Research Highlights

• Breakfast is essential to the cognitive functioning of children.
• Over 40% of Canadian children do not eat a nutritious meal before school.
• Children coming to school hungry are not necessarily from low-income families. Working parents, early bus schedules and a lack of hunger in the morning may all contribute to children not eating breakfast.
• Universal school food programs allow all children to benefit from improved nutrition and eliminate the stigma associated with labelling children as “low-income”.

And in Guelph & Wellington…

• The number of children being served by Food and Friends in Guelph and Wellington has nearly doubled over the last three years.     
  

The Importance of Breakfast
Although a clear, definitive, scientific conclusion has not yet been reached, the consensus among researchers and educators is that breakfast is both important and necessary for the learning ability of children. Most researchers agree that breakfast is essential to the cognitive functioning of children. Children who eat breakfast have fewer discipline problems, increased attention spans, and visit school nurses’ offices less often ¹. Furthermore, they average math grades almost a whole letter grade higher than children who rarely eat breakfast ². Research has also indicated that providing breakfast to mildly undernourished students at school improves their speed and memory in cognitive tests ³.
 
Prevalence of Children Going Without Breakfast
The 1997 National Child Hunger Survey found that 42% of Canadian children do not regularly eat a nutritious meal before starting school ⁴. Several current American studies have also found that figure to be around 40% ⁵. There are several reasons children may not have breakfast before going to school. Among these are time demands on working parents and children’s schedules, a lack of skills to provide food for him or herself, an early bus schedule, a lack of money, or the child simply is not hungry or finds him or herself unable to eat in the morning ⁶.
 
With so many working parents and early bus schedules, hungry children are no longer exclusively coming from disadvantaged families. Regardless of socio-economic situations, all children are vulnerable to hunger.

The Effects of Hunger on Children
A rapidly growing body of research supports the common sense notion that hungry children are unable to learn to their full potential. The best teachers in the world with the best resources at their disposal simply cannot teach a hungry child ⁷. Behavioural, emotional and academic problems are more prevalent among hungry children ⁸. Without breakfast children generally have more trouble concentrating and less speed and accuracy when retrieving information from memory ⁹. Hungry children also demonstrate lower math scores and are more likely to repeat a grade ¹⁰.
 
When children are chronically undernourished their bodies conserve the limited food energy available. Their energies are first used for the maintenance of their organ function, then for growth, and last for social activity and cognitive development. As a result, undernourished children reduce their activity level and become lethargic and apathetic ¹¹. Hungry children are also often disinterested and irritable when confronted with difficult tasks.
 
The effects of hunger on the cognitive abilities of children have led many of these children to be diagnosed as emotionally or learning disabled ¹². This label will follow these children throughout their lives, will limit their potential educational experiences, and is often very hard to disprove.
 
Contributing Factors
The growing incidence of child poverty in Canada is a key factor contributing to the development of school nourishment programs across the country. The 2005 Report Card on Child Poverty in Canada states that 1.2 million Canadian children, one out of every six, lives in poverty ¹³. Although it has been recognized that poverty is not the only factor contributing to children arriving for school hungry, the increasing numbers of disadvantaged children in this country is leading provincial governments and other sponsors to look for ways to ensure the health of these children. According to the Dieticians of Canada, roughly one-third of a child's daily food intake occurs during school hours ¹⁴. If they do not arrive well fed with enough food to support them throughout the day, they will not have the ability to participate as fully in classroom activities.
 
Research has demonstrated that breakfast confers scholastic performance benefits on well-nourished as well as malnourished children. Children participating in school breakfast programs show improved classroom behaviour. Classroom mood and ambiance is improved ¹⁵. Teachers report improved student attentiveness and concentration, as well as fewer signs of depression, anxiety, hyperactivity, and other behavioural problems ¹⁶. They have also found the students to be calmer and more energetic.
 
Because of their ability to improve the nutritional status of disadvantaged children, breakfast programs tend to be located in predominantly low-income neighbourhoods ¹⁷. Breakfast programs have the ability to not only provide nutritious food to disadvantaged children, but also have the opportunity to teach children about proper nutrition ¹⁸. These programs also act as social occasions and allow children to better develop their interaction skills.
 
Universal versus Targeted Nourishment Programs
School programs in Canada are universal, in that every student may participate regardless of their socio-economic background. While targeted breakfast programs may be more cost effective and have the ability to reach the children at greatest risk, provided there are effective screening measures in place, at-risk children are often difficult to identify because they do not always demonstrate visible signs of malnourishment ¹⁹. By concentrating on a smaller number of children, targeted programs may be able to further identify and ameliorate lifestyle factors placing children at risk. However, advocates claim that targeted programs may single out children for stigmatization and may also disempower the child and family by highlighting need in relation to those not at risk ²⁰. The State of Minnesota’s Breakfast Study discovered that the elimination of the stigma of a subsidized meal increased participation from 12% to at least 75%. One student remarked, “I think its good because everyone is the same” ²¹.
 
Universal nutrition programs decrease the risk of stigmatization and therefore allow all children to benefit from the program, including those who may be at risk. Universal programs do not exclude children who are not deemed needy, but are still skipping breakfast ²². These programs also provide the opportunity to teach all children about the fundamentals of nutrition and healthy eating practices. Allowing all children to participate increases socialization among all children. A universal program may also enhance a sense of community as all groups, including parents, volunteers, and students can work together.
 
