Benefits of Breakfast: Academics

Research shows that eating a nutritious breakfast supports learning and academic achievement. Unfortunately, every day, many students miss out on those benefits .

Academic Achievement
An analysis of nearly 1,400 schools in California found that eating breakfast is associated with higher school-wide standardized test scores. Research shows that students who increase their participation in school breakfast also increase their math grades. Students who eat breakfast experience improved cognitive performance, visual perception, and short-term memory compared to students who do not eat breakfast.

Learning Environment
Research shows that students who are well nourished are more likely to get along with their peers and less likely to be suspended from school. Students who eat breakfast report feeling more motivated at school than students who do not eat breakfast. Schools that offer Classroom Breakfast experience a decrease in absenteeism, tardiness, and disciplinary suspensions. These benefits of breakfast make for productive classroom environments that help all students learn and achieve.

Read our Benefits of Breakfast fact sheet for more details and complete references to research studies linking breakfast and brain power.