When I ask teens about their eating patterns, invariably I hear some variation of this: After rolling out of bed to get to school by 7 or 7:30 in the morning, girls typically skip breakfast. Many say they aren’t hungry in the morning—and most would rather stay in bed as long as possible. Then they don’t eat lunch at school, but might grab an apple or snack in the cafeteria. It is not until they get home in the afternoon—sometimes late because of extracurricular activities—that they have what might pass for a meal.
It’s hard to know how students could possibly have enough energy to stay focused enough to learn in school and to participate in energetic sports, let alone to manage the inevitable social and emotional ups and downs of middle school or high school. The reality is, many don’t. Teen and tweens too often are tired, out of sorts, and irritable. When they do eat, they may turn to processed foods high in salt, sugar, and empty calories.
Although there are conflicting reports about whether breakfast is in fact the most important meal of the day, the scientific jury has ruled (at least for now): Teen girls who eat breakfast benefit from:
- Boosted energy levels
- Better ability to focus
- Strengthened metabolism and weight loss
- Relief from anxiety, depression, and mood swings
If your daughter doesn’t feel hungry in the morning or doesn’t want to sit down to eat breakfast, here are some alternatives that I’ve learned—both from parenting my own fussy teen daughter and from speaking to nutritionists—that can be consumed while she’s getting ready to head out in the morning or on her way to school:
- Drinking a satisfying smoothie made from favorite fruits, yogurt, peanut or almond butter, chia seeds, avocado, and other protein sources
- Having a handful of nuts—almonds and walnuts are especially healthy
- Grabbing a mini-muffin or two made from eggs, vegetables, and cheese
- Avocado, peanut, or sunflower seed/almond/cashew butter on toast