Healthy Living
Start Smart: Don’t forget to eat your breakfast
by Elesha Kelleher, MPH, RD
It’s back-to-school time! Begin the year right with good nutrition.
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, especially for school-age children. A healthy breakfast keeps energy levels at their peak while helping children better concentrate on their schoolwork. Several studies support evidence that when kids eat breakfast they perform better on tests, have fewer sick days and maintain a healthy body weight.
Despite statistics, many continue to skip breakfast. Some excuses I hear are a lack of time or appetite in the morning, or “I don’t eat breakfast because it just makes me hungrier later.” Sound familiar? If you can relate to the latter, think about what your breakfast consists of. Foods that make us hungry shortly after we consume them are typically high in sugar and refined carbohydrates. Translation: foods made from white flour such as plain bagels, sugary cereals, baked goods, Pop-Tarts, breakfast bars, etc. Some of these products are the equivalent of giving your child a candy bar in the morning! These foods do not provide enough nutrients to keep hunger at bay while maintaining energy levels.
Two vital nutrients to include with every meal and snack are protein and fiber (for children and adults). These nutrients take longer for the body to digest, maintaining satiety and energy. The body also burns more calories simply by digesting these foods. Fiber benefits include enhanced gastrointestinal health, aiding with weight management and lower blood-cholesterol levels. Protein offers many benefits, including providing the building blocks for cells and muscles, and it also aids with healing.
It’s particularly important to include protein and fiber with breakfast. Fiber can be a slice of whole-grain toast or waffle, fruit, oatmeal or lower-sugar whole-grain cereal (look for less than 5 grams of sugar per cup). Great protein sources include eggs, peanut butter, ham or Canadian bacon, protein powder, cereals that include protein, energy bars, yogurt, cottage cheese and cheese.
Here are some quick and easy breakfast ideas:
A scrambled egg and cheese on a whole-grain English muffin- Whole-wheat bagel or waffle with peanut butter.
- Yogurt parfait: Layer cottage cheese or yogurt (Greek yogurt provides three times the protein of regular yogurt!) with walnuts and fresh berries.
- Breakfast smoothie: Blend one scoop protein powder, fresh fruit, low-fat milk or soy milk, ground flax (will provide additional fiber and healthy omega-3 fat).
- Kashi brand cereals and Special K Protein Plus cereal provide protein and fiber.
- Oatmeal with a handful of nuts and berries.
- Breakfast does not have to be limited to typical breakfast foods. Try a ham, turkey or peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
In a rush? Grab a protein bar. Look for at least ten grams of protein per serving and less than ten grams of sugar. Other options: Jimmy Dean D’Lights (which can be microwaved); a slice of toast with a hard-boiled egg (keep a bowl of them ready in the fridge) or peanut butter. These can be eaten on the way to school or work.
A final note about fiber: Don’t be fooled by tricky advertising. Many foods, like cereals, waffles, breads and breakfast bars, are labeled “multigrain” or “wheat.” Nutri-Grain bars, for example, are marketed as a healthy breakfast. But these bars contain mostly white flour and sugar, which are sure to cause a midmorning energy crash.
Make it a habit to read food labels. The first ingredient should be some type of whole grain. Avoid “enriched flour,” which is simply white flour with some wheat added to it. This designation allows manufacturers to call a product “multigrain,” but the fiber content is not much different from products made with white flour. In addition, look for a dietary fiber content of at least three grams of fiber per serving.
A new school year is a great time for new healthy habits!
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