Breakfast...The Most Important Meal of The Day?

It's 11am...has your family eaten breakfast today?

Experts claim it's the most important meal of the day and yet, many times, we skip it. I know I'm guilty of the same thing. I wake up and start my day getting Nate ready, throwing in a load of laundry, washing dishes, vacuuming, and before I know it, it's lunchtime and I've only had a cup (or two) of coffee. Oops. That's hardly a complete breakfast.

Did you know that those who skip breakfast tend to weigh more than those who eat breakfast each morning? You may think that skipping a meal would mean you consume less calories overall but it is actually counterproductive. Those who skip breakfast often tend to overeat later in the day, thus consuming more calories than if they had eaten in the first place.

Also, studies show that children who eat breakfast in the morning tend to perform better in school. Compared to their counterparts who skip an early meal, children who eat breakfast have higher test scores, are less likely to be absent or tardy and have fewer reported disciplinary actions.

While that stack of pancakes with sausage on the side sounds awfully good, here are some reasons why we should all put the maple syrup and nitrates away to join our kids with a bowl of cereal in the morning:

• Cereals are rich in important vitamins and minerals, yet lower in calories than many other common breakfast options.
  

• Cereal eaters consume less fat, less cholesterol and more fiber than non-cereal eaters.

• Frequent cereal eaters tend to have healthier body weights, and lower Body Mass Index measures (BMIs). This is true for men, women and children, and includes those who eat presweetened cereals.

• Ready-to-eat cereals are the number 1 source of whole grains in children's diets, and also deliver important nutrients, such as vitamins A, B6, iron, niacin and zinc.

• Ready-to-eat cereals, including presweetened cereals, account for only 5% of sugar in children's diets.

Cereals today are becoming more and more nutritious, thanks to companies like General Mills. Every General Mills Big G cereal contains at least 8 grams of whole grain per serving, and more than 20 General Mills cereals deliver double that, at 16 grams or more per serving. General Mills has also recently announced an initiative to further reduce sugar levels in cereals advertised to children 12 and under to single digit grams of sugar per serving. My son is a Cheerios addict and this information makes me feel good about his breakfast and snack of choice.

You can learn more about cereal and health by visiting the General Mills' website. You can also find a $1 off coupon for one of four popular General Mills cereals! So, tomorrow morning after your alarm goes off (whether wired or diapered), take the break you deserve and pull up a seat next to your children as you all enjoy some crunchy goodness.

Disclaimer: I was informed of this General Mills campaign as a result of my membership at MyBlogSpark. All health claims made above were provided by the General Mills website. In return for posting this information, I received four VIP coupons for free boxes of General Mills cereal.