What you eat for breakfast depends on your taste, but the research shows that eating something is better than eating nothing. Eating breakfast can lead to higher test scores and having more energy throughout the day can help you make it through your extracurricular activities. When taking a small survey of RB students on what they eat for breakfast, I found that the majority of students eat nothing at all.

In an article by Nancy Clarke, the author, it states that eating breakfast can improve not only your test scores but how you interact with other people as well. Social interaction is found in almost every day of a teenager’s life and talking to your friends on an empty stomach has proven to start more conflicts.

“The Food Research and Action Center notes that teenagers who don’t eat breakfast are more likely to have conflicts with other students and to be suspended from school,” Clarke states.

If you are not eating well chances are that it won’t reflect well on the upcoming AP tests, finals, and last minute projects. Suspensions and detentions can also keep you from doing other fun outside activities.

“According to pediatrician Dr. William Sears, children who eat breakfast also participate more in class discussions, are better able to handle complex problems in class and get better grades,” said Bridget Coila from the Livestrong Foundation

Valerie Ostrow, one of the health and gym teachers at RBHS, on breakfast and its’ effects on students, had nothing but good things to say.

“You want to have that focus, concentration, and energy so make sure you make it a habit to eat breakfast and make sure you’re eating a healthy breakfast,” said Ostrow.

So now you know that breakfast can indeed make a big difference in how you start your day. So what do you eat?

“You want to have protein, fiber, whole grains. A good example is maybe 1-2 eggs with whole wheat bread, and strawberries. You could have oatmeal with fruit,” said Ostrow.

A good idea might be to vary what kinds of food you eat each day of the week. Taste and preference change just like your body’s needs each day.

Some things to think about when you pick out your breakfast is how much fiber you eat which can help with digestion and keep your blood sugar levels steady while protein and can curb overeating later. Sugar should also be kept lower than 10g to avoid a sugar crash later, which can lead to headaches, anxiety, irritability.

“People who skip breakfast tend to eat more calories throughout the day and get hungry before lunch, which makes them eat unhealthy snacks,” said Ostrow.