Feeding Your Child for Success: Ensuring a Good Breakfast and Lunch

Studies in the 1950s proved that children who ate breakfast had higher grades and test scores than those who did not eat before coming to school.

While eating breakfast does help children do better in school there are now some studies indicating what they eat can affect their performance as well.

A bowl of a popular cereal that is a quarter sugar with milk and fruit is better than nothing when it comes to breakfast. The milk provides some protein and the fruit has vitamins and minerals. However, if a child is given a slice of whole grain toast with a smear of peanut butter, a glass of milk and some fruit for breakfast they do even better. An egg with that slice of toast is good as well. A whole grain cereal such as oatmeal provides extra fiber as well as quality complex carbohydrates. It can be prepared with fruit and a small amount of sweetener to make it more palatable to a child.

A lunch that also includes some quality protein and fiber will influence their afternoons at school as well. Some schools make a real effort to provide the quality meals children need to do their best. If a school doesn't make an attempt to provide healthy lunches then a parent needs to take steps to insure their child has a healthy meal.

If the lunch is thrown away or traded off it will do no good at all. Involve the child in the process of creating a healthy lunch. Since children sometimes object to whole wheat bread it may be best to use one of the new whole grain white breads as a base for the sandwich. From this point adding a quality protein such as peanut butter, turkey or other lean lunch meat and a leaf of dark green lettuce will create a good base for lunch. This makes for a dry meal so the addition of dressing to the sandwich might make it more acceptable.

If a child has a weight problem then it is best to use a low fat dressing. Don't just think in terms of mustard and mayonnaise. Consider using ranch dressing or some other salad dressing your child likes. Add some raw veggies and fruit that the child will eat and an oatmeal cookie will provide a good energy base for the afternoon's activities.

Providing your child with good nutritious meals is only part of what it takes to insure success in school, but it is a starting point that is known to have good results.