How can I get my child to eat a healthy breakfast?
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Mary Mullen of Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics answered:When kids complain that they just can’t eat in the morning because they’re still groggy from waking up early or nothing sounds good to them, try some of these eye-opening breakfast strategies:
- Start with a light bite. At first, tantalize your kid’s tastebuds with something small, such as an apple or slice of whole grain toast. As time passes, build up his or her appetite by adding other foods to balance the breakfast.
- Consolidate breakfast choices. Look for ways to get more food groups in a small volume of food. For example, offer kids a breakfast burrito of scrambled eggs and low-fat cheese wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla, or make a whole grain toaster waffle sandwich filled with peanut butter and sliced bananas.
- Be a breakfast sipper. Whip up a breakfast smoothie of berries, fat free vanilla yogurt, and low-fat milk, and let kids drink their breakfast.
- Learn to love leftovers. Some kids don’t like traditional breakfast foods. That’s okay. Breakfast can be any food kids like, even a slice of pizza, a chicken or lean beef sandwich, or soup. Leftover macaroni and cheese heated in the microwave oven makes a fine breakfast.
- Prepare a backpack breakfast. Let kids start their breakfast meal at home and then eat more after they’ve headed out the door. Have your child or teen drink a glass of fat-free milk at home. Then pack a whole grain muffin or a bag of trail mix made with whole grain cereal and dried fruit in his or her backpack to enjoy on the bus or walk to school.
- Eat breakfast at school. Check whether your child’s school offers breakfast either through the National School Breakfast Program or by selling a la carte items (available in some high schools). If a la carte choices are for sale, review them with your teen so he or she can opt for healthy breakfast foods instead of doughnuts, pastries, and other foods high in calories, fat, and added sugar.
When kids complain that they just can’t eat in the morning because they’re still groggy from waking up early or nothing sounds good to them, try some of these eye-opening breakfast strategies: Start with a light bite. At first,... More -
RealAge answered:Granted, it’s not always an easy task. Mornings are usually pretty hectic and getting your child to eat more than a few bites before wanting to play or rushing to the bus stop is a challenge. But a few bites are better than nothing and with a little work you can beef up your child’s morning meal and help him start reaping greater benefits.
Mornings at my house are usually like a game of beat the clock, so I try to organize what I can the night before, enlisting the help of my kids. We pick out clothes, pack lunches and backpacks, and place them next to the front door so that in the morning, good nutrition will be a priority.
I know some families who set fruit, cereal and dishes on the table and put perishable foods on a refrigerator tray so they’re ready to take to the table in the morning.
If you can’t make the morning meal happen at home, send the kids off with healthy on-the-go breakfasts to eat once they get to school. Have your kids help you fill plastic zipper bags with things like a cupful of raisins and other dried fruits and nuts, orange slices, low-fat granola, hard-boiled eggs, cheese and crackers, or other nutritious, ready-to-eat options that they can munch on the way to school.
Perhaps your child also has the option to grab breakfast at school. More and more schools are providing breakfast in an effort to boost academic performance and reduce attendance and behavior problems. Studies suggest that these breakfast programs are working -- many schools have seen significant improvements, both academically and socially.
From Good Kids, Bad Habits: The RealAge Guide to Raising Healthy Children by Jennifer Trachtenberg.
Find out more about this book: Good Kids, Bad Habits: The RealAge Guide to Raising Healthy Children
Granted, it’s not always an easy task. Mornings are usually pretty hectic and getting your child to eat more than a few bites before wanting to play or rushing to the bus stop is a challenge. But a few bites are better than nothing and with a... More -
Samantha Heller answered:Breakfast is the most important meal of the day -- especially for children, who need their brains to fire on all four cylinders so they can learn. In this video, registered dietitian Samantha Heller discusses what foods to have on hand to make sure kids eat a healthy breakfast.
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day -- especially for children, who need their brains to fire on all four cylinders so they can learn. In this video, registered dietitian Samantha Heller discusses what foods to have on hand to... More -
Dr. Michele Borba answered:A healthy breakfast is important for concentrating and keeping up with the stamina. Are mornings rushed and your kid is missing that crucial first meal? If so:
- Find healthy options to grab on the run like ready-to-go bottles of orange juice or milk, low-fat yogurt, apples and whole-grain English muffins.
- Set up a basket of multi-grain snackbars right by the door or toss in one or two bars inside your child's backpack to make it through the day.
- Watch for coffee, caffeinated sodas or energy drinks consumption -- a growing teen trend for energy that can rob sleep. Restock your fridge with easy-to-grab bottles of water for backpacks.
Find out more about this book: The Big Book of Parenting Solutions: 101 Answers to Your Everyday Challenge...
A healthy breakfast is important for concentrating and keeping up with the stamina. Are mornings rushed and your kid is missing that crucial first meal? If so: Find healthy options to grab on the run like ready-to-go bottles of orange... More
