
You’ve heard that it’s the most important meal of the day. It just might be. Breakfast is important for active kids for reasons you might not think of.
The teen years are full of changes in diet, in both what they eat and when they eat it. As a parent or a coach, it’s up to you to encourage kids to eat breakfast to help their bodies get enough calories, for success in school, and for their performance in practices after school and games or meets in the evenings.
Let’s break down five reasons why your active kid should be eating breakfast.
1. Breakfast for School Success
Good grades are mandatory for sports participation in middle school and high school. There is no clear consensus in research on whether eating breakfast is correlated with academic achievement. It is clear; however, that healthier and nourished children perform better in school overall. Some of the confusion likely lies in the type of breakfast provided, as there is no standard definition.
Out of 6 systematic research reviews published between 2017 and 2021, 3 found positive associations between eating breakfast, one found stronger evidence associated with access to free breakfast and lunch, and 2 were inconclusive. I’d say that skewing toward the direction of breakfast and better concentration in school is the way to go.
2. Hydration for Active Days
Eating a healthy breakfast can give active kids a jumpstart on hydration. So, what is a “healthy” breakfast? There are no rigid rules, but ideally, it should contain carbohydrates, protein, and fat, along with something that provides hydration. So, that could be as easy as a bowl of cereal, a smoothie, or a yogurt parfait with water.
In a study published in 2020 in the American Journal of Health Promotion, researchers analyzed the results of a 2017 survey given to over ten thousand high school students. They found that 48.7% of high school students drank water less than 3 times a day. These students were average high school students. What was interesting about the findings was those with the lowest hydration status also did not drink the recommended servings of milk each day, nor did they eat the recommended servings of fruits or vegetables.
Start the day with something that provides fluid — a glass of water first thing, a glass of juice, fruit, milk, or a smoothie.
3. Eat Breakfast to Cut Back on Unhealthy Snacking
Research published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity found that kids who snack all day long, on the run, or to/from school are more likely to skip meals. This study doesn’t necessarily suggest that snacking is unhealthy, but it’s not likely that all that snacking consists of baby carrots, clementines, and yogurt. Most of the, the more nutritious option is to have a full meal that contains all the nutrients needed for active kids.
It is estimated that 25% of a teen’s diet comes from snacks — that’s a significant amount of energy coming from snack foods, let’s make them healthy.
4. Help Reach Fruit/Vegetable/Dairy Recommendations
Active teens should be getting 3-4 cups of vegetables each day, 2-3 cups of fruit, and 3 cups of dairy each day, according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The sad truth is, most teens are not getting close to that.
Keeping these foods stocked in the fridge or on the countertop can help encourage teens to grab and go. Easy to eat fruit in the morning — bananas, apples, and blueberries — can help them get important nutrients for performance. Yogurt provides calcium and sometimes probiotics, which can help keep their gut healthy — a healthy gut often means a healthy kid.
Vegetables are a little harder in the morning, but not impossible. An omelet filled with spinach, onions, and mushrooms may be just what they need to start their day.
5. More Likely to Reach Energy Needs
Have you ever heard of RED-S? It’s an acronym for relative energy deficiency in sport. It means that many kids involved in sports are not meeting calorie (energy) needs and falling short on nutrient intake. Skipping meals or eating only snacks puts an active kid at risk for not having enough calories during the day.
Adding breakfast to the day is a great way to get more calories in kids. I know this seems counterintuitive as our country grapples with an ongoing obesity epidemic. Performance needs are different and many athletes are not getting enough calories to support their growth AND their performance in sports.
Here are some breakfast idea to get you thinking: