As parents, we want to provide the best to our young ones and want them to be active and productive. But this can’t be possible while allowing them to skip breakfast. Yes, you heard me right.
Young minds and bodies need a nutritious meal to keep up with the day’s demands, and this can only be provided with a well-balanced breakfast. Why is it so important to have breakfast daily?
We’ve all been told that having a good breakfast is a solid start to a great day, and there’s been plenty of medical research that looks at how kids from different backgrounds (and other unique traits) take on their day based on if they did or didn’t have breakfast.
Yes, it’s essential to have breakfast, but what your kids eat is also equally important. Let’s dig in!
Table of Contents
Why is it essential for kids to have a healthy breakfast?
Ever wonder why breakfast is regarded as the most important meal of the day?
Breakfast re-energizes the body after 8 to 10 hours of sound sleep. Not only this, but it can also positively benefit brain functions and mental health, academic performance, psychosocial function, school attendance rates, and mood.
Kids who eat breakfast daily have a nutritional advantage over kids who don’t eat it. Nutritionists view that a healthy breakfast provides at least one quarter to a third of your child’s daily nutritional needs.
Breakfast improves our blood sugar levels and returns them to normal. Whereas, in young ones, this leads to improvements in both memory and comprehension.
However, if there isn’t enough blood sugar for the brain to use, your kids won’t feel active or concentrate well.
Moreover, breakfast kick-starts the metabolism and converts the food fuel to energy. This energy will keep your child active throughout the school activities and help in burning calories.
Thus, a healthy breakfast is crucial to keep your toddler fit and keep his weight in check.
What your kids have for breakfast can affect their performance at school
Many school-going children tend to skip breakfast in the morning rush. Let me tell you that this isn’t good for their health and brain development. Several research types have shown that kids who eat healthy breakfasts actively participate in physical activities that maintain their body weight.
On the other hand, youngsters who skip breakfast have decreased focus, are more tired and restless, which can harm their overall academic performance.
If your young one feels hungry in the middle of the morning lecture, it will impact his learning power and focus during that period.
Also, the USDA studies showed that students who had breakfast in the morning performed well on standardized tests than children who didn’t.
So, as a parent, you should make sure that your kid goes to school with his tummy full.
What should your child eat for breakfast?
Eating breakfast is physically, emotionally, and academically crucial for kids and adolescents.
If your kid isn’t a fan of breakfast, try to encourage them with some of these healthy and creative breakfast ideas:
1. Ham and cheese frittata
You can make the daily boring eggs more exciting by preparing an easier version of omelets – frittatas.
Beat 1 or 2 eggs with some salt and pepper and pour it into the pan. Add chopped ham and sprinkle shredded cheese, then cook it on medium flame.
Eggs are vital for your child’s muscles and tissues as they contain high-quality protein and other nutrients.
2. Chocolate protein pancakes
Every kid loves pancakes. You can make it more satisfying by adding a scoop of chocolate protein powder to the batter. Moreover, you can add ground flax seeds, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, or Greek yogurt to the batter to boost the proteins content.
Protein will help in the growth and development of your toddler. Also, it boosts the metabolism and strengthens the immune system. Therefore, make sure that your child is taking enough proteins.
Specifically, if your toddler has some metabolic condition, or is vegetarian, or is underweight, then you can give him a scoop of protein powder occasionally to meet the protein requirements. Otherwise, it’s not necessary.
If your child is taking a balanced diet, it is not encouraged to make him addicted to protein powder supplements to get enough protein through the meals.
3. Peanut butter and banana quesadillas
Indeed, your children love quesadillas. However, for breakfast, you can make a quick and straightforward peanut butter and banana quesadilla.
The peanut butter will provide your kid with proteins and healthy fats essential for his growth. On the other hand, bananas are a great source of fiber, potassium, and vitamin B6.
4. Whole-grain crackers and nut butter
You can make your kid sandwich crackers by spreading some nut butter on whole-grain crackers. It is pretty simple and easy to make. Also, this breakfast will provide the right balance of fats, proteins, and crabs.
