Focus on Pediatrics: Better grades linked to a good breakfast
Better concentration a result for kids who refuel
Children who eat breakfast generally do better in school, according to nutritionists and the data back up their claims. In a recent study conducted with school children taking standardized tests, researchers found that those who ate breakfast did better overall than those who did not, says Althea Zanecosky, MS, RD, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association in Chicago.
Zanecosky has two children in school, and every time a standardized test is scheduled, they bring home a note that reminds her to make sure that her children get a good night’s sleep and eat a good breakfast before the test. "I am sure educators are aware of that data, but it is unfortunate that they don’t remind parents every day," she says.
There is a simple reason for the correlation, says Michele Shuker, MS, RD, CSP, CNSD, outpatient clinical nutrition manager at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. People with low blood sugar don’t perform well because it is more difficult for them to focus and concentrate. Breakfast helps to refuel the body after an overnight fast and helps a person’s blood sugar to remain more stable. However, it isn’t just eating that makes a difference, it is eating a balanced meal, she says.
"Having a balance of carbohydrates, protein, and fat will help people feel more satisfied and their blood sugar doesn’t fall as rapidly after a meal," explains Shuker. There are many ways to get this balance in a meal. For example, putting peanut butter on a bagel provides the necessary combination.
Eating a balanced meal helps to sustain a child until lunchtime, says Zanecosky. If it’s a mixed meal, protein stays in the stomach three hours, and fat up to four hours. Start with at least two of the food groups and work your way up the pyramid, she advises parents.
Children often don’t eat a good breakfast because there is not enough time, says Zanecosky. Parents need to consider what to do about the time issue. The breakfast table might be set the night before with bowls and boxes of cold cereal so that family members just need to grab the milk from the refrigerator. Or parents might cook larger portions on the weekend so that food already is prepared. She often makes a dozen pieces of French toast Saturday morning and puts them in the refrigerator to be reheated in a microwave throughout the week.
Another stumbling block is food selection. "To figure out what the child would like to eat, have him or her participate in food selection," says Shuker. It usually is easier to find foods children will eat if parents break away from traditional breakfast foods. There’s nothing wrong with sandwiches for breakfast, she adds.
Developing a taste for many different foods is a learning process, so to help a child make wise selections, parents must teach them. A lot of children reject nutritional food that they are not familiar with; it is important that parents offer a variety of food to their children at an early age. "Parents don’t realize what an impact they have on children’s eating habits. Many foods are rejected in the school cafeteria because the kids have never had it at home," she says.
Not feeling hungry is another stumbling block to eating breakfast. When a child refuses to eat breakfast, it is important that he or she has an opportunity to eat a nutritional snack mid-morning when he or she feels hungry. Dried fruit or a handful of nuts placed in a plastic bag and tucked into a backpack will provide sustenance later. When children don’t eat breakfast, it is more difficult for them to get the nutrients they need. "If a child is very resistant to eating breakfast, try to fill the rest of the day with mini-meals, which are 200- to 300-calorie meals," says Zanecosky.
Energy bars are not a good snack item because they are a food supplement, which means "in addition to," she says. Children don’t get enough fruit, vegetables, and milk in their diet, so those are good snack items.
Young children generally need to eat every three hours, so healthy snacks are a good idea, agrees Shuker. The best choices are anything a child might have at a meal — only less, for example, crackers with cheese or pretzels and fruit.
Sources
For more information about teaching parents the value of a good breakfast, contact:
- Michele Shuker, MS, RD, CSP, CNSD, Outpatient Clinical Nutrition Manager, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, 34th and Civic Center Blvd., Philadelphia, PA 19104. Telephone: (215) 590-1087 E-mail: [email protected].
- Althea Zanecosky, MS, RD, American Dietetic Association, 216 W. Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL 60606-6995. Telephone: (312) 899-0040. Web site: www.eatright.org.
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