Around 7 am, many children are already in the school to start another school day. A fact is that many of them start the day without having had the first meal of the day: o Breakfast. Some claim that they don't feel hungry so soon, others that the time between waking up and getting to school is short, and there are still those who don't do it for economic reasons.
The fact is that breakfast is one of the three main meals of our day and children cannot simply “skip” this important meal. Next, we'll understand better why it's important for children to have breakfast before going to school.
Read too: Does food interfere with studies?
→ The breakfast
O Breakfast is among the top three meals of our day and is the first performed after a long period of fasting. You may think that during the night our body did not do any activity and therefore that it does not need to to replenish energy, however, basic activities, such as breathing or even guaranteeing the heartbeat, need energy. Breakfast is important because ensures that our bodies replenish energy to start a new day.
Breakfast should be rich in different nutrients.
breakfast should be healthy and thus offer foodsdiversified, so that many different types of nutrients are destined for the body. During this meal, it is important that nutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, minerals and fiber are made available to the body. Therefore, a healthy breakfast can contain milk and dairy products, eggs, breads, breakfast cereals and also fruits.
At the Ministry of Health Food Guide for the Brazilian Population, you can find examples of healthy meals. When it comes to breakfast, eight examples are presented. See some of them:
Fresh orange juice, French bread with butter and papaya.
Coffee with milk, corn cake and melon.
Coffee with milk, cheese bread and papaya.
Milk with coffee, tapioca and banana.
Milk, couscous, chicken egg and banana.
Read too:What can't be missing from the school lunch box?
→ Why is it important for children to eat before going to school?
As we said earlier, one of the main reasons children have breakfast before going to school is the fact that they need to replenish their energy body to carry out their activities. Lack of food at that time can make them feel unwell and sleepy. In some cases, the child feels dizzy, has headaches and may even faint.
When children are well fed, they have a greater disposition, directly affecting their school development and learning. Some studies support this idea, showing that children who do not eat breakfast have more difficulty in the school environment, presenting, for example, a greater chance of making mistakes, since they are heedless.
Eating, whenever possible, with company is among the steps to having a healthy diet.
The association between food and school achievement has been known for a long time. A 1989 study titled school breakfast program and school performance, for example, it assessed the performance of children in Massachusetts public schools, where a breakfast program was adopted. The researchers found that children who received breakfast at school significantly improved their grades compared to those who did not.
Another interesting survey was commissioned by Nestlé in 2012. In it, elementary school teachers from some private schools in São Paulo were interviewed. The vast majority of these teachers said they had already witnessed malaise From students probably due to lack of food. In addition, teachers reported that the lack of adequate food in the morning affected student achievement in class.
We realize, therefore, that it is essential that this important snack be done by the children. Healthy eating guarantees energyto thebody and increases disposition, reasoning, attention and promotes learning.
By Ma. Vanessa Sardinha dos Santos
Source: Brazil School - https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/saude-na-escola/por-que-as-criancas-nao-devem-ir-escola-sem-cafe-manha.htm