In August, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics celebrate the importance of healthful eating and active lifestyles for children and their families during the annual Kids Eat Right Month®. With the first day of school on the horizon, here are some breakfast ideas to make the morning mealtime rush a little easier.
Breakfast often gets skipped as kids grow older and have to wake up earlier for school. Skipping breakfast however, can affect focus and attention span in school. How can you encourage your children to eat breakfast? By enjoying breakfast yourself!
Adults often skip breakfast too because of the time crunch of running out the door or maybe the protein bar is grabbed to eat in the car. Taking a few minutes to enjoy breakfast together can encourage a healthful morning routine and set the day up for success and help give you energy!
Children should fuel their mornings with food from the different food groups. Grains made with whole-grain flours such as whole-wheat flakes, whole-wheat bread or whole-grain waffles contain carbohydrates for energy and provide dietary fiber, as do fruits and vegetables. Including protein foods such as eggs or Canadian bacon or low-fat cottage cheese from the dairy group can help keep them full until lunch.Reed offers some healthful tips to win the morning race for breakfast:
Plan Ahead
- Make overnight oatmeal by mixing oats with fresh or frozen fruit, low-fat milk and low-fat yogurt for a ready-to-eat morning meal.
- Buy frozen whole-wheat waffles to toast and spread with a nut or seed butter or top with fruit, such as a banana.
- Prepare homemade egg bites with vegetables the night before, then reheat in the morning.
Love Your Leftovers
- Repurpose leftover roasted vegetables to make hash with eggs and turkey sausage.
- Add sliced turkey, ham or chicken and a slice of low-fat cheese to a toasted English muffin.
- Use last night’s spinach to scramble with tofu or bake into a quiche with eggs and low-fat cheese.
If parents and caregivers start their children with a healthful breakfast routine early in life, it’s more likely to become a habit that they will continue through adulthood.
Kids Eat Right Month®
Kids Eat Right Month® was established by the Academy’s Foundation in 2014. Resources are available for parents and caregivers, as well as Academy members, to promote healthful food choices and physical activity habits, culturally relevant tips and recipes to help consumers shop smart and cook healthful foods.
Learn more by visiting the Academy’s website and the Foundation’s website. To find a registered dietitian nutritionist near you, visit the Academy’s Find a Nutrition Expert directory.
Blog adapted from Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics by Marissa Perrotta RDN, RYT owner of Peaceable Nutrition & Wellness and Web-chair for NJAND.
