This week is National Schools Breakfast Week!
And we're all for celebrating the importance of breakfast too!
Within the very meaning of its name… Breakfast literally means ‘breaking the fast’ by kick-starting the body and day with some form of essential fuel.
Sometimes we get too hung up on societal and cultural expectations, but breakfast can look different for everyone -it can depend on personal routines, daily activities and individual tastes!
At the end of the day (or should we say the beginning?!) the important part is making sure that we fuel our bodies somehow, and ideally, something nutritious! It is beneficial to us all, regardless of age.
Having a healthy breakfast can help children get the essential nutrients they need for growth and development. It also helps reduce hunger, supports learning and mood, and this is especially true for the most vulnerable.
In 2023, the British Nutrition Foundation, in partnership with the charity Magic Breakfast, published a review on the importance of breakfast for health and educational attainment in school-aged children. The full report can be viewed here, but the key messages included:
- Skipping breakfast is widespread in school-aged children. It is higher in teenagers, especially girls, and children from low-income households.
- Regularly missing out on breakfast can make it harder for children to get enough of the nutrients they need to be healthy and to learn.
- Free school breakfast provision could help reduce hunger and may help to address educational inequalities for the most vulnerable young people.
- Breakfast provision should be part of a whole school approach to healthy eating.
A healthy breakfast should ideally be in line with the Eatwell guide, and include something from the following:
- a drink, such as water, milk or 150ml pure fruit juice
- an energy boosting starchy wholegrain food, e.g. wholegrain cereal, wholemeal toast,
- fruit or vegetables to help towards our 5-A-Day e.g. a banana, dried or tinned fruit, berries, sliced tomato
- protein and/or dairy foods for growth, repair e.g. milk, beans, egg, yogurt, cheese, nuts, seeds
Here are a few ideas that could be offered, either in the home, or within a school breakfast club:
- Pick and mix cereal station (wholegrain and non-sweetened), such as Porridge, Branflakes, Wheat biscuits etc.
- Alternative starchy carbohydrates - bagels, fruit tea cake, toast, bread, crumpet, savoury muffin, pancakes
- Fruit -Sliced Fresh or Tinned / Juice / Frozen berries / Dried - sultanas, apricots
- Dairy (and/or Dairy alternatives) including Milk, Yogurt, Cheese
- Other protein sources - Eggs – boiled, scrambled, poached, omelette, beans
- Vegetables - Cooked mushrooms, tomatoes
Is time an issue in the rush of a busy school morning routine? …
Why not try pre-preparing something the night before and pop in the fridge to grab before leaving the house the next morning…a fruit salad using canned pineapple chunks, mandarins and peaches (in juice, not syrup), with chopped apple and sliced grapes, served with natural or Greek-style yogurt.
Another great option is Overnight oats – We love these so much. we have 3 versions of this recipe on our website here ! – berry, carrot cake and apple & raisin…
Or another option for a grab and go breakfast- pop the following in a paper bag or reuseable container and eat when you can…
- Mini pancakes, wholemeal bread roll / savoury muffin or bagel filled with cheese, soft cheese or sliced boiled egg or Pancakes with chopped fruit
- Piece of fruit, e.g. banana, apple, peach
- Small carton of milk or orange juice
Want to do more in your school?...
If you would like to improve breakfast uptake and/or quality in your school, reach out to your local PhunkyFoods Engagement & Development Coordinator for further support.
We have lots resources available on our linked topic of Bag a Breakfast! including an Ambassador topic which can be rolled out across the school, and lots more healthy breakfast ideas and recipes in the members section.
The BNF has also produced free resources to help support schools take part in National Schools Breakfast Week.
@NutritionOrgUK #BreakfastWeek
