Written by Grace Tramack

It can be difficult to find time in the morning to eat breakfast between waking up, changing and rushing off to school. A study by Kellogg’s found that due to lack of time and other personal reasons, only 36 percent of high school students eat breakfast in the morning; however, this meal should be prioritized, especially by teenagers, as eating breakfast provides the body with energy, improves daily performance and helps decrease chances of weight gain.

Having breakfast in the morning is extremely beneficial because it provides your body with the nutrients it needs throughout the rest of the day. When you wake up, your body naturally has low blood sugar levels and is dehydrated, which will cause you to feel sluggish. Eating before the rest of your day starts helps wake you up and give you energy. According to a study done by the Harris School of Business, the ideal breakfast includes a combination of lean proteins such as eggs or turkey sausage, fruits, whole grains and some vegetables.

In addition, eating breakfast helps improve performance on tests, quizzes, presentations or any other pressing tasks. According to the Harris School study, eating foods with Vitamin C, such as berries or citrus fruits, with the rest of your breakfast will help improve memory and enhance signals from the brain. The study also says that students who eat in the morning tend to perform better on tests and quizzes.

Lastly, although many teenagers skip breakfast in hopes of losing weight, eating something in the morning will actually reduce your risk of gaining weight. According to a study done by Rush, when you eat breakfast, it tells your system that you have plenty of calories for the day. However, by skipping breakfast, your body works to conserve your calories, even if you are eating slightly less. Eating something in the morning will actually get your metabolism going for the day, and will allow you to lose more calories than if you skipped out on breakfast.

Due to benefits such as providing the body with energy, improving performance on daily tasks and increasing chances of losing weight, breakfast should definitely be the first priority in the morning. After all, it’s the most important meal of the day.