The Important Breakfast Meal & Kids Health
Before the morning school bell rings, and kids race out the door, make sure your youngsters get a healthful breakfast. Breakfast need not be a big production, but it should be tasty and packed with nutrients to fuel those growing minds and bodies. Start the morning off right by giving your kids breakfast.
The Importance of Breakfast
- Research shows kids who eat breakfast perform better on tests, have increased concentration and achieve higher in their academic.
- Breakfast provides them with energy to power through their busy morning.
- First-in-the-day fuel helps meet growing kids’ overall nutrition needs.
- Breakfast can be a great opportunity to talk and communicate as a family.
- When you provide breakfast, you model lifelong healthful eating habits.
Main Components of a Healthful Breakfast
Whole grains – Provide complex carbohydrates that translate to long-lasting energy. They also offer fiber, helpful for digestion. Lastly, whole grains are a good source of B vitamins, which help convert food into energy.
Examples:
- Whole grain cereal
- Whole wheat bread
- Whole wheat pancakes
- Whole wheat waffles
- Oats
Protein – This macronutrient is the main source for growth and tissues. Protein is also helpful in satiety.
Examples:
- Eggs
- Pork (ham, sausage, etc.)
- Poultry (turkey, chicken)
- Beans
- Nuts, seeds, nut butter
- Seafood
- Tofu
- Dairy (milk, yogurt, cheese, etc.)
Fruits & vegetables – these nutritious rock stars offer a variety of vitamins and minerals, plus antioxidants.
Examples:
- Apples
- Bananas
- Berries
- Kiwi
- Oranges
- Bell peppers
- Tomatoes
- Mushrooms
- Onions
- Corn
By integrating breakfast into your kids’ daily life, you are giving them their proper fuel and nutrition—and a lifelong healthy habit.
Sources: KidsHealth
Amy Hundley is a registered dietitian, licensed in both Kansas and Missouri. She is also a published freelance nutrition writer. She is currently practicing as a clinical RD and writer. Amy has been a resident of Olathe since early childhood.