Universal Free Breakfast: An Aid to Academic Success?
The theory of a healthy breakfast being needed before a person starts their day is nothing new. The suggestion to start students’ school day with the basics of a nutritious meal is quite easy to understand. Healthy eating habits are learned early. Children repeatedly exposed to healthy, well-balanced meal choices are more likely to repeat those healthy eating choices as they grow and mature (Shemilt I, 2003).
A nutritious breakfast program can affect a student’s entire attitude toward school, others, and themselves. Evidence of studies shows that eating a well-balanced breakfast leads to increased nutritional balance in children and less occurrence of obesity (Hoyland Alexa, 2009). A study involving the mood of students after eating breakfast versus those who did not eat breakfast was conducted to report on the medical and psychological advantages of diet. 104 students were tested between the ages of 13 and 20 in a boarding school in Germany (Widenhorn-Muller Katharina, 2008). Student demographics in the test included 54 males and 50 females.
One half of the sample was given a standardized breakfast while the other half was given no breakfast. The test was repeated seven days later with the groups switched. The students were tested on cognitive measurements with standardized tests including verbal and spatial memory. The students were also given a self-evaluation mood questionnaire during the testing. The results of the test showed a significance of (F=2.81, P=0.98) improvement in concentration performance when considering the breakfast group versus the non- breakfast group. The mood testing included a positive effect from consuming breakfast.
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