This is a guest blog post by Seuna K. Linda Eva
It is not a secret, you must probably know by now that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But why on earth is a healthy breakfast so important for a kid?
Benefits of breakfast
In the early morning, your child has slept for about 10 hours and his stomach is most certainly empty, hence it is very important for him or her to recharge his or her batteries before facing the busy day ahead.
Moreover, it…
- Provides essential nutrients for your child’s growth and development.
- Increases attention span and learning ability.
- Improves social interactions and relationships.
- Improves engagement in school activities.
- Increases energy to meet physical demands throughout the day.
- Increases mental well-being.
Lastly, childhood obesity is a growing public health problem in many countries. Children who do not eat breakfast are almost twice as likely to be overweight as those who do and develop silent killer diseases such as diabetes later on in life.
Tips to getting breakfast ready
Yet despite the obvious benefits of a healthy meal in the morning, some parents complain of lack of time as a hindrance to the incorporation of breakfast into their children’s routines before going to school.
These are few tips to remedy this situation:
- Pre-prepare breakfast the night before along with the next day’s clothes, lunch and backpack.
- Set the alarm for 15 minutes earlier to allow more time for breakfast.
- Say no to TV, video games and computers in the morning.
Your healthy breakfast parts
By now, you must be surely impatient to know how a good and healthy breakfast looks like… It can take several forms but it is always based on the same frame:
- Whole grains starchy foods (for energy): whole wheat bread; doughnuts or puff-puff; corn pap; cake; pancakes…;
- Dairy products (for calcium and protein): milk; yogurt ; kossam ; cheese…;
- Fruits (for water, fibre, vitamins and minerals): tangerines/oranges/ apples/ guavas/fruit salads…
- Drink (for hydration): water; fruit juices…
- Additional proteins (for growth and maintenance) -optional- : eggs ; groundnut paste ; beans…
The whole grains starchy foods and fruits contain high amounts of fibres, which will tend to fill them up faster and will delay symptoms of hunger for hours.
5 Day healthy breakfast ideas
Here is an example of a 05 days healthy breakfast ideas for kids:
Monday: Dognuts + Sauteed beans + “kossam” or yoghurt + fruits.
Tuesday: Whole wheat bread + omelet + whole or half-skimmed milk + fruits.
Wednesday: Corn pap + groundnut paste + milk + fruit juice.
Thursday: Whole wheat bread + cheese + chocolate milk + fruits.
Friday: A piece of cake + boiled eggs + yoghurt + fruit salad.
Bonne appétit!
Seuna K. Linda Eva is a Cameroonian-based nutritionist passionate about empowering people to make health-conscious decisions about their diet and lifestyle. She believes you can be healthy without forgoing our delicious African dishes. Co-founder of DietMiam, through her writing, speaking and one-on-one coaching services, she has helped thousands with diet-related disorders (obesity, hypertension, diabetes, gout, etc.) to develop long-term, sustainable lifestyle habits and rediscover the joy of eating.
