Saraswathi is having the daily morning row with her daughter. Her daughter does not want breakfast before she leaves for school. Saraswathi is equally adamant – no breakfast, no leaving for school.  She is absolutely right. Studies have shown that children who eat a healthy breakfast are able to absorb information better than those who skip breakfast. Why is breakfast so important, and how can you plan a meal that is enjoyable, convenient, and healthful?

The importance of breakfast

Eating breakfast improves concentration, problem solving ability, mental performance, memory, and mood. This does not apply to children alone. Even adults benefit greatly from eating a healthy breakfast. Breakfast skippers are at a disadvantage compared to those who have eaten breakfast. On an average, breakfast eaters think faster and clearer, and have better recall.

School children who skip breakfast tend to be hyperactive, irritable, anxious, and display disruptive classroom behaviour.

Eating breakfast also reduces fatigue and sleepiness in the mid-morning hours and is a great mood elevator. Academic performance and decision-making ability is generally better when breakfast is eaten.

Morning metabolism

To understand the importance of breakfast, it is first essential to understand morning metabolism. The brain does not store any energy and depends on a constant infusion of glucose (sugar) from the bloodstream. After a normal meal, carbohydrates, proteins, and fats are broken down into smaller fragments that are absorbed into the bloodstream. With the help of insulin, glucose enters cells, where it powers the body’s metabolism.

If after dinner, there is no intake of food till the next afternoon, the brain is deprived of glucose and does not function well. Blood glucose also helps fuel the muscles needed for physical activity throughout the day. Breakfast is the first chance the body has to replenish its glucose levels, after the starvation of the night. Therefore morning metabolism can be energized with breakfast or be slow and sluggish without breakfast.