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Eating a good breakfast may be one of the quickest ways students can boost those average grades to A's, researchers say. Eating a bowl of cereal or some eggs before school could improve scores on proficiency, achievement and graduation tests. Some say eating any food - even cold pizza - is better than nothing.

Eat your Wheaties

Studies by Harvard University and the University of Minnesota confirm students who eat breakfast at school have higher scores on standardized tests.

And many schools send out notices to parents about the importance of making sure children get a good breakfast.

Marcella Martell, a registered and licensed dietitian at Aultman Weight Management in Canton, Ohio, said schools are "absolutely on the right track."

"How can you think when a basic need has not been met - if you are hungry and your body is telling you need nourishment - how can you concentrate on the test that is in front of you?" Martell asked.

She said it's important for children - regardless of age - to eat breakfast.

"They are more attentive and more alert," she said. "What you are doing is breaking the fast, and fueling the body."

Martell added that children and adults should eat every four to five hours, and parents should provide nutritional choices for their children. But, she cautioned, breakfast doesn't always have to consist of the traditional eggs and cereal.

"You need something in the morning," she said. "Even if it is the spaghetti from the night before."

Growing numbers

Schools aren't ignoring the research. More than 74,000 schools feed 9 million schoolchildren every day, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the federal agency that reimburses local schools for breakfasts.

According to the School Nutrition Association, based in Washington, D.C., students are less prone to stomach ailments and behavioral problems when they eat breakfast. Plus, they get better grades overall.

Creating the time

Despite the benefits of a nutritious breakfast, many students and working parents say they lack time in the morning to eat at home, according to the Ohio Department of Education.

To combat the problem, Jeff Schoonover, a Canton, Ohio, food service director, initiated a program that enables all elementary and middle school students to eat breakfast - in their classroom.

"Teachers, right off the bat, said kids are more focused," said Schoonover, who did his homework. "I read the studies. Students who eat breakfast score higher on state tests. I am going to be really excited to see the test scores here. And I am hoping that the opportunity to eat breakfast played a small part in helping the kids get there."

Foods that make the grade

According to the School Nutrition Association, research shows there is a strong connection between eating a healthy breakfast and success in school. A healthy breakfast includes:

- Milk

- Fruit or vegetable or 100 percent juice

- Whole grains (in cereal or bread form)

- Meat or meat alternative, such as eggs (Foods high in protein help contribute to brain function).