Support Healthy Growth
Nutrient needs for kids and teens are higher compared to any other time in life!
90% of children fall short of meeting dietary needs for one or more key nutrients* Failing to get enough calories, protein, calcium, vitamin D, zinc, iron and other nutrients can slow growth.
Nutrients that are missed at breakfast are unlikely to be made up later in the day, so a morning meal helps to get a head start on the nutrition needed to support physical growth and development.
Fuel Their Day
Smaller bodies store less energy than adults, and after an overnight fast, a new fuel source is needed.
Breakfast gets your metabolism moving and should provide about 20% of daily energy needs. But, many children and teens don't get near that amount.
About 1 in 4 teens skip breakfast altogether, and that can mean missing out on essential nutrients like calcium, iron, vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, and fiber. Teens who skip breakfast also have lower diet quality and lower diet intake of fruits and whole grains.
Starting the day with breakfast helps fuel the mind and body for the day ahead.
replenish protein
Protein supports growth, builds lean muscle, and strengthens bones.
While you sleep, your body breaks down more protein than it builds. Eating a breakfast with at least 7 grams of milk-based protein (compared to a meal with no protein) can help a child's body recover that loss and improve protein balance to support growth.
Including protein at breakfast seems to offer benefits that aren't seen when the same amount of protein is consumed later in the day.
Build Strong Bones
Breakfast can help kids and teens get the bone-building calcium they need.
Getting enough calcium throughout childhood is important, but especially during adolescence. This is when bones store calcium at the highest rate.
By 18 years of age, about 90% of the bone mass you'll have in your lifetime has been formed, so the calcium stored now is key to the bone mass you'll have as an adult. Getting calcium through food sources is the way to go, as your body uses the calcium in foods more easily.
Regularly including calcium-rich foods in the diet, such as dairy and fortified foods, is also a great habit to last a lifetime.
Vitamin D Is Key
More than 90% of children and teens don't get the vitamin D they need each day.
Vitamin D is an essential nutrient for immune support. Vitamin D is also needed for growth and bone health because it helps your body absorb calcium, a key building block for bones. You can get vitamin D from sunlight, certain foods, and supplements.
While sunlight helps, several factors can affect sun exposure including where you live, the time of year, the amount of time spent outdoors, sunscreen use, and extensive skin coverage with clothing.
Adding vitamin D-fortified milk or nutritional drinks to breakfast can help meet kids' needs.
Iron Is Essential
Iron helps blood deliver oxygen to the body.
Growing kids and teens need more iron as their blood volume increases and their muscles grow.
Kids and teens who skip breakfast have lower intakes of iron compared to those who don't. Teen girls have higher iron needs than teen boys and are at the greatest risk for deficiency. Including fortified cereal and nutritional drinks at breakfast are great ways to get this essential nutrient.
*Average percentage of individuals (ages 4–18) with usual dietary intake below the EAR (Estimated Average Requirement) or AI (Adequate Intake): Vitamin D 90%, Potassium 90%, Choline 90%, Vitamin E 85%, Vitamin K 70%, Calcium 50%. Scientific Report of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Appendix E-2.1.
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