Researchers say making breakfast your biggest meal of the day is a good way to lose weight… if you don’t overdo it at lunch and dinner.
Benefits of eating breakfast statistics
- A study from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health found that people who eat breakfast everyday are 34% less likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those who do
not eat breakfast. - They are also 43% less likely to become obese and 40% less likely to develop fat around the belly.
- 1 in 5 children reported that they do not eat breakfast, with the proportion of breakfast-eaters decreasing as kids age, according to the CDC.
- Kids were less likely to eat a morning meal as they got older, with nearly 96 percent of children ages 2 to 5 years consuming breakfast versus 73percent of those ages 12 to 19, they wrote in an NCHS Data Brief.
- Around 78% of Black children overall reported having breakfast versus 85% of white children, 86% of Asian children, and 80% of Hispanic children. Black adolescents ate breakfast at the lowest rate, with two-thirds stating that they consumed breakfast.
- Approximately 78% of kids whose families had an income below the federal poverty level reported eating breakfast, 10% less than kids who came from higher-income households.
- Milk, high-sugar cereals, and water were reported as the most common breakfast items for children and young adults in all age groups. One-fifth of all kids drank water at breakfast. Around 60% of children ages 2 to 5 consumed milk, versus 30% of children ages 12 to 19. Children ages 6 to 19, were more likely than the youngest group to consume 100% juice.
Research on breakfast importance
Many studies have linked eating breakfast to good health, including better memory and concentration, lower levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol, and lower chances of getting
diabetes, heart disease, and being overweight.
Breakfast also gives you a chance to get in some vitamins and nutrients from healthy foods like dairy, grains, and fruits. If you don’t eat it, you aren’t likely to get all of the nutrients your body needs.
Researchers have found that on average, people who eat breakfast are thinner than those who don’t. That could be because eating foods with protein and fiber in the morning keeps your appetite in check the rest of the day.
The most researched aspect of breakfast (and breakfast-skipping) has been its links to obesity.
In one US study that analysed the health data of 50,000 people over seven years, researchers found that those who made breakfast the largest meal of the day were more likely
to have a lower body mass index (BMI) than those who ate a large lunch or dinner.
Eating breakfast is a feasible strategy to improve your health.
— STEPHANIE FANELLI, MS, RDN, LD
Much of nutrition data solely focuses on the average intake of calories or fat per 24-hour period without accounting for the foods or meals that make up that daily total.
Kids who skip breakfast are more likely to eat junk food during the day and be overweight. One study showed that teenagers who ate breakfast every day had a lower body mass index (BMI) — a measure of body fat based on height and weight — than teens who never ate the meal or who sometimes did.
High protein breakfast for kids
1. Scrambled Eggs and Milk: The easiest and most obvious breakfast idea that is also a good source of protein is scrambled eggs! You can make them with or without veggies, and
serve on or with toast for a balanced meal.
2. Oatmeal: Oatmeal is another high-protein breakfast food for kids. You can make it as a creamy breakfast recipe with fruits and nuts on top, or add it to pancakes, smoothies,
and other recipes to make them healthier.
3. Cereal: Top a bowl of cereal with lots of chopped fruits and milk.
It will make a healthy and very delicious protein-rich breakfast for your kids.
Healthy breakfast for kids before school
1. French toast, waffles, or pancakes (try wheat or whole-grain varieties)
2. Mixed Veg sandwitch
3. Sweet Dalia’s: You can cook Wheat Dalia in milk
4. Mixed veg appam: Use Semolina and mix vegetables to make in any shapes just need to steam cook
Healthy breakfast for 12 year olds or 11 or more than 8 years old all meals should be fine just need to check the children’s health and interest that are easy to digest.
Source Reference: Terry AL, et al “Breakfast intake among children and adolescents: United States, 2015-2018” NCHS Data Brief 2020; 386.
