If students wake up in the morning and go straight to class, chances are they have missed the most important meal of the day.
A 2011 study by the NPD Group, a market research company, titled “Morning MealScape 2011,” surveyed 27,179 United States consumers and found that one out of 10, equating to about 31 million U.S. citizens, skip breakfast.
Monica Thomas Beeman, an agent at Mississippi State University with degrees in family and consumer science, nutrition and diabetics, said energy and nutrients from breakfast meals are needed in a college student’s day.
“You should avoid eating heavy meals with high fat content, which will peak your sugar, causing drowsiness,” Beeman said.
Beeman said once a student makes time for breakfast, it becomes a repeated behavior.
“Setting aside a set time each morning to eat breakfast will give off signals to your brain telling you to repeat this planned behavior,” Beeman said. “Once you have set out a certain time to eat breakfast each morning, your mind stores this behavior and makes this a part of your brain’s muscle memory.”
The study reported men aging from 18 to 34 are 28 percent more likely to skip breakfast, and females of the same age were 18 percent more likely to skip their morning meal.
The most common reasons people skipped breakfast were that they were not hungry, they did not feel like eating or they were too busy, according to the study. Females were likely to miss breakfast because of being busy or running late.
A Willows Pediatric Group article titled “Breakfast…and Why It’s Important for Children and Teens,” said some tips for eating breakfast include making it part of a routine and buying or preparing on-the-go meals, like granola bars or hard-boiled eggs.
The article said calcium-rich foods such as milk and yogurt and fiber-rich foods such as cereal and whole wheat bread are perfect choices for a morning meal.
Amanda Augustus, a sophomore broadcast journalism major, said there are many on-the-go options on campus for breakfast.
“I love how I can go to the P.O.D. to pick up a quick apple juice and muffin before class, or I have the choice to eat a warm bagel in the morning from Einstein Bros. Bagels and a yogurt parfait,” Augustus said.
Kayla Holmes, a physical therapy freshman, said she thinks breakfast is important for college students.
“It (breakfast) improves your overall school performance, and it is essential to being an active person,” Holmes said.
