Healthy Breakfast For Kids: Why Is It So Important?

Time and again, it has been reinforced that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Breakfast gives the body the refuelling it needs for the day ahead after going without food for 8-10 hours during the night. When one wakes up in the morning, actually you have been fasting overnight.

The primary fuel for the brain is glucose and it is dependent upon a constant supply in the bloodstream. Therefore eating breakfast boosts the levels of glucose in the blood circulation. This especially holds true for children.

Without breakfast, our bodies cease to get the jump-start they require to operate at their fullest potential throughout the day.

Children Who Eat A Sumptuous Breakfast:

These children are more likely to meet vitamin and mineral requirements than those who skip breakfast. At school, a hungry child can often lose concentration in class & have no energy for playtime. When famished, they tend to then snack on unhealthy foods, such as chips or biscuits. A wholesome and healthy breakfast every day is the best way to prevent the same. It also helps inculcate good eating habits in the long run.

When you skip breakfast, you are missing out on your morning dose of essential nutrients. Children who eat breakfast regularly have more energy, exhibit less aggressive behaviour, and display a better attitude towards school.

Research Has Found:

Research and studies have shown that children who appear for class tests after skipping breakfast tend to make more errors, don’t respond as fast and have a slower memory recall. Studies also suggest that the functioning of the brain is sensitive to short-term variations in nutrient availability. A small fast may impose greater stress on young children, as opposed to adults.

Breakfast also plays an important role in cognitive functions and establishing an eating pattern comprising small regular meals, which is the key to effectively maintaining one’s weight.

What One Eats Is Also Important:

Choose breakfast foods that are rich in whole grains, fibre and protein, and low in added sugar. Serve a balanced breakfast to young ones that include s balanced mix of them all. Carbohydrates make for a good and immediate source of energy for the body, while energy from proteins tends to kick-in after the carbs are used up. You need the fibre to help you feel full and therefore, discourages overeating.

What Should A Healthy Breakfast Include:

Vegetable Upma, Vegetable Poha, Vermicelli Upma (made with whole wheat vermicelli), and Idli/Dosa with sambhar and chutney
Bhakri / Thepla / Chapatis with vegetables
Porridges like ragi, rawa, and oats made with milk. These are easy to make, don’t take time to cook and are light to eat.
Multigrain bread with Cheese/Butter are other convenient choices with either an Egg or a vegetable omelette with whole wheat bread
Cereals served with low-fat milk are also healthy breakfast options with some fruits and nuts on the side.
With breakfast, it is healthier to have a good energy drink, besides water such as low-fat milk or fruit juice low in sugar – this can also be replaced with fruits.

We have added some recipes below so you don’t need to go looking for what to cook on busy mornings.

One of the reasons for childhood obesity is attributed to the skipping of meals. If a child misses breakfast, he tends to eat more during his next meal and all of it may not necessarily be healthy.

Did you know that one out of eight school children start the day without eating breakfast?

Some are not encouraged to do so by their parents, while some commonly argue about the lack of time, absence of hunger and distaste for breakfast foods. No matter what the barrier may be, parents can and should find a way to overcome them.

We would recommend you start meal planning. Not only does it save time, but it also helps you plan ahead and shop accordingly. If you don’t know how to make a meal plan. Don’t worry! We have just published the 50 Indian Meal Plans book and it has meal plans and recipes and a lot more that will simplify your life for sure. You can buy it here

They must set a good example for their children by consuming a sumptuous breakfast themselves. Children tend to imitate the behaviour of adults, so if they don’t see their parents eating well, they are likely to deprive themselves of the required nutrition.

The Academy of Nutrition has found that children who eat healthy and well-balanced breakfast are more likely to :

Meet the daily nutrient requirements
Concentrate better
Have better problem-solving skills
Have better hand-eye coordination
Stay alert
Be more creative
Have a better attendance at school
Be more physically active

It can seem challenging to manage breakfast with one’s hectic schedule, but setting the alarm 15 minutes prior for the child can aid in the parent and child living a long and healthy life.

Click on the images for recipes and start cooking yummy breakfast for your family

Kodo Millet Upma