Eating a healthy breakfast can improve work performance in adults and school results in students. Throughout a full night of sleep, the food consumed the previous day has been depleted and used for repair and regeneration. Eating breakfast refuels and restocks the body with the energy needed for work and study. Going to school or work without breakfast is like running a car on an empty tank.
Studies have shown that children who eat a healthy breakfast have higher energy levels and better learning ability than students who don’t eat breakfast. Additionally, students who eat breakfast have been found to be more attentive in the classroom, more likely to earn higher grades, and less likely to have behavioral and emotional problems.
A healthy breakfast must include complex carbohydrates, which are an important source of sustained energy, unlike simple sugars, which enter the bloodstream quickly and are soon depleted, leaving you feeling sluggish.
Protein-rich foods also play an important role in brain function. These foods provide the amino acids tyrosine and tryptophan, which affect neurotransmitters and balance the pathways of the brain to increase focus and readiness to learn. Foods high in protein also make you feel full and satisfied longer, helping students stay focused and avoid the distraction of a hungry stomach halfway through the morning.
The following items are healthy breakfast choices for you and your family, rich in healthy nutrients and vitamins.
- Berries: Fruit is abundant in essential nutrients like dietary fiber, potassium, and vitamin C. Berries, in particular, are high in antioxidants, which help promote overall brain health.
- Whole grains: Whole grain breakfast foods like fortified whole grain cereal and oatmeal are abundant in vitamin E.
- Green tea: Green tea contains several nutrients vital to brain health. It has also been know to reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s disease.