In the morning you need energy and optimism. The first is recovered with breakfast, the second is a matter of atmosphere. To each his own style, but surely setting the alarm 10 minutes before to welcome the children to the new day with tenderness, positivity and a beautiful table set is a good basis.
Routine is important
Wake up, breakfast, brush teeth: it is good that children get used to this pattern and leave the house with that 20% of calories necessary to get to lunchtime (or mid-morning snack) and with clean teeth. Not eating breakfast can create difficulty concentrating and remembering at school, predisposes to glycemic drops and induces you to eat more than necessary at subsequent meals.
What to propose, then, in the morning? Proteins, fats and carbohydrates should not be missing, to be divided into many different combinations, for a breakfast that is always varied and tasty.
Many alternatives to choose from
The ideal breakfast for preschool and school children includes a glass of milk or yogurt, bread, cereals or rusks, fresh fruit.
Milk. Fresh and whole. It can be hot or cold, in any case without the addition of sugar. According to the European survey Idefics (2015) Italian children between 2 and 9 years consume an average of 87 grams of sugar per day while the quota allowed to stay healthy should not exceed 25 grams. To make the milk more pleasant you can turn it into a smoothie by adding fresh seasonal fruit.
Yogurt. White, whole, sugar-free. Fruit? Better to add banana slices, berries, a few grains of raisins or a few pieces of dark chocolate in a nice bowl. For greater palatability, choose Greek yogurt, always white but creamier and that is suitable to be accompanied with a teaspoon of honey and two or three walnuts, almonds or hazelnuts.
Bread and cereals. A slice is enough, but of quality: therefore avoid preserved products that often contain lard or oils other than olive oils, while the pre-cooked and frozen bread found by the “bakers” of supermarkets is good, but less digestible. A light toasting makes it more inviting and you can add a veil of jam or honey. Well also two rusks, two or three simple biscuits, a slice of homemade dessert (tart, plum cake etc. that can be prepared with different flours). Cereals? Choose very carefully, reading the labels: there are many, in fact, those that contain too much fat and sugar.
Fresh fruit. The ideal, if in season, is a freshly squeezed orange juice, but also pink grapefruit, mandarins, mandarins, lemons, without fear of mixing the ingredients. Well a small fruit salad or a homemade compote.
Some breaks from the rule
Once in a while, perhaps during the weekend, breakfast can turn towards salty or provide a special dessert. Without ever forgetting the fruit.
Salty. Quality ricotta to spread on rusks instead of jam; an egg scrambled in milk without added salt; a sliver of Parmesan cheese.
Sweet. Flakes cooked in milk and sweetened with a little honey (porridge); rice pudding, i.e. rice cooked in milk and cooled in muffin containers, with honey added cold; crepes and pancakes, with a veil of jam.
Joycelyn Elders is the author and creator of EmpowerEssence, a health and wellness blog. Elders is a respected public health advocate and pediatrician dedicated to promoting general health and well-being.
The blog covers a wide range of topics related to health and wellness, with articles organized into several categories.