Importance Of Eating A Good Breakfast
Everyone knows they should eat breakfast, but many kids and adults skip this most important meal. Skipping breakfast or even eating the wrong breakfast can affect your entire day.
QUESTION: WHY IS EATING BREAKFAST SO IMPORTANT?
We know breakfast means break the fast. It provides fuel for the body and the brain to perform physical and mental tasks. Eating breakfast enhances mental function and learning, and when kids eat breakfast, they do better in school. Breakfast also boosts metabolic rate, reduces insulin resistance and cholesterol, and reduces diabetes and heart disease.
Increase: Energy, Memory, Concentration
Decrease: Obesity, Diabetes, Heart disease
QUESTION: DOES IT MATTER WHAT WE EAT FOR BREAKFAST?
Yes it does matter. Two recent studies show the importance of eating the right breakfast.
The first study, presented at the Annual Endocrine Society Meeting, found eating a big breakfast aids weight loss. In this study, women who ate a high calorie breakfast of about 600 calories with equal amounts of protein and carbohydrate (eggs and toast), lost more weight than women who ate a low calorie, high carbohydrate breakfast (toast).
The higher calorie breakfast eaters lost 21 percent body weight loss vs. 4.5 percent weight loss in the lower calorie group. The higher calorie breakfast provided greater satiety and fewer carbohydrate cravings, and as a result, the women ate smaller amounts at lunch and dinner.
QUESTION: WHAT CONCLUSION DID THE OTHER BREAKFAST STUDY SHOW?
The second study came from Britain’s Northumbria University and found that kids eating high Glycemic cereals for breakfast had a sudden burst of energy followed by an energy slump, which affected learning and behavior.
Kids eating low Glycemic cereals, which are slower burning, had sustained energy, which led to increased attention, memory and learning.
Other studies have shown the lower the Glycemic index of breakfast the better kids do on cognitive tasks requiring attention and memory.
QUESTION: WHICH CEREALS SHOULD KIDS EAT?
Breakfast cereal should be chosen carefully. Whole grain, high fiber foods digest slowly and increase satiety while high sugar, high Glycemic foods digest quickly and make you feel more hungry and tired. Low GI is under 55, Moderate GI is 55-69, High GI is over 70.
All Bran (40)
Bran Chex (58)
Raisin Bran (61)
Cream of Wheat (66)
Fruit Loops (69)
Corn Pops (80)
Rice Krispies (82)
Corn Flakes (82)