After we wake up our bodies in the morning, we want to wake up our bellies so they can give us energy for the day ahead. You can think of your belly as the energy center for your body. One of the important ways your brain and muscles get the power they need to work hard for your every day is through the food you put into your belly! This is why it is important to choose Power Foods so that your brain and body can be as strong as possible.

What are Power Foods, and why do we want to eat them?

Power foods are healthy foods that give us the energy to perform our very best throughout the day. Eating power foods in the morning is especially important because this sets the tone for your energy levels for the rest of the day to come. Have you ever skipped breakfast in the morning? If so, you might
have noticed your belly grumbling, your mood getting a little cranky, and maybe that your brain wasn’t working so well. We can make sure our bodies are powered up for the day ahead by making good breakfast choices to fill up our energy stores.

Breakfast foods like eggs, granola, yogurt, fruits and smoothies can all be Power Foods depending on how they are made. It is important to look for whole grains, high protein, low sugar content and healthy fats.

What are some Power Foods you can eat in the morning?

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Do you know where you can find these Power Foods?

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Teacher’s Tip: This is a great lesson to introduce at the beginning of the school year, or after a break when students will need to engage their brains more than they’ve been used to for the last few weeks or months. Reminding students about the effects of nutrition can serve as motivation to practice mindful eating.

Student Tip: We learned that Power Foods are an important jump-start for your day. See if you can teach someone in your family about Power Foods. If someone at home makes you breakfast, or buys groceries, maybe you can tell them about Power Foods and come up with some ideas so that you can fuel yourself well in the morning.