What did your child have for breakfast this morning? Soda and chips? A doughnut? Something? Anything? Or nothing? Unfortunately, one third of Bermuda's Secondary Students state they do not regularly eat breakfast (1992 Secondary School Health survey). During the week of the survey, less than half, 44.5 percent ate breakfast all seven days.

The most common reasons students do not eat breakfast are: not enough time (43%) no reason (29%) not hungry (24%) Another reason that students don't eat breakfast is that their parents have already left for work or are too busy to prepare it.

Would you like your child to: Feel better in the morning? Concentrate better at school? Get better test scores? Have enough energy to get through the morning? If so make sure your child takes time for breakfast! A payoff in learning: Studies show that skipping breakfast can affect how well your child performs at school as well as his health. In one study lasting for four years, it was found that boys who skipped breakfast were careless and less attentive in class during the morning. When the same boys ate breakfast, there was a noticeable improvement in their school work.

Not only is performance was affected, but other factors attributed to lack of breakfast include irritability, headaches, fatigue and increased susceptibility to infection.

Why eat breakfast? After ten to 14 hours without food the body's fuel is used up. This causes a reduction in the blood sugar (glucose) level. Glucose is the main source of energy for the human brain, just as gas is for bikes and cars. Our vehicles have tanks to store their fuel. Unfortunately, our brains do not. Instead the brain must constantly replenish its glucose by transporting it in through the blood supply, like a tankless bike permanently hooked up to a gas pump.

Sustained mental work requires a large turnover of brain glucose. When a child who has not eaten breakfast is placed under the demands of understanding a complex subject, that child cannot function to the optimum because there is not enough glucose to feed the brain. The brain's gas pump has run dry.

This will affect a child's emotional behaviour, his ability to do math and read, as well as his physical work output.

Nutritionally, when breakfast is skipped, a student misses out on a quarter to a third of his nutrient needs for the day. Breakfast foods are the ones the body needs to supply calcium, riboflavin (milk), iron (cereal, eggs) and vitamin C (fruit juice). When breakfast is not eaten, the body is likely to miss out on these nutrients for the rest of the day. So like it or not, breakfast is the most important meal of the day for you and your child.

Breakfast can be quick and easy.

Here are a few breakfast ideas to encourage your family to eat breakfast: 1.

Have a trial run. For two to three weeks get your child to eat breakfast and see if he feels better in the morning and achieves more at school and work.

2. Make sure there is time to relax and not hurry eating. Hurrying food can make you feel ill.

3. Do not eat or snack after supper as it can cause you to feel full the next morning.

4. Start off with one single food such as, a glass of milk or piece of fruit.

Over the next two to three weeks add other foods gradually.

5. Use easy to fix foods such as, ready-to-eat cereal with milk and juice.

6. You don't have to eat breakfast-type foods. Sandwiches, leftovers, or even pizza appeal to some at breakfast time! 7. Offer a food from at least three of the five food groups -- milk, meat or alternate, bread and cereal, fruit and vegetables -- for a well balanced breakfast.

8. If you are running late, take something to eat on the run, such as a piece of fruit, a sandwich or a muffin with cheese.

9. Set the table the night before, so the bowl and cereal are ready. 10. Have your child go to bed at an earlier time.