The study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, shows that some simple changes in the way seniors eat may improve, or at least maintain, short-term memory.

In the study, 22 men and women aged 61 to 79 years drank, on an empty stomach, one of four beverages every morning for four days: drinks made up of pure protein, carbohydrate, or fat (each with the same number of calories), or a calorie-free placebo as a control.

The seniors were given word-recall and attention tests 15 and 60 minutes after they drank the beverages.

The results suggested that consuming calories (regardless of the source) after an overnight fast improved the results of mental-function tests. In addition, each nutrient had specific positive effects on different aspects of memory function.

The key message of this study reinforces what your mother always told you – that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Earlier studies had found that children who ate breakfast had better scores in mental performance compared with those who did not. This study suggests that the same is true for seniors.

If you’re not in the habit of eating breakfast, or you define it as a cup of coffee, here are a few quick and easy ideas:

If you have access to a blender, blend together a banana, a single serving carton of yogurt, orange juice and other assorted fruits Top a bagel or English muffin with cottage cheese or a slice of melted mozzarella or Swiss cheese Make a breakfast banana split -- empty a single serving carton of yogurt into your cereal bowl. Top with a high-fiber cereal and a sliced banana Cook instant oatmeal in the microwave and top with some raisins At the beginning of the week, hard-boil a few eggs. Enjoy them over several mornings with a piece of fruit and slice of bread