Is breakfast the most important meal of the day?

My son having breakfast at Boyd's Bear Factory - My son having breakfast at the Boyd's Bear Factory in Pigeon Forge TN.  He is enjoying the breakfast and received a whole lot of great stuff from the bear.
United States
January 30, 2007 6:14am CST
Do you have problems getting your children to eat breakfast? My son (age 6) hardly ever eats breakfast. All the hype about breakfast being the most important meal of the day and it worries me that he won't eat. The doctor has told me not to force him to eat, but teachers are always sending home little newsletters and right there on the bottom it will have a reminder to parents to make sure their children have a good breakfast, especially if they are having testing of some sort. My son's lunch hour is around 10:35, so I let him go without fussing to him about breakfast. Does anyone else have this problem with their young ones?
16 people like this
101 responses
@Serjas (2328)
• India
30 Jan 07
whatever your breakfast never skip your breakfast.it helps to increase your metabolism.Do you know what is metabolism and how important it is? Different people has different rate of metabolism. People with faster metabolism gets to burn off fat and calories faster where the people with slower metabolism, sad to say have to work extra harder just to keep fit. 1. Get active - 2. Eat little and often - there’s evidence that eating small, regular meals throughout the day, rather than one or two large meals, may help to keep your metabolism ticking over. 3. Eat plenty of protein-rich foods - 4. Spice up meals - Spices like chilli are thought to raise metabolism by up to 50 percent for up to three hours after eating, due to increasing your heart rate. 5. Swap you daily cuppa for green tea - 6. Try a CLA supplement - conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) might increase muscle and therefore boost metabolism. 7. Chill out - being very cold 8. Have a sauna - being very hot
@aquarian9 (548)
• Canada
30 Jan 07
Any nutritionalist or dietian will say it is dramatically important. The reason is it a major fuel up. The concept is that you should not have eaten since maybe not later then 7:30, 19:30 the previous evening. Your body needs the refuel. The science is that the maintaining of sugars keeps you from bingeing. It also helps to maintain a smooth running metabolism. It has been proven eating habits affect study habits. Its your call.
• United States
30 Jan 07
It is a hard call on this one, that is why I started the discussion. I don't think I can stuff food down my son's throat. On the weekends, I can get him to eat breakfast, but we usually don't have it until 8:30-9:00. But on school days we have to be out of the house and heading for school by 7:25.
• India
30 Jan 07
i dont even feel like having breakfast too early... but if i ve to then just fruits and milk are gr8 'n it makes u feel hungry arnd 11 am ,, and so it helps enjoy my lunch even like that
@paulnet (748)
• India
31 Jan 07
yaa its your wake-up call to break your fast bcoz after taking dinner its the long break time to energise yourself. So that's why it was named like that. You really break your fast by taking breakfast.
• United States
30 Jan 07
everyone says the breakfast is the most important meal of the day.gives you energy and such. My 14 year old has never wanted to eat breakfast so i dont push him to eat, a few time he will pick something up on the way out the door like a banana or something. he is fine until his lunch hour.. I dont force him to eat. he knows if he is hungry or not. I am the same way I dont eat until lunch and sometime I wont eat anything until dinner.
• United States
30 Jan 07
I also don't want to push to much, the doctors told me when he was young not to force them to eat. There would be some days he would go without eating at all when he was a toddler. The doctors said that he would eat when he was hungry. My pediatrician said that forcing them to eat when they are not hungry causes overweight children later down the line.
• India
30 Jan 07
breakfast is indeed imp meal of the day.... but the prob. wid u ppl is that u dont wat to serve in breakfast... ur in a habbit of having heavy meals in breakfast but not ur children,cause u were forced as same in ur days so its better to serve them wid fruits like apples n bananas wid milk for sure....which r da best remember no bread... it makes u feel as ur stomach is filed till arnd 11 am i.e time 4 lunch in schools
1 person likes this
@nypage (157)
• United States
30 Jan 07
This is a tricky questions. Both my son and I can't eat breakfast too early or too soon after waking up -- makes me sick to my stomach. Why not ask him why he doesn't want to eat breakfast? At 6 years old, he'll be able to give you an honest response. After you've heard his reason, if he has one, discuss the benefits of eatting something before he goes to school. He won't be as sleepy in school, he'll be more receptive to what's going on during the day, etc.
1 person likes this
• United States
30 Jan 07
I think that they may be one of the reasons he doesn't want to eat so soon in the morning. I fix breakfast for the kids, but I myself don't eat so early, because if I eat to soon, I also feel sick to my stomach.
• United States
30 Jan 07
I don't have any problems with my 3 kids at all when it comes to eating. I actually have to tell them to stop. What are you serving them for breakfast? Maybe they want something else. Breakfast truly is the most important meal, I have seen it on tv alot just don't remember why. I usually skip breakfast myself then just eat whenever I want but then I am overweight. Just ask your kids what they want for breakfast, maybe they'll eat something fun like waffles and pop tarts. Or you can bribe them or something. I tell my daughter she will grow really beautiful and with a good figure if she eats vegetables and she believes me so she eats them all the time.
