A lot of children regularly go without breakfast before school. Girls are more likely to skip breakfast than boys, and while some sometimes have a morning meal, many don’t have breakfast on school days.
According to dietitians, compared to those who consume homemade breakfast or even ready-to-eat cereals, breakfast skippers are more likely to grow up overweight or obese, have high blood pressure, high cholesterol level and high insulin levels, putting them at risk of type 2 diabetes. Skipping breakfast also affect kids’ mental performance. Studies show that children who don’t have breakfast have reduced attention and visual memory, as well as lower levels of energy and cheerfulness. When 40 adolescents who usually skipped breakfast were given cereals to eat, they felt more alert, full and content so were better able to concentrate in school. Similar health benefits are seen in adults, for whom skipping breakfast increases the risk of type 2 diabetes and heart attack, which provides yet more evidence why breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
Healthy breakfasts can include:
- ‘Wholegrain’, ‘Natural’ or ‘Organic’ porridge, muesli, granola or cereals. Check the sugar and salt content on labels. Serve with semi-skimmed milk and fresh berries. Brown toast, muffins, malt loaf
- Fresh fruit salad, fruit juice, smoothie
- Low-fat milk, low-fat cheese
- Boiled, poached or scrambled eggs
- A cup of tea, milk or herbal tea.
Many brands now offer healthier cereal choices with no added sugar or sweeteners, and extra nuts and seeds, and a variety of wholegrains rather than just wheat and oats.
If time is tight, try a piece of fruit, unsweetened yoghurt plus a sustained-energy breakfast biscuit containing no high-fructose corn syrup or partially hydrogenated oils.
It’s important to get your children in the habit of eating breakfast at an early age. A common reason for skipping breakfast is that children would rather sleep a little longer than eat breakfast. Some teenage girls might skip breakfast because they mistakenly think it will help them lose weight. Regardless of the reasons, breakfast is an important meal that everyone should eat. There are many ways to overcome barriers to eating breakfast, including thinking outside of the box, grab-and-go meals, and choosing wisely. And the old adage of having breakfast like a king and dinner like a pauper still holds good.