Recent surveys suggest that 1 in 7 children do not eat a breakfast. Going on our school numbers, that would suggest that approximately 97 children come to PJPs without breakfast! Eating breakfast is thought to improve concentration and learning, the promotion of regularly eating breakfast, especially on school days should stay high on the agenda. Breakfast eaters tend to have higher intakes of essential vitamins and minerals, particularly when they choose cereal and milk for breakfast, as cereals are often fortified and milk boosts calcium intake.

Increasingly it is accepted that when children eat breakfast it can help improve their mental performance in areas such as problem solving, mathematical and creative tasks and attention span. This affect continues throughout the hours after breakfast, not just after breakfast has been consumed. The importance of breakfast can not be overestimated, and the evidence for its beneficial effect on overall wellbeing and improved memory is encouraging.

TOP TIPS TO HELP ENCOURAGE KIDS TO EAT BREAKFAST:

1. Set the alarm 10 minutes earlier to give a little extra time to breakfast.

2. Sit and eat breakfast together.

3. Lay out the bowls, plates, cutlery and packets of cereal (maybe the night before) so that when everyone is ready and dressed, breakfast can be enjoyed.

4.Offering a variety of cereal choices, or allowing children to mix their breakfast cereals will help to avoid flavour boredom - but a different kind of fortified breakfast cereal when next shopping.

5. A portion of fruit with breakfast counts towards 1 out of the 5-A-Day and the vitamin C found in fruit aids the iron absorption too!