Apr 16 2012
Eat breakfast to increase brain power
I bet your mom told you to eat breakfast, and you tell your kids to eat breakfast. But do YOU eat breakfast?
Research published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association shows that children and teens who regularly eat breakfast consume a higher intake of several important vitamins and minerals, are less likely to be overweight, miss fewer days of school, experience fewer behavior problems, concentrate better, and score higher on standardized tests. Yet 10-30% of our kids routinely skip breakfast. The top reasons for skipping breakfast include waking up too late, not hungry in the morning, and no one else in the family eats breakfast.
Try these tips to encourage your kids to eat a healthy breakfast every day of the week, and set a good example by making time for breakfast yourself.
- Cut back on late-night snacking. Kids – and adults – often aren’t hungry for breakfast because they ate too much after dinner. Plan a small, healthy evening snack and you’ll be surprised how hungry you are in the morning.
- Prepare a self-serve breakfast before you go to bed. Pour milk and 100% fruit juice into kid-size containers. Set out glasses, bowls, spoons, and boxes of whole-grain cereal.
- Enjoy a fast breakfast: a container of yogurt or a slice of whole-grain toast with peanut butter are prepared and eaten in minutes.
- Make breakfast before you go to bed: hard-boil eggs and combine peeled oranges and sliced apples so breakfast is ready without morning prep.
- Dress first, then eat breakfast. You’re more likely to be hungry if you give yourself a few minutes to wake up.
- Don’t like breakfast foods? Try a non-traditional breakfast like a turkey sandwich on whole grain bread, warmed-up dinner leftovers, or cheese melted on a tortilla.
- Drink your breakfast: whip up a delicious and healthy smoothie by combining fat-free milk, yogurt, and fruit in a blender.