LONDON, 8 October 2003 — A high-protein breakfast of baked beans on toast works best in increasing the school performance of girls, while boys are better off going slightly hungry on just toast, according to a study published in yesterday’s British press.
The study conducted over six weeks in Northern Ireland took in 56 pupils aged 11 to 13, assessing the mood of the children and whether they felt full or hungry.
According to Barbara Stewart Knox of the University of Ulster in Coleraine, girls did better than boys at school tests initially on the protein breakfast, particularly if their mood had been low.
As the tests became harder, both boys and girls did better when they had eaten some beans for breakfast.
Results of the study, which were partly funded by a food manufacturer, are to be presented at the European nutrition conference in Rome next month.