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This story is part of a four-part series titled A Healthy Start and is sponsored by Breakfast Club of Canada, reaching 500,000 children in more than 3,000 programs in school and community settings each day.
We鈥檝e long been told that breakfast is the most important meal of the day 鈥� and for good reason. Our brains rely on fuel in the morning to sputter into gear, a fact that鈥檚 especially important for children whose bodies are growing.
Judith Barry, co-founder and director of government relations for, often hears about the benefits that occur when children eat a nutritious breakfast at the start of their school day. 鈥淲hat our school stakeholders witness is incredible,鈥� Barry said of the more than 3,300 Breakfast Club of Canada programs running across the country.
鈥淲e see kids having more concentration, the school鈥檚 principal鈥檚 office sees less intervention issues like kids coming in with headaches and stomach issues, and there are less behavioural problems to deal with. There鈥檚 a variety of great impacts, not only on the body but on the overall health of students.鈥�
Without a healthy breakfast, children鈥檚 brains and bodies run on empty, struggling to keep up. Jane Dummer, a registered dietician and president of Jane Dummer Consulting, says a lack of nutritious food in the morning leads to negative consequences.
鈥淭he brain functions on quality carbohydrates 鈥� fresh glucose 鈥� and if there鈥檚 not enough of that fuel, children will lack concentration, they will lack the ability to feel alert, they鈥檒l feel tired, restless and irritable,鈥� said Dummer.
This general lethargy affects children鈥檚 performance in the classroom, at recess, and during sports and playtime.
Dummer uses the metaphor of refuelling a car to explain how a healthy breakfast powers children鈥檚 bodies, noting that it wakes up their brains and supplies new energy so they鈥檙e ready to take on the day ahead. 鈥淚t kicks their bodies into gear and on throttle. Instead of trying to survive on what they ate from yesterday, they鈥檙e refuelling their bodies and kickstarting their metabolism,鈥� she said.
According to Dummer, the best sources of quality carbohydrates in the morning are whole grains, including oatmeal, breads and cereals.
Plain Greek yogurt is also a nice option, because carbohydrates are contained in the natural sugars from the milk. Fruit also contains good carbs, although to a slightly lesser degree, with the added bonus of being chock-full of vitamins and minerals to boost the immune system.
Barry has seen an array of positive impacts on children through breakfast programs, some extending beyond the obvious physical benefits, including increased concentration, focus and energy, better behaviour, a greater sense of community, relationship-building between teachers, students and the wider school community, and the alleviation of hunger.
With school meal programs in particular, students come together to eat, often arriving at school early where they鈥檙e greeted by friends, program volunteers and teachers, fostering a sense of engagement and belonging, as well as creating life-long healthy eating habits.
According to Barry, there are socio-economic benefits as well when one considers how a child鈥檚 performance at school can alter their path to the future. A child who is better able to concentrate and learn is likely to have improved grades throughout the course of their schooling, leading to opportunities in post-secondary education, the job field and beyond, building productive citizens.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not an expense, it鈥檚 an investment. When we think about the long-term effects on a child who鈥檚 learning better and feeling better, both physically and emotionally, we can see that we can really impact their future,鈥� explained Barry.
