We’ve all heard it before and, at this point, I am sure we have all had to say it before too. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It gives you the fuel you need to get through your day. And while it is important for everyone to eat a balanced breakfast, it is essential for child to have a healthy breakfast to start their day right.
With school just around the corner, mornings are going to get a lot busier; packing lunches, working on a little last minute homework and choosing the all-important outfit leaves little time to sit down and have a proper meal. But kids need to fuel their growing bodies and developing brains and without breakfast, kids will not be at their best.
Complex carbs, protein and fruit will keep your little ones energized and alert up until snack time at school. Try whole grain bread with some peanut butter and sliced banana or mix up a smoothie full of kale, spinach, yogurt and your kid’s favourite fruits.
Studies have shown that kids who go to school hungry risk lifelong consequences and development challenges: they may struggle with less developed literacy and number skills as well as poor health due to a lack of nutrition. One million Canadian children face hunger every year, and it has a huge impact on their ability to learn and function.
Ninety-four percent of Canadian parents believe that a good breakfast is important to helping their kids succeed in school. And yet 31 percent of elementary school students and a whopping 62 percent of secondary school students don’t eat a healthy breakfast before school.
And yet Canada is the only G8 country that doesn’t have a national school-based feeding program. Why are we so far behind the pack on what is a very important initiative to help our kids succeed? Thankfully there are corporate sponsorships and charitable organizations that help to provide support for privately run school-based programs.
President’s Choice Children’s Charity partners with Breakfast for Learning and Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada and in 2013 they provided more than 2.5 million meals to 430,000 children across Canada.
PCCC has created a video showcasing these nutrition programs and they have pledged to donate $1 or one meal every time the video is shared. Check it out below and remember, make sure your kids have a healthy, balanced breakfast every morning before school.
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