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Sodexo Shares Top Breakfast Benefits for Students

Posted on: Tuesday, 3 March 2009, 14:52 CST

First meal of the day has surprising impact on young people

GAITHERSBURG, Md., March 3 /PRNewswire/ -- To help raise awareness for the importance of breakfast for students, Sodexo, a leading provider of food and nutrition services to more than 470 school districts across the country, has created a list of the "Top Ways Breakfast Helps Students" in time for National School Breakfast Week, March 2-6.

"Studies repeatedly show that a healthy and nutritious breakfast is a key driving force for improved scholastic achievement from students in grades K-12," said Roxanne Moore, registered dietitian and national director of wellness brand for Sodexo. Moore said a Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital study discovered that students who usually ate school breakfast had improved math grades, reduced hyperactivity, decreased absence and tardy rates, and improved psycho-social behaviors compared with children who rarely ate school breakfast.

Sodexo's Top Ways Breakfast Helps Students:

(1) Helps Kids Watch Their Weight

Research shows that eating breakfast every day is an effective means for controlling weight. By encouraging kids to make breakfast a habit now can help them lead healthier lives as adults.

(2) Promotes an Active and Alert Lifestyle

Breakfast presents an ideal opportunity for a child to consume essential nutrients for health, one of which is iron. Iron is an essential component of proteins involved in transporting oxygen throughout the body, thus helping students concentrate in the classroom.

(3) Fosters Friendships

Without a doubt, a student's ability to socialize with peers in a school setting plays a significant role in scholastic achievement. Kids who are well-fueled in the morning have more energy to socialize and engage in morning activities.

(4) Teaches Life Lessons

When kids get an opportunity to assemble and prepare their own breakfast, they are learning critical life skills. By teaching kids things like the proper technique for cracking eggs, the importance of properly washing their hands before preparing or eating meals and how to measure ingredients to make dishes, kids are also learning about a broad range of subjects including nutrition, math and science.

For more student well-being tips from Roxanne Moore, visit her online radio program, "Nutrition Matters with Roxanne Moore," at http://www.modavox.com/VoiceAmericaHealth.

Sodexo, Inc.

Sodexo, Inc. (www.sodexoUSA.com) is a leading integrated facilities management services company in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, with $7.7 billion (USD) in annual revenue and 120,000 employees. Sodexo serves more than ten million customers daily in corporations, health care, long term care and retirement centers, schools, college campuses, government, and remote sites. Sodexo, Inc., headquartered in Gaithersburg, Md., is a member of Sodexo Group, and funds all administrative costs for the Sodexo Foundation (www.sodexofoundation.org), an independent charitable organization that, since its founding in 1999, has made more than $11 million in grants to fight hunger in America.

SOURCE Sodexo, Inc.

Source: PR Newswire

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