Eating breakfast before starting the day is linked to improved concentration, better test scores, better grades, and increased energy. 

It’s proven breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It replenishes your supply of glucose, boosting your energy and alertness. On top of this, breakfast provides other nutrients that are essential for good health. 

Janaki Gera, a freshman here at North Hollywood High School, usually eats breakfast every morning. “Typically I eat a slice of toast with toppings like avocado, Nutella, or strawberries. Eating breakfast helps me complete my work to the best of my ability because I’m energized.” When she does not eat breakfast, she states there is a clear difference because she tends to feel lethargic and sluggish throughout the day. 

Studies from healthyeating.sfagate.com show students who eat breakfast are more productive, make fewer mistakes on math problems, and perform better on tests than those who do not have a meal in the morning. It’s recommended students eat eggs, sandwiches, and a good amount of fruit to get the right amount of protein intake. 

Another ninth grade student, Milan Mancini, does not eat breakfast every morning. “I usually skip breakfast because I am in a rush to get to school. Some days it’s difficult to focus in class because of my growling stomach. Days like this I’m distracted because I’m busy counting minutes to nutrition to get a snack.” 

The students who do not eat breakfast are shown to be less capable of retaining new information. Their glucose level, our main source of energy, drops. Hunger leads to lower test scores, and attention, behavior, emotional, or academic problems. “On the days I do eat breakfast, I notice I’m way more attentive to my surroundings and studies,” Mancini says. 

Eating breakfast everyday before school has been proven to have positive impacts on students. It’s important to have a healthy meal in the morning in order to perform well academically. It’s also important to remember eating pastries, muffins, and other unhealthy snacks have the same negative impact as not eating at all.