How important is a healthy breakfast to your child’s educational success? “Breakfast literally ‘breaks the fast’ from the night before and gives your body the food/fuel necessary to function properly and fight fatigue,” says Tiffany Bruner, MS, RD/LD, the Assistant Director of Child Nutrition at Moore Public Schools. “Eating a healthy breakfast [affects students in] the classroom with better concentration, increased ability to learn or retain information, better performance on exams, reduced behavioral problems and improved attendance records due to a stronger immune system.”

So, what makes up a healthy breakfast? Bruner suggests that a meal including whole grains, lean protein, low-fat dairy and fruit or vegetables is going to provide energy and necessary fuel to get your child’s day off on the right foot. And don’t worry that these healthy foods will break your budget. In a recent TIME magazine article, Dr. Mehmet Oz (award-winning talk show host, author and cardiologist) asserted that healthy foods are available at all price points in your local supermarket, not just in gourmet stores.

In fact, if you read labels closely, you can typically find affordable cereals and oatmeals that are made with whole grains and without high fructose corn syrup or high sugar content. Other good choices include Greek yogurt, which is high in protein, eggs and fresh fruit.

And, mom, why should you remember to eat breakfast? Because, according to Bruner, “eating breakfast leads to healthier food choices throughout the day and at other meals.” So don’t skip this important meal!