The old adage, “breakfast is the most important meal of the day” couldn’t be more true when it comes to feeding our kids (and ourselves). The humble breakfast fills up their energy stores, literally breaking the overnight “fast” and gives kids the fuel they need for the day ahead. Eating a balanced breakfast is essential to maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and I always tell my clients to eat like a queen for breakfast, a princess for lunch and a slave for dinner.
Giving kids theright fuel to kick-start their day is really very simple when you have a basic formula to stick to.
A healthy breakfast should include:
A good quality protein
A wholegrain low GI carbohydrate
A healthy fat
A fruit or a vegetable
The goal is to provide balanced energy for your little ones – low GI carbohydrates, like wholegrain breads and cereals, release their energy slowly into the bloodstream, stabilising blood sugar levels, and helping to minimise a mid-morning energy slump. When combined with a protein, like eggs, nuts, seeds or dairy products, and a healthy fat, like unrefined coconut oil or avocado, digestion is slowed, helping small stomaches stay satisfied for longer. Fruit and veg adds a natural sweetness to the meal, bumping up your kiddos’ vitamin and mineral intake!
Stick to this super easy formula when making your child’s first meal of the day to ensure they are fuelled up enough to play and learn!
Examples of kid-friendly breakfasts include:
Oatmeal made with almond milk, plus a sprinkle of cinnamon, chia seeds and fresh berries
Eggs on wholegrain (or sprouted) bread, with avocado (and some sautéed spinach, mushrooms and roasted tomato if your kids aren’t averse to veggies)
A fresh smoothie made with coconut water, a dash of good quality protein powder, some fresh or frozen fruit and perhaps some soaked flaxseeds (or freshly ground flax-meal)
Home made low GI muesli with natural yogurt and passion fruit
Homemade wholewheat waffles served with natural peanut butter and sliced banana
For a vegan hearty breakfast you might want to try some sautéed scrambled silken tofu (non GMO) with fresh herbs like basil and roasted tomato and a slice of wholegrain (or sprouted) bread
Enjoy!
Karin G. Reiter is a medical nutritionist, wife, mama and business owner of Nutritious N’ Delicious who specializes in nutritional, health and life-style education. Karin has a passion for nutrition and the power of food – especially as it pertains to disease prevention. Karin is a vegetarian who lives, breathes, cooks, writes and talks about healthy food and how it can make your life so much better. You can also check out her Nutritious N’ Delicious blog.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Cookie
Duration
Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional
11 months
The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.