Experts agree that a nourishing breakfast is essential for children supported by research that shows that children who eat breakfast perform better in school and have general overall better health. Study after study have shown that children who eat a balanced breakfast test scores improve, speed and memory skills improve, absenteeism and tardiness decline, as do discipline problems and school nurse visits.  

There’s no debate that children need to eat breakfast. Why then do so many children arrive to school hungry?  Some children are simply finicky eaters or so time-crunched that they routinely skimp or skip out on breakfast. For others having breakfast may not be a matter of choice because millions of American children living below the poverty level do not get enough to eat.

The good news is there’s no reason for any child to miss breakfast. I am spearheading a pro-breakfast campaign for Breakfast Breaks , a simple breakfast meal in a kit that is a popular mainstay in federally funded school breakfast programs and now it’s also available in home version available at supermarkets.

Each Breakfast Breaks kit comes in a fun, child-friendly “grab and go” box that, together with milk, contains everything children need for a balanced, breakfast: cereal, juice, and a healthy snack. Schools love the fact that these kits can be served right in the classroom, giving every child a nutritious start each morning. What’s great is that parents can have the same confidence and convenience at home.

It’s a wonderfully practical solution for the classroom, which why I’ve endorsed it with my Solutions from the Heart seal, our special mark for innovative products that promote healthy living.  

Breakfast Breaks meets USDA requirements, which specify that school breakfasts must contain no more than 30% of calories from fat, and less than 10% from saturated fat.  In addition, breakfast must provide one-fourth of the recommended Dietary Allowance for protein, calcium, iron, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and calories.

In our home breakfast has always been mandatory. In fact I’ve viewed breakfast with my girls as precious time for me to nurture, nourish, and love them. That’s the thinking behind my “Ten Precious Minutes” campaign with Breakfast Breaks, which encourages teachers and parents alike to use the 10 minutes at breakfast time to do something that nourished a child’s mind, body and soul.