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Success starts with a balanced breakfast
Breakfast
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)
An Important Meal of the Day?YES!
• Both the literature and studies point to the fact that breakfast is an important meal .
• Yet as kids get older breakfast eating declines. • You need to refuel your body to give you energy
for the morning because overnight, your body has gone 8-12 hours without food.
• Your brain uses energy from food and needs a boost in the morning!
Balanced Breakfast?• Includes foods from at least 3 of the 4 food
groups from Canada’s Food Guide
www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/food-guide-aliment/index-eng.php
The 4 Food Groups:
Vegetables and Fruit •Fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables•100% juice •Canned fruit in juice
• Salads • Fresh Fruit
The 4 Food GroupsGrain Products
• Bread and buns (whole wheat, rye, pumpernickel
• Bagel, tortilla or pita whole grain muffins• cold cereal or hot cereal• Pasta, rice, or couscous
The 4 Food GroupsMilk & Alternatives
• Milk or fortified soy beverage • Yogurt • Cheese
The 4 Food GroupsMeat & Alternatives
• Cooked fish, shellfish, poultry or lean meat • Tuna, salmon • Eggs • Beans, lentils • Tofu • Nuts & seeds• Peanut butter
Healthy Meals and SnacksAs a general rule health meals like breakfast consist of:•3 of the 4 food groups (can you name some combinations)
Healthy Snacks consist of:• 2 of the 4 food groups ( can you name some combinations)
Remember…
• Breakfast doesn’t have to be eaten first thing after you get out of bed.
• You might want to chose something healthy to pack and take with you and eat mid-morning.
