As part of National School Breakfast week, Texas Hunger Initiative partnered up with Dallas Independent School District along with a few other organizations to talk about the importance of breakfast. Often regarded as the most important meal of the day, we believe (and studies prove) that children who eat breakfast are more attentive in the classroom and display an increase in participation.

Why eat a proper breakfast anyway?

Breakfast is a great way to give the body the refueling it needs. Kids who eat breakfast tend to eat healthier overall and are more likely to participate in physical activities — two great ways to help maintain a healthy weight.

Skipping breakfast can make kids feel tired, restless, or irritable. In the morning, their bodies need to refuel for the day ahead after going without food for 8 to 12 hours during sleep. Their mood and energy can drop by midmorning if they don’t eat at least a small morning meal.

Breakfast also can help keep kids’ weight in check. Breakfast kick-starts the body’s metabolism, the process by which the body converts the fuel in food to energy. And when the metabolism gets moving, the body starts burning calories.

Also, people who don’t eat breakfast often consume more calories throughout the day and are more likely to be overweight. That’s because someone who skips breakfast is likely to get famished before lunchtime and snack on high-calorie foods or overeat at lunch.

Mary L. Gavin, MD, KidsHealth.org

After reading this entry, its apparent that numerous health benefits as a result of breakfast  have made various positive impacts in children, however getting them to eat breakfast will take more than throwing statistics in their face. It starts in the classroom, that is why Texas Hunger Initiative has informed many school districts about the benefits of serving students Breakfast in the Classroom.

For more information about Breakfast in the Classroom visit USDA’s website or contact Katie Yocham, Texas Hunger Initiative’s Breakfast in the Classroom Coordinator