It’s essential to provide children with a nutritious breakfast that will stick with them as they ease into their back-to-school routine. Studies show eating breakfast before school has positive effects in children, including higher test scores and attendance. But what’s the best option? According to a recent survey conducted by the American Egg Board (AEB), the vast majority of parents (82 percent) agree that eggs are a more nutritious breakfast than cereal—and with good reason.

The results are in

A recent study conducted at the University of Missouri found that teenagers who consumed breakfast meals that included protein-rich eggs and beef (35 g of protein) reported greater feelings of fullness compared to those who ate a cereal-based breakfast (13 g of protein). The egg breakfast also led to significant improvements in daily hunger and satiety hormone levels, reduced food cravings prior to dinner and resulted in eating less high-fat evening snacks.

Additionally, a study published in theInternational Journal of Obesity found that egg-eaters consumed an average of 330 fewer calories throughout the day than bagel eaters.

“When parents ask me what’s an ideal breakfast for their kids, I recommend pairing protein-rich eggs with whole grains, fruits and vegetables,” says Serena Ball, M.S., R.D., and mother of four young kids. “Protein is an important component of a healthy diet and eggs are higher in protein than cereals or many other breakfast foods, so you can feel good about feeding eggs to your kids in a variety of delicious ways.”

One large egg or 50 grams of whole egg product contains six grams of protein and is a good source of vitamin D, along with calcium, for helping to grow strong bones. They are the go-to and on-the-go breakfast for kids heading back-to-school, and parents know it. On big days such as the first day of school, tests or athletic events, 71 percent of parents feed their kids an egg breakfast. The recent AEB survey also found that nearly three-quarters of parents say their kids’ favorite way to eat eggs is scrambled.

Did you know?

Value-added precooked egg products are available in a multitude of convenient, pre-cooked forms to offer manufacturers flexibility in creating ready-to-heat packaged items that require consistency and portion control. Many types of egg products can be customized to include the addition of other ingredients including herbs, spices, cheeses and diced vegetables.  For a quality U.S. supplier of value-added egg products, visit aeb.org/food-manufacturers/egg-product-buyers-guide.