Community Support & Services
Food and Friends
Food and Friends provides a range of breakfast and/or snack programs for children and youth attending school in Wellington, Dufferin and Guelph. The following is a list of Food and Friends Programs offered in Guelph and Wellington:

• Arthur Public School
• Brant Avenue Public School
• Brisbane Public School
• Centre Wellington High School
• College Heights Secondary School
• Dr. William Tytler Public School
• Elora High School
• Eramosa Public School
• Erin
• F.A. Hamilton Public School
• GCVI Food for Thought
• Gateway Drive Public School
• Give Yourself Credit
• Guelph Community Health Centre
• J.D. Hogarth Public School
• John F. Ross
• King George Public School
• Minto Clifford Public School
• Mitchell Woods Public School
• Our Lady of Lourdes
• Paisley Road Public School
• Palmerston Public School
• Priority Park Public School
• Rockwood Centennial Public School
• Ross R. MacKay
• Sacred Heart Catholic School
• St. John Catholic School (Arthur)
• St. John (Guelph)
• St. Joseph’s Catholic School
• St. Mary’s Catholic
• Tytler Public School
• Victoria Cross Public School
• Victoria Terrace Public School
• Waverly Drive Public School
• Waverly Neighbourhood Group
• Willow Road Public School – Onward Willow
• YMCA-YWCA of Guelph – TAPPS

* The United Way of Guelph & Wellington funds and supports Food and Friends.
 
 
What are the Social Service Needs in Guelph & Wellington?

• Food and Friends programming needs have increased greatly over the last three years. They have gone from 30 programs in 2003 to 46 programs this year.
• Food and Friends is expecting to support over 8,000 students in the 2006/2007 school year, compared to 4,460 children who were serviced in 2003.

1. Keep Kids Healthy (2006). Retrieved June 23, 2006, from http:www.keepkidshealthy.com.
2. Centre for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (1999). Breakfast and Learning in Children. Symposium Proceedings, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington D.C. April 22, 1999.
3. Food Research and Action Centre (n.d.). Breakfast for Learning. Retrieved June 21, 2006, from http://www.frac.org/pdf/breakfastforlearning.PDF.
4. Hyndman, B. (2000). Feeding the Body, Feeding the Mind: An Overview of School-based Nutrition Programs in Canada. Prepared for Breakfast for Learning Canadian Living Foundation. Retrieved June 21, 2006, from http://www.breakfastforlearning.ca/english/resources/materials/feeding_the_mind.pdf.
5. Keep Kids Healthy (2006). Retrieved June 23, 2006, from http://www.keepkidshealthy.com.
6. Food and Friends (n.d.). Food and Friends – Overview. Retrieved June 23, 2006, from http://www.wdghu.org/topics/Food_Friends/index.htm.
7. Centre for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (1999). Breakfast and Learning in Children. Symposium Proceedings, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington D.C. April 22, 1999.
8. Food Research and Action Centre (n.d.). Breakfast for Learning. Retrieved June 21, 2006, from http://www.frac.org/pdf/breakfastforlearning.PDF.
9. Keep Kids Healthy (2006). Retrieved June 23, 2006, from http://www.keepkidshealthy.com.
   
10. Food Research and Action Centre (n.d.). Breakfast for Learning. Retrieved June 21, 2006, from http://www.frac.org/pdf/breakfastforlearning.PDF.
    
11. Centre for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (1999). Breakfast and Learning in Children. Symposium Proceedings, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington D.C. April 22, 1999.
12. Ibid.
13. Campaign 2000 (2005). Decision Time for Canada: Let’s Make Poverty History. 2005 Report Card on Child Poverty in Canada. Toronto, Ontario: Campaign 2000.
14. Breakfast for Learning (2006). Retrieved June 21, 2006, from http://www.breakfastforlearning.ca.
    
15. Hyndman, B. (2000). Feeding the Body, Feeding the Mind: An Overview of School-based Nutrition Programs in Canada. Prepared for Breakfast for Learning Canadian Living Foundation. Retrieved June 21, 2006, from http://www.breakfastforlearning.ca/english/resources/materials/feeding_the_mind.pdf.
16. Papamandjaris, A. (2000). Breakfast and Learning in Children: A Review of the Effects of Breakfast on Scholastic Performance. Prepared for Breakfast for Learning Canadian Living Foundation, North York, Ontario.
17. Hyndman, B. (2000). Feeding the Body, Feeding the Mind: An Overview of School-based Nutrition Programs in Canada. Prepared for Breakfast for Learning Canadian Living Foundation. Retrieved June 21, 2006, from http://www.breakfastforlearning.ca/english/resources/materials/feeding_the_mind.pdf.
18. Papamandjaris, A. (2000). Breakfast and Learning in Children: A Review of the Effects of Breakfast on Scholastic Performance. Prepared for Breakfast for Learning Canadian Living Foundation, North York, Ontario.
19. Ibid.
20. Centre for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (1999). Breakfast and Learning in Children. Symposium Proceedings, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington D.C. April 22, 1999.
21. Ibid.
22. Papamandjaris, A. (2000). Breakfast and Learning in Children: A Review of the Effects of Breakfast on Scholastic Performance. Prepared for Breakfast for Learning Canadian Living Foundation, North York, Ontario.