(BPT) – – Fitting breakfast into your kids’ morning routine can be a struggle, especially during the school week. Between nagging them to get out of bed and preparing their book bags for school, breakfast is often put at the bottom of the morning to-do list. In fact, up to 30 percent of middle and high school students skip breakfast, missing important nutrients that are unlikely to be made up later in the day.

That means more than a quarter of students are going to school on an empty stomach and lack the nutrition they need to start their day right. Furthermore, research has shown that kids and adolescents who eat breakfast tend to have better dietary habits and make healthier eating choices throughout the day.

The breakfast struggle is something even actress and mother of four, Holly Robinson Peete can relate to. “One of my biggest challenges as a mom is to make sure my kids get breakfast. With busy mornings, it is essential that my kids get the nutrition they need,” says Robinson Peete. “I want to set my kids up for success, especially during the school year. Knowing there are easy, nutritious options such as Carnation Breakfast Essentials puts my mind at ease that I am making good choices for my kids.”

But even the most dedicated breakfast lovers have mornings that are just too crazy to find time to eat. Robinson Peete understands how busy schedules can make it difficult to keep up good habits. “I like to describe my mornings as ‘controlled madness’ – on a good day I have less than an hour to get my kids out of bed, showered and dressed, teeth brushed, fed and out the door to school,” she says. That’s why she gives her kids Carnation Breakfast Essential, a nutritious and convenient drink which can fit in a backpack and be enjoyed during the morning commute.

One way to help minimize stress in the morning is to prepare things like lunches and backpacks the evening before. If that’s not possible, designating a spot in the house for backpacks and school items to remain can help reduce the amount of organizing that is needed in the morning. Another simple tip is to wake up 10 minutes earlier. Just a few extra minutes at the start of the day can leave time for a quick breakfast.

Physicians agree that a good breakfast is important. Each serving of Carnation Breakfast Essentials provides a rich source of protein and 21 vitamins and minerals, including twice the protein of an egg, twice the calcium of a 6-ounce cup of yogurt, twice the vitamin D of an 8-ounce glass of milk and twice the vitamin C of a 4-ounce cup of orange juice.

To find information and helpful tips on nutrition, to access hundreds of delicious recipes and to download a coupon, visit www.carnationbreakfastessentials.com or the Carnation Breakfast Essentials Facebook page.