Nutrition Education Resources

Ask the Expert: Why Breakfast?

Ronald E. Kleinman, M.D., chief of the pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition at Boston's Massachusetts General Hospital and professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, talks about why kids need breakfast every day.

Why do kids need breakfast?
There is a lot of evidence that breakfast, either at home or at school, is an important way to start the day. Many studies suggest that regular breakfast skippers don't optimize their nutrition during the day. And, going without breakfast can lead to poor behavior. Breakfast eaters are more likely to be calmer, less anxious, more focused and learn better. Breakfast also tends to organize children's day, particularly if they eat breakfast at school.

How important is breakfast to children's overall nutrient intake?
It's certainly possible for children to miss breakfast and get all the nutrients they need, but it's more likely they won't. Parents shouldn't panic if their child misses breakfast one day because they're running out the door; they can make that up. But, a regular pattern of missing breakfast is likely to lead to not eating all the important nutrients. Breakfast offers an opportunity for children to make up whatever they might not get in the rest of the day, especially if they snack on foods that provide few nutrients and little fiber.

What influence does school breakfast eating have on children's ability to focus and learn in the classroom?
If you compare children who eat breakfast in school to those who don't, they are better behaved, do better in some subjects like math, and are absent and tardy less often. The teachers, parents and children themselves feel better about the way they interact.

Do those advantages still hold true for children who eat breakfast at home?
Most studies don't separate eating breakfast at home and breakfast at school. Breakfast is a good idea for all children. It sets the day off well; it provides an opportunity for several nutrients that may not be included for the rest of the day, and lowers the risk of not getting enough of some very important nutrients like iron, calcium and fiber.

Do breakfast eaters have an edge over kids who skip breakfast when it comes to classroom learning?
We don't want to promise that children who suddenly start eating breakfast are going to go up three math grades from a C to an A. Instead of singling out one thing to turn around a child's grades and behavior, ensure that all the elements of a healthy lifestyle are in there - plenty of exercise, a minimum amount of inactivity like TV viewing, and breakfast, for example. Not skipping meals and eating at least one meal a day with the family are all part of a healthy meal approach, too.

What should kids eat for breakfast?
It's pretty clear that it needs to be more than a couple of crackers and it needs to fit in with people's cultural practices. A school breakfast is supposed to supply 25 percent of selected, important nutrients. I think a good breakfast is one that includes one type of cereal or grain, fruit and a dairy product. Eggs or other proteins food are fine. It can be hot or cold; it really doesn't matter. It's a pretty traditional breakfast and a good one, too.

What connection, if any, is there between childhood obesity and skipping breakfast?
I don't think we know for sure. I would frame it in the context of a healthy lifestyle. The closer children come to a healthy lifestyle, the less likely they are to be overweight. This is true for the entire family, too. If children skip breakfast, chances are good that other parts of their life aren't particularly healthy - they don't have a chance to be active, spend a lot of time watching TV or on the computer, don't eat with the family, eat fast food often, or have access to school vending machines that sell high calorie foods. All of these contribute to childhood obesity.

Are children who eat breakfast every day when they are young, more likely eat breakfast as they get older?
There is some emerging evidence that children who eat a wide variety of foods, including dairy products, fruits and vegetables and cereals early on are more likely to eat those as they get older. It's my opinion, and I think most people would confirm that an established family pattern of breakfast eating and eating at least one meal together as a family, gives children the best chance for continuing eating breakfast.

How do the benefits of improved learning, attendance and behavior offset the time commitment for either universal breakfast or breakfast in the classroom?
We have been involved with these types of breakfast programs. It turns out that the time commitment for a packaged, cold breakfast is pretty small. Actually, schools can come out ahead financially when they have a universal breakfast program. On top of that, there are very positive benefits when it comes to children's behavior, attitude about learning and attitude about coming to school. There's benefit from a financial, behavioral and learning standpoint and minimal, if any, impact on the time that it takes. It's important to convince the stakeholders - the principal, the teachers, the school foodservice personnel, the environmental services people - that you're not adding to the burden of work, particularly the teachers.

In your experience, how have teachers responded to breakfast in the classroom?
The studies show that teachers are very satisfied with breakfast in the classroom and that it adds little to their workload. Instead, it improves their workday. And if you survey the parents, the kids, the teachers and the principals, they have positive reviews. There are other ways to do it, too. For example, put the breakfast on a cart in the hallway. It raises participation also, but the most impact on raising participation comes from serving it in the classroom. You can get close to 100 percent participation, which is very, very impressive.

How can teachers take an active role in getting kids to eat breakfast?
They can advocate for breakfast to be served in the school. They can make nutrition and eating part of their curricula, and advocate for turning off school vending machines. Or advocate for vending machines that sell fresh fruits, vegetables and dairy products - the kind of foods that are healthy for children. When it comes to nutrition education, teach about eating, foods and meal patterns, and what that means from a nutritional perspective. This, together with a curriculum that emphasizes activity, is very important.

What do you think about breakfast in the classroom?
More and more schools are doing it. Studies show that it's probably the most effective way to increase breakfast eating. It's also a way to get the kids organized because they all eat in one place instead of going to the cafeteria then to the classroom. Teachers who administer it and the children's parents all like it. Most studies have found that it turns out to be a winner. The initial apprehensions about doing it disappear after doing it for a while.

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