seeds
• Peanut butter
Healthy Meals and Snacks
As a general rule health meals like breakfast
consist of:
• 3 of the 4 food groups (can you name some
combinations)
Healthy Snacks consist of:
• 2 of the 4 food groups ( can you name some
combinations)
Remember…
• Breakfast doesn’t have to be eaten first
thing after you get out of bed.
• You might want to chose something
healthy to pack and take with you and
eat mid-morning.