However, make sure to use crackers that are made up of whole grains and seeds.
5. Peanut butter and raisins cereal
You can add peanut butter and raisins to the traditional morning meal – cereal. You can also give your little one a bowl of granola topped with nuts, fruits, or flax seeds for breakfast. This nutrient-filled bowl will keep your child full for longer.
6. Avocado, cucumber, and tomato toast
If your child is a sandwich lover, you can make it more fun by adding some veggies. First, take a whole-grain bread slice and spread mashed avocado over it. Now, top it with sliced tomatoes and cucumbers.
7. Fresh fruits
If you are in a rush and your child is already getting late for school, you can give him fresh fruits. Cut some apples, mangoes, pears, peaches, plums, grapes, or any seasonal fruit.
Many fruits are a rich source of fiber and contain essential nutrients. However, you can also go for fresh fruit juice to help in your child’s weight gain. But remember, excessive fruit juice consumption has an increased risk of obesity in children.
8. Smoothies
Breakfast smoothies are a delicious way to sneak fruits, vegetables, and other healthy foods into your kid’s diet.
You can blend several fruits and vegetables, such as cauliflower, spinach, or kale, into a sweet-tasting smoothie, and your little one will never know.
For instance, you can make strawberry and almond butter smoothies, chocolate, peanut butter, banana smoothie, or unicorn fruit and greens smoothie.
Eating healthy doesn’t have to be boring! All these are tasty breakfasts that your little one will indeed enjoy. You can vary it daily so that your child doesn’t get bored.
However, tell your young ones about the importance of breakfast. And don’t allow them to miss one as kids do better in school when their tummies are full.
FAQs
Is it OK to skip breakfast?
No, it isn’t a good idea for adults or children to skip breakfast. Growing youngsters need to consume essential nutrients, such as complex carbohydrates, healthy fats, calcium, proteins, etc.
Skipping breakfast can make your child feel tired and lose his focus during school hours. It can also affect kids’ energy, mood, and behavior adversely, which is one of the worst things for a school-going child.
What makes for a healthy breakfast?
Indeed, you want a nutritious breakfast for your little ones. For this, all you need to do is to choose unprocessed and whole foods from each of the 5 groups – grains, protein foods, fruits, vegetables, and dairy.
Try to include proteins from foods like nuts, yogurts, legumes, eggs, and lean meat. In addition, you can get low-fat dairy from plain or lower sugar yogurts, milk, and low-fat cheeses, such as cottage cheese and natural cheese.
Besides, you can also go for whole-grain English muffins, whole-grain waffles, hot or cold whole-grain cereals, or whole-grain rolls and bagels. Moreover, don’t forget to eat more and more fruits and vegetables.
Combining the above food groups packs many health benefits and will also keep your child full for hours.
What should you not eat for breakfast?
First of all, it’s a complete no for fast foods and energy drinks. No one should really be eating any fast food and drinking energy drinks for breakfast. Besides, avoid packed and processed smoothies, pastries, or juices.
Also, avoid sweetened dairy items and cereals that have high sugar content and low fiber. Don’t even go for a large glass of fruit juice in the morning as it contains more sugar and a low amount of healthy fiber. Instead, try to eat the whole fruit.
Is it better to skip breakfast or dinner?
Let me tell you that skipping meals isn’t a good idea. You can cut down the calories and increase your diet’s protein content, but missing any meal of the day isn’t acknowledged.
According to research, those who eat in the morning and afternoon have better blood sugar control and healthier blood lipid profiles than those who eat late in the day.
Additionally, those who eat breakfast possess better overall nutrient intakes than those who skip it. Therefore, don’t miss breakfast or dinner and make your children used to it too.
Final thoughts
Set your toddler on the road to success by making him a healthy and balanced breakfast.
Growing kids need the energy to keep them fit and active for the whole day. If your kid is a picky eater, try to make breakfast more fun. You can show your creativity here and add healthy items to your child’s breakfast. Just don’t let him skip one!
I hope you’ve liked our article. Happy parenting!
