If there's one fight with your kids you don't want to lose, it's the breakfast battle. It's a struggle faced by parents across the country, but hectic schedules make it all too easy to give up. Here are some things to consider before you permanently junk the toaster.
• 31 per cent of elementary students and 62 per cent of secondary students do not eat breakfast daily.
• One in three parents say their children only eat breakfast if they make them.
• Of these parents, 54 per cent say their kids skip breakfast because they are too rushed in the morning.
• 43 per cent say it is because their child doesn't like breakfast foods.
• 50 per cent of children don't get enough fruits and veggies.
• Only 25 per cent eat the recommended amount of grains.
• Studies show that children who are well-nourished perform better in school.
Source: National survey results: Taking a Look at Kids' Breakfast Nutrition in Canada,
Breakfast for Learning, 2008 National Report Card.
The better breakfast challenge in support of breakfast for learning
A Canadian public education and fund- raising campaign, the 21-Day Better Breakfast Challenge is aimed at encouraging families to eat a healthy breakfast daily. For every participant who registers, $1 will be donated to Breakfast for Learning, a national nonprofit organization that ensures children attend school well-nourished. Sign up at www.nutellabreakfastchallenge.com until Nov. 30, 2009, for a chance to win a chef- prepared breakfast party at your home.
Food After High School
The link between learning and nutrition doesn't end once students leave public school. But, sadly, campus food isn't necessarily brain food. The Globe and Mail Canadian University Report gives most universities Ds and Cs for the quality of food on offer to students. The one exception is the University of Guelph, which has been given the top marks for several years running and last year pulled off an A-.
Ed Townsley, head of the hospitality services department at the University of Guelph and past president of the Canadian College and University Food Services Association, says the university takes food quality seriously.
Like most campuses, Guelph offers students lots of options: 19 locations, including cafés, cafeterias, full-serve restaurants and – yes – fast-food franchises.
But what sets Guelph apart is that it teaches first-year students who are on their own for the first time how to make good food choices. At every food station, there are recipe cards that list ingredients and give the nutritional breakdown of each item sold. The nutritional content information for fast food is provided by the franchises themselves. And to make sure students understand what they're choosing, the university runs a student nutrition awareness program every year. Upper-year students in applied nutrition studies give presentations to teach first- years about good nutrition, and help them navigate through all their new choices.
Call to action
Think every student in Canada deserves access to a breakfast program? Sign our online petition for a National Child Nutrition Strategy at www.canadianliving.com/breakfastforlearning.
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