Back to school is a great time to write about the power of breakfast. When I talk with kids, I find that many of them don’t eat a real breakfast before school. Northern schools start earlier, kids get up later (sleep is becoming more important than food!), don’t have time to eat in the morning, etc. There are many reasons for this. I would like to take this opportunity to repeat the famous saying “Eat like a king at breakfast, like a prince at lunch, and like a beggar at dinner”.
Breakfast and academic performance
While adults need to eat breakfast to get through the day, children need more. Regular eating is essential for a growing body and brain. If children get into the habit of skipping breakfast, their bodies can become accustomed to a state of “semi-starvation” and not consuming food for long periods of time. This state can lead to a range of physical and behavioral problems, and can also affect academic performance. Study after study has confirmed the simple but important fact that children who eat breakfast do better in school. They pay more attention, have better short-term memory, are more energetic throughout the day, and miss less school!
It is important to “fast”
Many young people (especially girls) think they can lose weight by skipping a meal and often sacrifice that particular meal because breakfast is easy to sacrifice. Skipping breakfast can even lead to overeating at the next meal, indulging in high-calorie snacks, which leads to weight gain rather than weight loss! Studies have shown that overweight or obese children “fast” less often than their thinner peers!
Consideration of nutritional needs
For school children, breakfast is the meal “checked” by the mother before going home after a long day at school and should be considered an opportunity to absorb essential nutrients such as calcium and protein. If children skip breakfast, they may not meet their daily nutritional needs!
Tips for getting kids to eat breakfast!
Get up early – this may seem difficult until the habit is established, but most kids have a short window of time between waking up and eating at the table, so they don’t have an appetite. If you get up about an hour before breakfast and do your morning chores, the kids may already be ready to eat. In exceptional cases, a little physical activity, such as a walk with the dog or a short walk around the house with an adult, can help.
Many children don’t like to eat breakfast, and if they are given different options the night before, they can mentally prepare for it in the morning. For example, what about eggs, chutney, paratha, etc.? You may even feel more responsible for eating what’s on the table because you’ve already made your choice!
Separate milk and meals
If you give your child a glass of milk as soon as they wake up, it can help them eat less at breakfast.
Breakfast may require less planning and attention than dinner during the week. Since it is the most important meal of the day, you need to offer children a variety of foods. In our country, this is easy because there are so many options… Alpharetta and Poha can easily offer idli/dosa in the south and north!
Sit with your child
Plan your day so that your child has time to sit with you for 10 minutes when they eat breakfast! Also, make sure that adults eat breakfast at home as well. If the adults skip breakfast, the kids will follow!
Teens are important
The above tips are easy for young children to follow, but getting teens to eat a good breakfast can be a challenge. For example, you could make vegetable and cheese wraps from leftover chapatti, cheese toast for the road, or smoothies with nuts or dried fruit and bananas.
You could also make and send banana sandwiches or finger food breakfast meals.
Working moms
For working moms, getting their kids to eat a healthy breakfast can be a challenge. With a little planning, weekend prep (candy, homemade chutneys), and the right foods (whole grain bread, peanut butter, cheese slices, fruit, nuts, delicious breakfast cereal) at home, it all becomes easier!
Breakfast is a real treat for foodies, so give it the attention it deserves!
About Author:
Sara has completed her education in marketing and started her career as a digital marketer. She is a content writer by profession. And she would love to add multiple things to her knowledge that she can add to her writing style. She writes about bakery products like Best Multigrain Breads.
