Stonepark Intermediate School students teamed up with the Healthy Eating Alliance and community leaders today to encourage students to eat a nutritious breakfast.
At the What’s In Your Breakfast? event held at Stonepark school, students handed MLAs and local celebrities one of three randomly chosen brown bags which contained breakfasts typically eaten by Island students. Only one quarter of the participants received a bag containing a balanced and nourishing breakfast; another 25 per cent received a bag containing highly processed and less nutritious foods; and the remaining half of the participants received an empty bag because half of Island students after grade 6 do not eat breakfast every day.
PEI Healthy Eating Alliance Chair Bob Gray said the event was intended to raise awareness of the link between breakfast and learning and the need for students to improve their eating habits. “It was a fun event that involved students and the community while sending a clear message about the consequences of skipping breakfast or not eating enough good food in the morning,” he said. “Working together, we have made good progress to create healthy eating environments in the schools by introducing new nutrition policies and school breakfast and snack programs. Now we are calling on families to join us by creating healthier eating environments at home.”
Dr. Mitchell Zelman, paediatrician, told students that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. “After fasting through the night, we all need good food to fuel our bodies and our minds. This is especially true for small children and small eaters,” he said.
A balanced breakfast includes as many of the four food groups as possible because each group provides different essential nutrients. People should aim to include at least three of the food groups at every meal. A balanced breakfast that includes carbohydrates, protein and fat gives a person energy and prevents a drop in blood sugar for several hours.
A sugary starchy breakfast alone, may provide some benefits to a child for one to two hours. Children who don’t eat any breakfast are worse off because they lose their ability to concentrate and become restless by late morning. Breakfast skippers usually don’t make up for lost nutrients later in the day. They tend to choose larger portions at meals and make impulsive and unhealthy food choices throughout the remainder of the day.
Research shows that breakfast has a powerful impact on learning. Well nourished children have more interest, higher concentration levels and improved academic performance. They tend to do better in tests that require problem solving and memory. They make fewer errors in problem solving and are more able to perform complex tasks.
Teachers say well-nourished students are more energetic and calm and they develop positive relationships with their peers. They create fewer disruptions in class and this allows the teacher to focus on learning rather than behaviour and classroom management.
Children from all socioeconomic backgrounds skip breakfast and go to school hungry. They don’t eat before leaving home because they don’t make time for breakfast, they have no appetite first thing in the morning, or they don’t have access to healthy food. School breakfast programs can help to address these issues.
There are 30 breakfast programs and 19 healthy snack programs which serve 5,800 students in Island schools. Programs are universal and offer nutritious food to all students free of charge.
School breakfast programs support student achievement and the development of healthy eating habits at an early age. They also create a sense of community among students, school staff and volunteers. The most successful breakfast programs are those that encourage involvement through partnerships in the school community.
For more information on healthy breakfast choices or school breakfast programs, contact Charmaine at the Healthy Eating Alliance, 902 368 6844 or visit www.healthyeatingpei.ca.