Breakfast is the most important meal of the day for everybody, more especially for children. Their bodies work hard during the day, and if they have no fuel inside them, they will end up buying the nearest food they can find, to sustain them through their school day. Children will encounter far less problems in school when they eat breakfast and research has shown that school results improve when a child has the right diet.
All too often breakfast is skipped because so many other jobs need to be completed before the day starts. With organisation on the part of the parents and rules for the children, you can see to it that there is sufficient time to get everything organized and breakfast eaten.
Some of the rules may not be popular with your children as you try to change the habits to which they have become accustomed. However, you need to remember where they learned those habits from in the first place. Leading by example is a good place to start and if you do not eat breakfast yourself, maybe now is a good time to start. You may just find that your kids will follow your lead without too much ‘encouragement’. You will need to talk with them and say this is an investment in their health.
Encourage your children to finish their homework in the evening and get their school bags packed. That way you will know in the evening if anything is missing. Give them a few extra minutes on the computer or watching television once they have completed the tasks.
Get their clothes sorted the night before, check nothing is missing and that any kit for PE or other activities is also available.
Plan on what you are giving the children for breakfast. It might be something simple like some cereal and a glass of fruit juice. If they or you opt for cereal, try to choose one, which is not loaded with sugar. This may be a little difficult since some cereal manufacturers are not so forthcoming with the true amounts of sugar in their products. It is therefore worth your while to check the ingredients listing on the package for any ‘hidden’ sugars and salts. Have some fruit on hand, which they could eat on the way to school or in the car. If you child likes yoghurt, instead of buying ready-made fruit yoghurt, buy natural yoghurt instead and add your own fresh fruit to it.
The majority of breakfasts take less than five minutes to prepare. It does not have to be a complicated meal, just a healthy one.
Your children need to eat breakfast and if you have never eaten breakfast yourself, now is a good time to start. Remember that breakfast is the most important meal of the day if you want your children to grow up healthy.