Mary Pat Alfaro, education coordinator in Nutrition Therapy at Cincinnati Children’s, explains multiple studies have shown that poor nutrition adversely effects school performance and overall achievement.

Improving health and nutrition in undernourished children is correlated with less absenteeism, more grades and better performance in tests, the researcher said. The research published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association in 2005 compiled the results of many studies about the benefits of breakfast.

Evidence from the report suggests that eating breakfast may improve cognitive function related to memory, test grades and attendance. Breakfast in combination with an overall healthy diet and lifestyle can make a positive difference in a child’s health and well-being.

Parents should provide breakfast for their children or enroll them in the school breakfast program if eligible and available. “Providing healthy food

to children can contribute to a better year academically, physically and socially,” says Mary.

She says a healthy breakfast consists of a variety of foods, especially high-fiber and nutrient-rich whole grains, fruits, and dairy products. Such breakfast examples include fiber rich and whole-grain cereals with low fat milk, yogurt and berries, toast, eggs and 100 per cent fruit juice and whole wheat bagels and cream cheese with low fat milk.

In addition to making sure their child eats a healthy breakfast, Mary says parents need to also think about the types of food their child eats during lunch