Students patiently waiting for their breakfast at Starbucks located in Cook Library of Towson University (Photo by Tim Barbalace/TU Student
Beep. Beep. Beep. It is 9 a.m. Robby Walsh, a Towson University student, wakes up and prepares to get ready for his 10 a.m. class. He takes a shower, brushes his teeth, gets dressed, and heads out the door for class.
This seems like a normal morning routine but something important is missing.
Walsh is one of over 31 million Americans who skip breakfast every day, according to the Huffington Post.
“I would rather sleep in longer then eat breakfast,” said Walsh. “I just don’t have the time to eat breakfast.”
Walsh says he typically waits until lunch to eat. He realizes that skipping breakfast is bad, but he can’t help it.
“I know breakfast is really important,” said Walsh. “I just stay up late most nights and really value my sleep.”
Kerry Ballek, registered dietitian at Towson University, views skipping breakfast as a university wide problem.
“Many students I see for nutrition counseling skip breakfast, usually because they don’t get up early enough to eat or just don’t have time,” said Ballek.
Ben Storke is another student at Towson University that finds himself in too much of a time cramp for breakfast.
“I try to eat breakfast as much as I can,” said Storke. “It just doesn’t always work out that way.”
The benefits are substantial according to Ballek. By eating breakfast students have a better attitude toward school, higher productivity, a better ability to handle tasks that require memory and more strength and endurance. Eating breakfast also helps you consume a better quality diet.
A common misconception people believe is they can lose weight by skipping breakfast, but this is quite the opposite.
“Breakfast helps with weight control,” said Ballek. “Don’t skip breakfast to save calories, it may lead to overeating later in the day.”
The main benefit to eating breakfast is that it helps to jump start your brain for the rest of the day.
“Breakfast helps refuel your brain,” said Ballek. “Your brain has no stored glucose reserves.”
Students who eat breakfast have improved cognitive performances and better test scores and achievement scores as opposed to students who skipped breakfast, according to the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. Also students who eat breakfast are shown to have decreased rates of tardiness and absences, according to the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.
There are contrasting feelings starting the day if you eat breakfast as oppose to skipping out on breakfast, according to Ballek.
“I can feel the difference when I do eat breakfast compared to when I don’t,” said Storke.
Some people also think that breakfast has to be a stereotypical eggs and bacon meal, however, this is not the case. There are a variety of different meal choices for breakfast.
“At least 2 food groups should be included,” said Ballek. “Eating a mix of carbohydrate, protein and fat will give you a sustained release of energy which delays hunger and helps maintain blood glucose levels.”
Examples of quick and easy breakfast meals could include: oatmeal with raisins and walnuts, low fat yogurt with crunchy cereal and blueberries, a toaster waffle with peanut butter and a low fat cream cheese on a whole grain bagel topped with strawberries. The meal combinations seem endless.
Towson University, along with many other colleges, offers on campus nutritional services. At Towson University these services are free.
You will be required to complete a brief medical history and 24 hour food recall prior to your appointment. For more information on making an appointment, you can contact Kerry Ballek through the Towson University web site.
“I will really try to eat breakfast from now on,” said Robby Walsh after hearing about the benefits of consuming a healthy breakfast.
Breakfast is extremely beneficial, especially for students. Breakfast can help students be ready to conquer exams and schoolwork. The “forgotten” meal is proven to be beneficial and should not be overlooked.
tim barbalace 