A new study found that young people who do not eat breakfast at home have an increased risk of developing psychosocial issues, such as anxiety, irritability, and mood disorders. The study published in Frontiers in Nutrition is the first to examine not only the health benefits of eating the first meal of the day, but also where you eat it. The researchers discovered that eating breakfast away from home was nearly as detrimental as skipping the meal entirely.

According to Medical Xpress, Dr. Jose Francisco Lopez-Gill of the University of Castilla-La Mancha in Cuenca, Spain, and his team analyzed data from the 2017 Spanish Health Survey that included questionnaires on breakfast habits as well as children’ psychological health. The children’s parents or guardians complete the questionnaires that included breakfast habits as well measuring characteristics such as self-esteem, mood, and anxiety.

The fact that eating breakfast away from home was just as damaging to mental health as not eating the meal surprised researchers. Study authors suggest that perhaps meals away from home are not as nutritious. They also found that coffee, milk, tea, chocolate, yogurt, cocoa, bread, toast, cereal, and pastries were all associated with less risk for behavioral problems. On the other hand, eggs, cheese, and ham were linked to higher incidences of these issues, says Medical Xpress.

“Our results suggest that it is not only important to eat breakfast, but it’s also important where young people eat breakfast and what they eat,” said Lopez-Gil. “Skipping breakfast or eating breakfast away from home is associated with increased likelihood of psychosocial behavioral problems in children and adolescents.”

In the introduction to his study paper, Lopez-Gil cites the importance of identifying psychological and social problems, such as low self-esteem, mood disorders, and anxiety, which he says are the leading causes of illness and disability among children and adolescents.

“Most affective disorders begin in childhood and have been shown to be considerably stable over time,” he wrote. “Therefore, early identification and treatment of such complications is essential during this period.”

The research team also suggests that the family time kids experience while eating their first meal of the day at home could play a role in the positive emotional health outcomes, but more research is needed in that area, says Fatherly.

“The fact that eating breakfast away from home is associated with greater psychosocial health problems is a novel aspect of our study,” said Lopez-Gil. “Our findings reinforce the need to promote not only breakfast as a part of a healthy lifestyle but also that it should be eaten at home. Also, to prevent psychosocial health problems, a breakfast that includes dairy and/or cereals and minimizes certain animal foods high in saturated fat/cholesterol could help decrease psychosocial health problems in young people.”