Kids and Breakfast

In light of our hurried lives, parents cannot allow themselves to forget how important a good breakfast is to their growing children. The effects of neglecting their health, in this most foundational need for the best fuel, will show up in their growth and development now and in their health, or lack of, when they are in adulthood. The old adage, "you are what you eat" has never been more true in our fast food, junk food world. There are, however, solutions. While they may not be easy in these busy times, they are simple, basic, and well worth any effort necessary to help assure the mental, physical, and emotional well-being of our children.
After working in the school system at the pre-K through high school level, I have observed the behavior of children on the heels of what they ate for breakfast and lunch. It appeared they were on an emotional roller coaster ride. Their highs and lows depended on when they ate their last meal and what they consumed. It became apparent how vital food is to their physical, emotional, and mental health and performance. Observations similar to this were echoed by other educators. There seems to be a direct correlation between the actions of students and their dietary habits. “Parents, educators, and health professionals” agree that “what our children eat” affects “their school performance” (Taras). According to Tracy J. Gray, M.S. Adjunct Biology Professor at RRCC, children suffer “a chain reaction” effect. When they eat poorly, they cannot concentrate. When they cannot concentrate, they cannot learn. When they cannot learn, they get frustrated and act out (Gray).
Children also seem to be visiting the school nurse more often first thing in the morning or half an hour to an hour after lunch than the rest of the school day with symptoms of nausea, headache, dizziness, etc. More children than ever before are being diagnosed and taking medication for ADD (attention deficit disorder) and ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). Some studies currently report that 6 per cent of males 20 years of age and younger use Ritalin or other types of hyperactivity control drugs. Millions of children are being treated, and this practice has “skyrocketed in recent years” (Jacobson). Gray also feels that this disease is a “vague thing” and medications are highly overused. Most children who are subjected to them do not need them. She is convinced that there is a “good possibility that many discipline problems could be alleviated by avoiding the simple sugar diet” that most of our children are consuming today (Gray).
It’s a very odd thing
As odd as can be.
That whatever Miss T eats
Turns into Miss T.
By Walter del la Mare (Accardo)
If we are what we eat, then truly what we eat is of great importance. It is especially important to the growing bodies and minds of our developing children. Many children are eating a high fat, high simple sugar diet. This is not the breakfast of champions. There are ingredients in the foods they are primarily consuming that can have devastating and long lasting negative effects. Also, numbers of children come to school with empty tummies. Supported by research, nutrition experts widely support and recognize that children who eat a nutritious breakfast “perform better at school” (Graimes 40). It appears to be the most important meal of the day, because it breaks the fast after eight plus hours of sleep and “replenishes vital brain nutrients and blood sugar levels that are depleted overnight” (Graines 40). Skipping breakfast builds unhealthy lifetime habits. When children go off for the day with empty stomachs, they will later snack on unhealthy high fat, simple sugar laden candy and doughnut type snack foods, not to mention soda pop. Recent studies show that “only a quarter of children are having an ideal breakfast to ward off anxiety and depression” (Carey).
Breakfast is, arguably the most important meal of the day, but everything we eat is important to the overall well being of our body and soul. According to Dr. Mercola “our health as a culture” would be greatly improved “if we just simply stopped…drinking soda.” The elevated insulin levels that are caused by its consumption are the beginning of most chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, premature aging, arthritis, osteoporosis, and the list could go on (Mercola).
So what is a person to do? Should we stop eating and drinking altogether? Of course, not. Hippocrates, the father of medicine, said, “Let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food.” If this is true, then people can alleviate, even eliminate many of the diseases they have been stricken with by simply changing their diets. Maybe much of the concerns of ADD and ADHD in our children could be managed by eating a diet packed with life enhancing nutrients, rather than food lacking nutritional value. There are healthy alternatives that are simple to incorporate, but it does take determination, will-power, and action, and it ideally begins in the home.
Parents are their children’s first teachers. We teach them to talk, walk, what not to touch, but mostly they learn by watching us. They are little imitators. What better thing could we teach them than a healthy lifestyle that begins with the food they put into their growing and changing bodies? Instead of eating empty calorie, nutrient poor doughnuts and sugary cereals, parents can introduce their children to the whole grain, whole sugar counterparts that are full of necessary vitamins and micronutrients. Instead of soda pop, they can drink juice in moderation, milk, and cleansing, thirst-quenching water. Instead of manufactured candy, they can eat nature’s juicy, delicious candy, fruit. Fruit is cleansing and carries more health benefits than there is space to write them. In her book, “Brain Foods for Kids,” Nicola Graimes has a wonderful rainbow food chart, which encourages children to see and eat a rainbow.
Children can also be encouraged to eat fresh and cooked vegetables, and quality proteins, if it is a family affair. A good rule of thumb is to eat food as close as possible to how it is originally found in nature, and you will do well.
It is of utmost importance to start our children out right with a healthy, nutritious breakfast everyday. It is estimated that almost half of American families skip breakfast regularly (Jana). This practice must not continue if we wish to raise our next generation as healthy indivuduals. When children eat a good breakfast they have advantages over non-breakfast eaters in many ways. They exhibit better brean power, especially with memory, better school attendance, mood, and test scores, and longer attention spans (Jana). Eating properly is not the only thing we can do to ensure our children a long and healthy live, but it is a good foundational start.

Work Cited:

Accardo, Pasquale. “Nutrition and behavior: The legend continues.” Pediatrics; Jan.1994: 127, Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Columbine Library, Littleton, CO. 5 June 2008. http://0-search.ebscohost.com/

Carey, Dorothy. “Young Brains Need Breakfast.” Nutridate, 19.1 (Mar. 2008): 7-7. AcademicSearch Premier. EBSCO. Columbine Library, Littleton, CO. 6 June 2008.
http://0-search.ebscohost.com/

Graimes, Nicola. Brain Foods for Kids: over 100 recipes to boost your child’s intelligence. New York: Bantam Dell. 2004.

Gray, Tracy J., Adjunct Biology Professor, biochemist, and exercise physiologist. Personalinterviews, 13 and 27 June, 2008.

Jacobson, Michael F., Ph.D., “Diet & ADHD”. Nutrition Action Health Letter; Apr 2008, Vol. 35, Issue 3, p2-2, 2/3. Academic search Premier. EBSCO. Columbine Library, Littleton, CO. 3 June 2008. http://0-search.ebscohost.com/

Jana, Laura A., and Junnifer Shu, M.D., “rise, shine, & dine.” Scholastic Parent & Child 15.1(Sep. 2007): 70-71. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Columbine Library,
Littleton, CO. 6 June 2008. http://0-search.ebscohost.com

Mercola, Joseph, D.O. “How High Fructose Corn Syrup Damages Your Body.” Mercola NaturalHealth Newsletter. July 2007. 8 July 2008. http://wwwlarticles.mercola.com

Taras, Howard. “Nutrition and Student Performance at School.” Journal of School Health 75.6 (Aug. 2005): 199-213. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Columbine Library,
Littleton, CO. 6 June 2008. http://0-search.ebsclhost.com