Begin The Day With A Brainy Breakfast

Sending your child off to school without breakfast is like taking your car out on the road with a near-empty gas tank. Simply put, children need fuel. Here’s why breakfast is the most important meal of the day for kids and adults.

Breakfast builds brighter brains.
Eating breakfast perks up the metabolism, which perks up the brain. A healthy breakfast wakes up the brain and gets it ready for learning and working.

Breakfast promotes better behavior.
The biggest challenge faced by many school children is not math or reading, it’s controlling their behavior. It’s hard to sit still and pay attention if you’re hungry and your blood sugar is dropping rapidly.

Breakfast helps keep children lean.
Skipping breakfast makes children fat. Research has shown that children who skip breakfast or eat a junk-food breakfast are more likely to be overfat. This is because breakfast sets the nutritional tone of the day. Studies have confirmed that persons who eat a nutritious breakfast — say, with Stonyfield Farm yogurt and fruit, or eggs and whole-wheat toast — are more likely to eat healthier food throughout the rest of the day. In contrast, those who skip breakfast or begin the day with a junk-food breakfast may compensate for the lack of good nutrition in the morning by overeating the rest of the day. Eating more calories early in the day – a nutritional concept called frontloading--seems to curb evening binges.

Science says: Breakfasts builds smarter students.
Many research studies have compared children who skip breakfast or eat junk-food breakfasts to children who eat a healthy, balanced meal in the morning. The breakfast-eaters:

• Made higher grades
• Were more attentive and participated better in class
• Were less likely to be diagnosed with “A.D.D.” or “learning disabilities.”
• Had better reading and math scores
• Handled complex tasks better
• Missed fewer school days because of illness
• Suffered less anxiety, depression, and hyperactivity
• Showed improved memory

• Proteins that perk up the brain
• Fiber-filled carbs that provide a steady supply of fuel
• Omega 3 fats that build a smart brain in the first place
• Minerals, such as calcium and iron, that help brain biochemistry work better.

• Oatmeal with blueberries and Stonyfield Farm lowfat plain yogurt (Dr. Bill’s favorite)



• Whole-grain, frozen waffles topped with blueberries, and peanut butter



• Whole-wheat banana nut bread (baked the night before) and yogurt



• A half cup of low-fat cottage cheese scooped into a cantaloupe half



• A rolled up whole-wheat tortilla with scrambled eggs and diced tomatoes



• A veggie omelet, whole-wheat toast, and a glass of low-fat milk



• Peanut butter and banana slices on a whole-wheat English muffin with low-fat milk



• An almond-strawberry Stonyfield Farm yogurt cup. Layer the Stonyfield plain or vanilla yogurt and strawberries (or another fruit, such as blueberries, chopped apple, peaches, or pineapple) in a small bowl. Drizzle honey over the top if plain yogurt is used. Sprinkle with almonds and/or flax-seed meal.



• Zucchini pancakes. This is a long-standing Sears’ favorite that even our toddlers enjoyed. Add a cup of shredded zucchini to whole-wheat pancakes.



• Breakfast smoothie containing fruit, Stonyfield Farm yogurt, and flaxseed meal