Feeding the Way to Better Grades
Proper Nutrition is Important for Both Physical and Mental Development
Get better grades by eating properly! By nature, children tend to head towards sugary foods with little or no nutrition in them. Breakfast, lunch, and snack time are all key opportunities for your children to refuel their bodies and prepare themselves to take in new information and knowledge. Unfortunately, children often take these opportunities to fill themselves up with grease and sugar; this leaves them feeling hungry and restless within a few hours.
They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, yet recent research shows that 42% of children never eat breakfast, interestingly enough this correlates perfectly with the statistic that 40% of Canadian adults also don’t eat breakfast. Being a positive example for your children by doing something as simple as eating breakfast seems like a no-brainer, yet many children struggle through school simply because they are not educated on the importance of eating a healthy breakfast and their bodies are not properly nourished. A simple comparison to view is the glycemic index level of each meal. Children that eat a high glycemic breakfast comprised of sugary foods like white pancakes and syrup typically have lower standardized test scores, lower attention spans and poor behaviour.
With the growing epidemic of childhood obesity it is largely in the hands of the parents to educate their children on the importance of eating healthy. Unhealthy and convenient food are everywhere, but these empty calories hurt more than just their weight. Without an adequate understanding of proper nutrition and eating habits children are more inclined to be obese in their adult lives. As life gets busier the first thing many families begin forgetting about is healthy eating. With 26% of Canadians being obese today compared to
15% in 1978 it suggests that the availability of processed and nutrient lacking foods has taken a toll on Canadian children.
Not all food that’s healthy and nourishing requires high preparation time or a high price tag. It really is as simple as understanding what you are eating, and what you are feeding your children. To prepare your children for their day create breakfasts that are high in protein, low in fat and prepared using whole grains. Incorporating protein into your child’s morning routine will allow them to feel full longer, concentrate better and take in more knowledge. Common breakfast proteins such as eggs, peanut butter or cottage cheese are also low in fat which contributes to a healthy diet. A breakfast containing scrambled eggs and whole grain toast avoids highly processed foods like white bread and pastries which require high amounts of insulin to metabolize, which can result in poor focus and concentration throughout the morning.
A healthy diet can be considered the main contributor to your child’s overall well being. If your child is properly nourished their body can work at its full potential, allowing your child to perform better academically and physically. With improved academic and physical performance their confidence and self satisfaction will also improve.
