Irish teachers reveal REAL effect not eating breakfast has on kids

We’ve long heard the oft-repeated mantra that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but research carried out Ireland-wide has revealed the true effect going without a morning meal has on schoolchildren.

In a study carried out by Flahavan’s and Keelings to mark the start of National Porridge Week, 97 per cent of primary school teachers in Ireland said they can actually notice when a child has not eaten breakfast.

The main tell-tale signs they cite are poor concentration (55 per cent) and no energy (43 per cent), and to a lesser extent irritability (21 per cent) and restlessness in class (20 per cent). According to 53 percent of teachers surveyed, pupils who hadn’t eaten breakfast showed all of these signs.

And incredibly, one-in-four teachers even keep food in the classroom in case a child needs it.

So why aren’t our children eating a breakfast? Well, according to research nationwide by MagicMum, the most common reason our children don’t eat a breakfast is due to a ‘lack of time’ (34 per cent), while 31 per cent say their child is ‘too sleepy’ in the morning, and 26 per cent say their child finds it difficult to eat so early.

However, the mums surveyed acknowledged the same effects of a lack of breakfast as the teachers in the Flahavan's and Keelings study, saying that irritability, lack of energy and poor concentration are the most obvious effects of going without this meal.

Flahavan’s and Keelings have now joined forces for National Porridge Week (10-16 October), with the aim to educate families on the importance of a healthy breakfast. And to achieve this, they created the Share A Breakfast Moment campaign, to inspire us to get eating breakfast together as a family.

And there’s some money saving in it for us mums. As part of the campaign, with each purchase of Flahavan’s and Keelings products – specifically berries – throughout October we can get a 50 cent coupon off the much-loved brekkie essentials (purchase Flahavan’s and get 50c off Keelings and vice versa).

While another aspect of the campaign that’s sure to get kids excited for breakfast is the Brekkie Bus, which will be popping into a number of Irish primary schools to serve up yummy bowls of porridge and fruit.

“This survey confirms what we know – that not eating breakfast has a notable effect on a child’s ability to concentrate and perform in class,” says dietician Aveen Bannon.

“Getting the kids out to school in the morning can often be a challenge and a lot of focus is placed on the contents of the lunchbox. But for growing children, the importance of having a healthy breakfast to kick-start their day cannot be over emphasised.

For more info on making your own breakfast moments, as well as nutritious recipes and time saving tips, check out www.breakfastmoments.ie.