WHY IS BREAKFAST IMPORTANT?

Breakfast is known to be the most important meal of the day  though most people end up skipping it due to a "hectic and busy life", some  other reasons people with poor breakfast habits, give for skipping breakfast are; I don't take breakfast ; skipping breakfast means loosing weight; skipping breakfast doesn't mean anything and I don't have time to take breakfast and diary products are sources of proteins.

Diagram of a breakfast table.

A good breakfast should contain;

1. At least a quarter liter of water.

2. Proteins which  are found in egg,meat,fish ,beans,nuts and diary products.

3. Fruits and Vegetables are good sources of vitamins and minerals. 

 

4. Cereals: Such as bread with butter, honey or jam  which  would provide enough energy to last through the day.

The importance of breakfast can't be overemphasized, some of these importance includes: 

1. WEIGHT CONTROL:

Research has shown that when you skip breakfast you tend to overeat for the rest of the day and also substitute breakfast for mid day snacks high in fat, salt and sugar that can possibly  increase the risk of you getting obese or overweight.

2. BRAIN POWER:

Children who eat breakfast stay alert, have enough energy to play, concentrate more in class than their peers who skip breakfast.

Diagram of a tired student sleeping due to lack of breakfast.

3. PROMOTES GOOD HEALTH:

Eating common breakfast foods such as bread and cereals helps to promote healthy hearts because of the fibers and whole grains present in them that reduce cholesterol.

Breakfast cereals , breakfast meals such as english muffins and bagels and other breakfast food like fruits and starchy vegetables promotes digestion and prevents colon cancer.

4. Vitamin A and C , Iron, Zinc, Calcium, Riboflavin are some of the vital nutrients that are consumed In larger amounts by those who take breakfast than those that don't and these nutrients are present in cereals, low fat and fat free milk, fruits and 100% fruit juice.

 People who fail to take breakfast tends to: 

1. Experience Bad moods during the day.

2. Have poorer memory.

3. Have less energy to perform our daily activities and we also get less active.

4. Tends  to get overweight/obese.

5. Are at risk of serious health problems.

 Roles of Parents in Improving breakfast habits is preparing breakfast for their children and creating a food table.

 Roles of Government is  setting school feeding policies in place so that there would be an improvement in attendance, concentration, social skills and performance of students.

5mins for preparing and 10mins for eating  breakfast should be the best investment of your day. Always take time to enjoy your breakfast In order to have a productive day. To Improve your breakfast habit,you should create a breakfast plan. Sticking to your plan can impact those around you to stay healthy and pass on a good breakfast habit that will last a lifetime to your children.

Thanks for reading!

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Article By:

Olamide Oladejo

Food, Nutrients & Health

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