Breakfast Dash

Picture this, you’re running late for school, and you feel a slight rumbling in your stomach. Do you take the extra minute to grab something to eat in the car? Do you decide to wait until lunch and deal with hunger? What if you’re not hungry at all? Today, we are taking a deeper dive into the breakfast habits of students and teachers here at Madison High School.

However, before we do that, there was a plethora of interesting information in a 2018 survey from Kellogg’s on the topic. According to their studies, out of 14,000 Americans, only 36% of high school students eat breakfast every day. Now, is this an issue? According to a study from the University of Minnesota, yes, it is. Teenagers’ brains are still developing, and when breakfast is skipped, they may display poor cognitive performance whilst learning. Furthermore, the lack of morning nutrition also connects to mental health issues as well as a higher risk for obesity. 

The results of our questionnaires showed similarities. Out of the students interviewed (ranging from freshman to seniors), roughly half of them admitted to skipping breakfast. Why? Reasons fluctuate from a lack of hunger, to not having enough time to eat a meal. 

How can we fix this issue? It is recommended that to improve these numbers, more grab-and-go meals should be offered to students in the high school. In addition, parents should be monitoring and promoting healthy habits for their children before they head off to school. 

Overall, whether you skip breakfast in the mornings or not, it is a crucial time to be consuming calories. If you’ve ever found yourself in a slump, maybe pick up a banana or two before rushing out the door.