The Importance of Breakfast
Ronald Kleinman, MD

NutritionExplorations.org invited Ronald E. Kleinman, M.D. chief of the pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition at Boston's Massachusetts General Hospital and professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, to talk about why kids need breakfast every day.

Why do kids need breakfast?
There is a lot of evidence that breakfast, either at home or at school, is an important way to start the day. Many studies suggest that regular breakfast skippers don't optimize their nutrition during the day. And, going without breakfast can lead to poor behavior. Breakfast eaters are more likely to be calmer, less anxious, more focused and learn better. Breakfast also tends to organize children's day, particularly if they eat breakfast at school.

How important is breakfast to children's overall nutrient intake?
It's certainly possible for children miss breakfast and get all the nutrients they need, but it's more likely they won't. Parents shouldn't panic if their child misses breakfast one day because they're running out the door; they can make that up. But, a regular pattern of missing breakfast is likely to lead to not eating all the important nutrients. Breakfast offers an opportunity for children to make up whatever they might not get in the rest of the day, especially if they snack on foods that provide few nutrients and little fiber.

What influence does school breakfast eating have on children's ability to focus and learn in the classroom?
If you compare children who eat breakfast in school to those who don't, they are better behaved, do better in some subjects like math, and are absent and tardy less often. The teachers, parents and children themselves feel better about the way they interact.

Do those advantages still hold true for children who eat breakfast at home?
Most studies don't separate eating breakfast at home and breakfast at school. Breakfast is a good idea for all children. It sets the day off well; it provides an opportunity for several nutrients that may not be included for the rest of the day, and lowers the risk of not getting enough of some very important nutrients like iron, calcium and fiber.

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