During this festive breakfast week, we want to highlight the importance of having a healthy breakfast, with the mission of a healthy breakfast every day and for every child. Each day starts with a delicious and varied breakfast, and of course educational materials are also included. Registration closes on 15 September.

Five basic rules

Starting the day with a healthy breakfast is a good way to begin the day! The National School Breakfast has five simple basic rules:

1 Breakfast gives you energy

A car does not run without petrol and a phone does not work with an empty battery. The same applies to your body. By having breakfast, your body starts the new day full of energy again. Especially because your body has had to go without food during the night. Your breakfast immediately gives you the energy you need in the morning to learn, work, exercise and play!

2 Breakfast provides essential nutrients

A healthy breakfast also gives you important nutrients that you need every day. For example, breakfast provides the fibre, vitamins and minerals your body needs. If you do not start the day with these, it can be difficult to make up for the shortfall later. So do your body a favour with a tasty and healthy breakfast!

3 Breakfast helps your digestion

Breakfast is the first meal after a long night of sleep, during which you naturally eat and drink nothing. Your breakfast gets your intestines working in the morning and helps ensure good digestion. This means you can go to the toilet more easily and are less likely to suffer from stomach ache. A breakfast with plenty of fibre is especially good for the functioning of your intestines. You can get fibre, for example, from wholemeal bread, muesli, vegetables and fruit.

4 Breakfast prevents snacking

If you do not start the day with breakfast, you may feel like having snacks sooner later in the morning. These are usually less healthy snacks containing lots of sugar, salt or unhealthy fat. That is not good for your body. With a healthy breakfast, you often feel full for longer and are less inclined to eat those unhealthy snacks. So it is smart to start the day with a healthy breakfast. Preferably one based on the Wheel of Five.

5 Breakfast is tasty and enjoyable

It is now clear that breakfast is healthy. But we would almost forget the most important thing: breakfast is super tasty and great fun! What better way to start the day than enjoying bread, toppings, yoghurt, vegetables, fruit, tea… together at the table? Having a delicious meal with your parents, brothers or sisters while discussing plans for another new day together. So start the day well with a healthy breakfast!

Composition

The breakfast package has been put together according to the guidelines of the Wheel of Five, with healthy choices for every child. This also applies to children with a food allergy or intolerance. This way, breakfast is a celebration for every child.

Facts and figures

The National School Breakfast conducts research into the breakfast habits of primary school pupils. The 2021 Breakfast Monitor shows that four percent of Dutch children between the ages of 4 and 12 do not eat breakfast every day. That may seem like a small number, but it concerns many children. Since they are in a period of rapid growth, eating breakfast is particularly important. Their bodies need breakfast in order to learn and play. Breakfast is the fuel for an energetic school day full of fun!

2022

In 2022, the 20th edition of the National School Breakfast was opened by Paralympic tennis champion Esther Vergeer at Burgers’ Zoo in Arnhem. The first breakfast package was then presented to Member of Parliament Laurens Dassen. A special (digital) Breakfast Newspaper full of games, recipes and information about a healthy breakfast was created especially for this breakfast week. Some 400,000 children from approximately 2,000 schools in the Netherlands took part in the 2022 edition.

Click here to register your school for the National School Breakfast 2023.

Photo caption: In 2022, children from Zyp primary school symbolically presented the first breakfast package to Member of Parliament Laurens Dassen, after which the children fed the animals as the starting signal for breakfast at Burgers’ Zoo.