What is the one thing that men, women, adolescents and children have in common? Let me help you...

It is a bright thing to do as you wake up;

It is the right way to start the day;

It is essential for your wellbeing;

It is absolutely delicious;

Keeps you focused ... and full till lunchtime;

And you can face the day with a big smile on your face...;

Trust me... waking up to breakfast is one of the best things in life.

Yes, whichever category you fall into, breakfast is one meal you simply cannot afford to miss.

Breakfast benefits for men

In this day and age, vanity no longer seems to be an adjective that applies only to women. Men are as likely as women to want to look good and slim. They are also becoming increasingly conscious of the benefits of a healthier lifestyle as they understand more the health risks they are facing.

Breakfast also has health benefits for men. For instance, it keeps the heart healthy and breakfast that includes high-fibre cereals can also help your digestive system in good health.

Breakfast benefits for women

Research has shown that women who eat breakfast are less likely to be overweight than those who fast till lunch or later, especially if their breakfast choice is cereal.

Breakfast also benefits your health. Women who eat high fibre breakfast cereals can increase their overall fibre intake and according to research this can help in heart health. While every week many women, spend hours making themselves pretty, few are aware that breakfast can form part of their beauty routine.

There is evidence that missed nutrients at breakfast are not always compensated for later on. One particularly important nutrient is iron, which is very important for women so as to avoid anaemia. Common breakfast foods such as cereals and dried fruits are a good source of this essential nutrient and include a good supply of iron for the day.

Breakfast benefits for children and adolescents

Ensuring a healthy lifestyle has to start from day one. It is very important that parents foster a culture of healthy living among their children from a tender age. As a first step, parents can make sure that breakfast becomes a ritual in the life of every child and adolescent.

Children who do not eat breakfast run the risk of not being able to concentrate in school and this in the long term could affect learning. Therefore, in many cases, skipping breakfast has been connected to poor performance in school such as lower scores in tests; impaired short term memory, problem solving skills and mental performance; lower attendance; and a generally lower class rank.

Social reward for all the family

Starting the day with a meal with your family brings a sense of togetherness, so it is important that parents make time for it. Having breakfast together can help calm the parents down before they head off to work.

So what are you waiting for? Yes, you are right... you want some handy hints on preparing a breakfast to “kick start” the day for your family. Here they are:

· Don’t skimp on the milk: A single serving of milk on breakfast cereal can help towards your daily calcium requirement.

· Add sliced fresh fruit, or at least dried fruit, on to the top of your breakfast cereal – not only does it taste great but it also adds more fibre and vitamin C.

· As well as eating a healthy bowl of Kellogg’s cereal in the morning, make sure you drink plenty of water and eat fruit and vegetables throughout the day to help you stay healthy. So, as a parent, please include fruit in the kids’ meal packs.

· Make fruit smoothies out of banana, yoghurt, and honey, and a little apple juice. The kids will love it... and it counts towards their “five a day” of fruit and vegetables.

· Mums and dads need to look after themselves too, so make sure that, as parents, you have a good breakfast as well.

The above, and other ideas, how to make breakfast a fun and healthy event every morning for you and your loved ones can be found on Kellogg’s website: http://www.kellogg.co.uk/whatson/wakeup.