Kids Breakfast

Does your school going child resist to eat breakfast?

Take action now. For school going children breakfast helps in maintaining overall health of both body and mind. It helps them to fight against diseases by boosting immune system.

As a parent take necessary action to feed your child before he steps out of the house in the morning.

Why breakfast is important for your child? Listen…

• Better behavior: Children who regularly eat a morning meal have more energy, are less likely to exhibit aggressive behavior, and have a better attitude toward school.
• Higher test scores: Research has clearly shown that children who consistently eat breakfast test higher in most academic areas.
• Better class attendance: Children who eat breakfast are absent from school fewer days. Children who claim they don’t eat breakfast due to a lack of time in the morning are tardy more often than those who take time for a morning meal.
• More nutrition: Breakfast eaters generally meet vitamin and mineral requirements for prevention of deficiencies. They consume more fiber, vitamin C, calcium and folic acid.
• Weight control: Eating breakfast helps to establish a normal eating pattern. Increasing childhood obesity is in part attributed to the disappearance of normal eating patterns in many of today’s households.

What foods you should give? Traditional breakfasts are good for children always. Children need 1240 to 1690 calories every day. This include 22 to 30 grams protein, 25 gram of fat and 25 grams of carbohydrates, 400 mg of calcium, 12 to 18 mg of iron.

1. Traditional rice porridge with ghee is one of the best breakfast as it controls the thirst. Similarly oats with fruits and juice is good too.

2. Indian Idlis are considered as the best breakfast in the world because it supplies lots of nutrients and supplies balanced amount of protein, carbohydrate and fat amount.

3. Set dosa, masala dose, rice rotti, with less spicy chutney and glass of milk helps them to keep the energy flowing.

4. Chapatti with little ghee and jam is good too. Puri- sagu combination supplies good nutrition too.

5. Whole wheat bread is always good as it supplies many nutrients – make it attractive with cheese, butter and jam. Toast the bread and apply ghee (clarified butter) which tastes better than butter!

Did you know that – children who consume whole grains have significantly higher intakes of fibre and magnesium compared to children who do not consume whole grains.

6. Upama or beaten rice – Indian upama or lightly spiced beaten rice are other good breakfast items. These keeps stomach filled for longtime.

7. Pongal (khichadi) supplies lot of nutrients too. Give pongal with little yogurt and chutney.

8. Include seasonally avaialble fruit in your child’s breakfast – half banana, oranges, cherries, strawberries, jackfruit etc

9. Do not feed your child ready to eat food. Instead, give them home made, cooked foods like the one mentioned above.

Remember – if your child shows no interest in having breakfast it is your duty to convince them to have breakfast. Children who do not have daily breakfast or improper breakfast will become fatigue, less energy and no interest in studies or activities. Convince child to eat breakfast with lots of love and patience.

How to convince your child to eat breakfast ?

• Say songs and divert their attention
• Tell them stories while eating – interesting stories always attracts them. Make it a habit to tell a story.
• Try to decorate the breakfast foods or give food different shapes.
• Allow child to eat using his own hand. They will get used to the texture and taste of the food.
• Do not force child to eat too much. If you force too much, child may develop hatredness towards food.
• Provide child some distraction if they start fussing about food.
• Do not argue or fight in front of your child. Keep your arguments away from the child.

A mother knows best for her child. Take care of the child in best possible ways.

Reference: www.werindia.com

Image credit: Image by Aline Ponce from Pixabay