The benefits of eating breakfast before school especially for young people is important for many reasons.

Boost Energy Levels

When you wake up and eat breakfast, it provides the glucose your body needs for energy to get through the day. When you sleep, you’re technically fasting.

Improves Alertness, Concentration, and Metal Performance

Eating breakfast presents an opportunity to choose foods that may boost your memory further. Omega-3 fatty acids, like those found in ground flaxseed, may help improve memory. When the day starts with breakfast, students can focus on the task at hand better and become less distracted by outside influences and other students.

Healthy Breakfast Can Decrease Obesity

Studies have shown that consuming breakfast first thing in the morning greatly decreases hunger and cravings throughout the day. A lot of people skip breakfast to avoid eating extra calories, but by eating a high-fiber, nutrient-dense breakfast early in the morning, you are actually less likely to be hungry throughout the day.

Feel Happier

Going for a breakfast that is high in carbohydrates like oatmeal can drastically improve your mood in the morning. When you sleep for eight hours or more, your body loses nutrients and we can become irritable when we wake up. When you supply your body with the energy it needs, you feel more satisfied and happy throughout the day.

Include 3 Main Sources of Nutrients in your Child’s Breakfast before School

• Carbohydrates: whole-grain cereals, brown rice, whole-grain breads and muffins, fruits, vegetables
• Protein: low-fat or nonfat dairy products, lean meats, eggs, nuts (including nut butters), seeds, and cooked dried beans
• Fiber: whole-grain breads, waffles, and cereals; brown rice, bran, and other grains; fruits, vegetables, beans, and nuts

Brain Foods for Children!

Eating the right foods can contribute to your children’s brain development, improve their overall health and physical performance. There are some specific nutrients that help to support a child’s brain development.

The brain absorbs nutrients from the foods we eat, and these powerhouse foods can help children boost their brainpower.

Nuts & seeds

Packed with protein and essential fatty acids, nuts and seeds are also high in vitamin E, B group vitamins, iron and zinc, which have been shown to be important for brain function. Walnuts, in particular, contain omega-3 fatty acids that help to promote good brain health.

Oats & Wholegrains

Oats and oatmeal are excellent sources of energy and brain fuel. Wholegrain foods are rich in carbohydrates and fibre, hence helping to maintain a constant supply of glucose for brain energy and function. Oats are rich in vitamin E, zinc, and B-complex vitamins.

Fruits (Berries)

They include strawberries, blueberries, cherries, and blackberries. The darker the colour pigment of the berry the more nutritious it is. Berries contain high levels of antioxidants, especially vitamin C which can help prevent the risk of cancer. Studies show that vitamin C has the potential to protect against mental decline and support brain health.

Veggies

Vegetables provide vitamins, minerals, dietary fibre and many phytonutrients (nutrients naturally present in plants) that help your body stay healthy. Vegetables are important part of healthy eating and provide a source of many nutrients, including potassium, fiber, folate and vitamins A, E and C. Options like broccoli, spinach, tomatoes and garlic provide additional benefits, making them a superfood!

Lean Meats

Iron helps to supply oxygen to the brain, and iron deficiency is sometimes associated with cognitive and attention deficit. Lean meats are such a great source of protein, zinc, iron, and fat.

Eggs

Egg yolks are an important source of Choline, which is a key component of cell membranes, thus choline accounts for a high percentage of brain mass. It also forms acetylcholine, which is a neurotransmitter that carries messages to and from nerves.

Fish

Fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids such as DHA and EPA are essential foods for healthy brain growth and function. Getting enough of these fatty acids can help children improve their mental skills.

Positive thinking is a mental attitude that perceives situations in a constructive way. It does not mean ignoring the negative. Rather, a positive thinker acknowledges a situation and looks at it productively. We all have negative thoughts, we wouldn’t be human if we didn’t. “When we have negative thoughts it is our choice to dwell on the thought or transmute it to a positive one.”

Ways to Help Kids Think Positive

• Create a positive environment in your home.
  • Just smiling and laughing can help shift your brain chemistry and make you feel good.
• Provide your children with plenty of affection.
  • Words, hugs, kisses, high fives and pats on the back.
• Help your children develop hobbies they are good at.
  • This will increase your child’s confidence.
• Teach kids to notice negative thoughts.
  • Teaching a child to take a positive approach requires helping them understand what negative thoughts are. Help them understand what they are feeling and reflect as to why they are feeling this way.
• Speak Positively
  • Saying things out loud amplifies positive thoughts, helping us to believe in ourselves and our abilities. (Affirmations)
• Give Thanks (Gratitude)
  • Asking a child to think about the things they enjoy and the activities they like encourages appreciation, which naturally creates a positive attitude.
• Surround them with positive people.
  • Explain to them that they are a product of the people they spend the most time with, and to try to associate with other people who also think positive.
• Ignore Some Bad Moods
  • Don’t ignore your child when he or she is in a bad mood. Ignore the mood. When you don’t react to your child’s negativity, you take one step forward in extinguishing negative behaviors. An attitude that conveys acceptance of your child, negative temperament and all, will keep your relationship intact and allow you to keep influencing positive development.