1 person likes this
• United States
31 Jan 07
I have all that stuff in my kitchen, waffles, cereal, toast, eggs, whatever they might want.
@smrohitsm (231)
• India
30 Jan 07
I would recomend drinking 1 or 2 glasses of lukeworm water before visiting the washroom in the morning. it will not only clean your stomach but also prepare your digestive system for food. Even I used to feel sick to eat the breakfast early, But ever since i started drinkning water i cant wait to have it. give it a try.
1 person likes this
• United States
30 Jan 07
I'll have to give that a try.
@anja31 (707)
• Canada
30 Jan 07
both of my children eating well in the morning. The doctor is right dont force your children to eat.
• United States
30 Jan 07
My 6 year old always eats breakfast because sometimes at lunch he is too busy talking so at least if I get a good breakfast in him, I know he will be ok til he gets home at 3:30. He did learn though that he had to take time to eat at lunch because 3:30 was a long time away.
1 person likes this
@blanksolid (1631)
• Spain
30 Jan 07
Yes, in my oppinion the breakfast is the most important meal of the day but unfortunately many people like me for not having much time we usually dont have a breakfast in the mornings so i think that this is not good for our healthy because many medics had said that we would have breakfast everyday, some fruit from my point of view is good, have a nice day on mylot and happy earnings also.
1 person likes this
@TheSatan (11)
• Canada
30 Jan 07
Certainly breakfast is the most important meal of the day....it has many advantages....everyone shud have their breakfasts esp children....if ur child hardly eats brkfast den let him/her have a heavy meal at nite or atleast make him drink a glass of milk....
1 person likes this
@XxAngelxX (2830)
• Canada
30 Jan 07
If my children ate lunch at 10:35, I wouldn't worry to much about them not eating breakfast. I'd try and get them to have a banana or apple or something small, but really 10:35 is pretty early. I don't have a problem getting my kids to eat breakfast thankfully but if I were you, I really wouldn't waste any sleep over this issue.
1 person likes this
• United States
30 Jan 07
The first food of the day is important after the body has fasted all night. Your son eats lunch early compared to mine who leaves for school at 6:45 and eats lunch at 12:30. That's a long time to keep fasting and be able to pay attention in class.
1 person likes this
@apky12 (769)
• United States
30 Jan 07
I have my kids eat those nutrigrain bars for breakfast. They love them!
1 person likes this
• United States
30 Jan 07
Breakfast is only the most important meal of the day if you eat it. Many people skip breakfast and seem to do just fine. The first meal of the day will always have an impact because usually it is the only time you eat with a huge time lapse since your last meal. Your body is looking for a reason to produce an energy burst. Filling it with food gives it a reason to start running up to full speed again. Many people find an energy drop within a couple of hours of getting up in the morning. This usually because they did not eat breakfast. Your stomach looks for anything easy to absorb like water and some simple sugars. Eating a breakfast that combines easy ingredients with some that are more substantial gives your body a quick boost and then something to use later on too.
• Pakistan
30 Jan 07
I JUST Want to coment on the importance of Breakfas(i m unmarried) Yes breakfast is the most important if u miss it the whole day goes wrong and fishy and upset .It is necessary fo one to eat breakfast it keeps fresh,energetic and open mind
1 person likes this
@Mitraa (3184)
• India
30 Jan 07
Breakfast is the first food of the day and vital also But the most important meal of the day is lunch that is taken between 11hrs and 15hrs. Thanks.
1 person likes this
@jothis (518)
• India
30 Jan 07
BREAKFAST IS VERY NECESSARY OTHERWISE OUR BRAIN WONT WORK PROPERLY. SO WE VE TO VE IT ON TIME
1 person likes this
• Canada
30 Jan 07
I have the same problem with my son who is 12 . The school was sending home notices and then they started calling me because not only would he not eat breakfast but then he would go to school and not eat lunch . They were assuming I didn't send him with anything . I took him to the doctor's to find out what we could do about this and they are checking into what they can do , he has to see a bunch of different doctor's as he has many different problems since he took a bad fall at the end of the school year last year , when another child shoved him and he fit his head off the cement ( which by the way the school didn't think was enough of a reason to call me and he was sent home on the bus and he ended up having a severe concussion ). The school now knows that he doesn't eat at school or at home and this is of his own choice . I have been told to just let him be for the time being . Maybe you could try talking to you family doctor about this to get some idea's with your son .
1 person likes this
• United States
30 Jan 07
my son eats pretty good at school. he gets free breakfast from school so I am not there, but the teacher has told me many times that he eats really good. on the weekends, though, he doesn't eat at all. i wouldn't worry about it too much. as long as he is having good days and not falling asleep or being distracted from a hungry tummy, i wouldn't see what would matter. :)
1 person likes this
• United States
30 Jan 07
Breakfast truly is the most important meal of the day. My son eats oatmeal for breakfast every day, and it helps him maintain better energy throughout the day. I notice that if he doesn't eat breakfast he is more irritable and sleepy. Even if it is something simple as a meal replacement bar, a child should start their day with something.
1 person likes this