Breakfast – It’s Important!
Dear Parents and Guardians
We are delighted to have all our students back with us and hope this is the beginning of an extended, happy and healthy period at the College.
As we are maintaining the most stringent levels of health and safety for the wellbeing of your children, one of the consequences of this is that eating on campus is restricted to small, cold snacks. This means breakfast is more important than ever.
We understand that mornings are busy and preparing for the day ahead demands time, energy and high levels of organisation. We also know that, on occasion, adolescents skip breakfast in favour of a few more minutes in bed! We hear these sorts of additional reasons for skipping breakfast:
- Don’t feel hungry in the morning
- Too tired to eat
- Lack of time
- Trying to lose weight
- Untempting breakfast foods or no breakfast foods at home
As understandable as these are, we would be grateful if you could reinforce the importance of breakfast. The following information may help persuade your child(ren):
- Breakfast boosts brain power. Eating a healthy breakfast before starting the school day is linked to improved concentration, better test scores, a greater level of connectedness with teachers and other adults at school. All these factors lead to further positive health and academic outcomes. Breakfast is especially important for young students whose brains use up about half of the body’s energy. Studies suggest that not having breakfast affects mental performance, including attention and memory. This can make some tasks feel harder than normal. Growing bodies need nutrients and fuel. Those who don’t eat in the morning can become tired, grumpy and restless.
- Eating breakfast boosts energy levels and restores glycogen levels ready to keep metabolisms up for the day. Without breakfast people can feel sluggish. This is because the brain hasn’t received the energy (glucose) needed to get going.
- Breakfast foods are rich in essential nutrients such as folate, calcium, iron, B vitamins and fibre. Breakfast provides a lot of the day’s total nutrient intake. People who eat breakfast are more likely to meet their recommended daily intakes of vitamins and minerals than those who don’t.
- Breakfast helps control weight. Eating foods with protein and fiber in the morning keeps appetite in check the rest of the day. Breakfast is key to jump starting metabolisms. So that our bodies respond well to food intake, we need an initial trigger involving carbohydrates responding to insulin. Breakfast is critical for this to happen. Those who regularly eat breakfast tend to have a lower risk of both obesity and Type 2 diabetes. High-protein breakfasts have been found particularly effective in reducing food cravings and consumption later in the day.
Most teenagers don’t get all the vitamins and minerals they need from just lunch and dinner. They require a mix of foods that have carbohydrates, protein, healthy fats, and fiber. Carbs provide immediate energy, protein provides it later in the day and fibre contributes to feeling full.
Please work in partnership with us by ensuring your child(ren) begin their day of learning with a delicious, nutritious breakfast.
With thanks and warm wishes.
Christine Rowlands
Vice Principal
