Be Brighter with Breakfast

PPL30

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 fasterLess 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-grades-and-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-Boosts-Grades-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-Breakfast-Boosts-Grades-Reduces-Suspensions.aspx )

Toronto Study ResultsGrade 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)

BBWB Videos

SDCI -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHO48SJqLUM&list=PLF04A59864E4478C5&index=4

 

A healthy breakfast consists of 3 out of the 4

food • http://www.eatrightontario.ca/en/

Recipes/Breakfast/Video--Quick-and-easy-breakfast-ideas

• Balanced breakfasts include: foods from at least three of the four food groups from Canada’s Food Guide

For example:• Vegetables and Fruit - bananas, frozen

blueberries, dried apricots, cucumber, canned peaches and spinach etc.  

• Grain Products - whole grain cereals, whole wheat tortillas, whole grain roti, oatmeal, brown rice and naan etc.

Canada’s food guide breakfast ideas cont’d:

• Milk and Alternatives - plain yogurt, skim milk cheese, soy beverage and cottage cheese etc.

• Meat and Alternatives - eggs, tofu, chicken breast, almonds, pumpkin seeds and peanut butter etc.

Be sure to plan ahead to be organized in the morning:

– Make sure homework is done and school bags are packed!

– Make your lunch the night before and have it ready in the fridge.

– Get some breakfast foods ready the night before.

– Prepare some healthy grab and go foods to take with you.

Be creative•Breakfast choices can be “traditional” and include items like cereal, toast, fruit, milk and/or 100% juice.•But why not try something different, like cold or reheated leftovers (cold homemade pizza, pasta, sandwiches, cheese & crackers).•Always eat something•Having a piece of fruit and taking a snack for later is better than nothing!