Brisbane's Kids

The Top 3 Breakfasts For Kids Going To School.

I find the whole subject of nutrition fascinating. The more I look into it the more I’m convinced that we truly are what we eat. So what exactly should we feed our kids in the morning to set them up for a day at school. I think the answer lies in foods that keep the blood sugar even.

It seems that if a child’s blood sugar is fairly stable then they are more likely to concentrate better, behave in a more social manner and are generally happy kids. Those that don’t eat as well tend to have mood swings, be grumpy, less co-operative and don’t sleep as well as they should.

So here are my three top breakfasts for tummies on their way to kindy or school:

1. Baked beans on toasted sourdough rye bread. – The sour dough bread is actually easier to digest than the more common white wheat bread. It’s also low GI as are the beans, and the beans provide some protein which break down to amino acids. Amino acids when linked together in the body form new muscle, organ tissue or neuro-transmitters (the chemical messengers of the brain).

2. Porridge or muesli made from rolled oats with fruit and nuts and seeds. – Take a good look at the amount of hidden sugar in a regular cereal and you’ll be stunned. Most of them are only good for a sugar hit, I don’t care how many added vitamins they put in it. These high GI cereals will have been used up before the bell rings for school leaving kids unsettled. Rolled oats can be eaten warm as porridge or cold as muesli and can easily be sweetened with some cut up or grated apple or pear. Serve with dairy, soya or rice milk. All of this is low GI and will keep tummies satisfied through to lunch.

3. Cooked breakfast ( eggs / rice and quinoa and veggie’s) – I know it’s hard enough sometimes to get kids ready for school let alone cook them a breakfast but the benefits in doing so are great. Eggs are one of the richest sources of phospholipids. This is an essential fat in the brain responsible for memory and good mental performance. Quinoa can be cooked like rice (I often cook half/half) and is high in both protein and calcium and a few different veggies will bring a good mix of vitamins and minerals to breakfast. My kids like to add a bit of Tamari (wheat free soy sauce) to taste.

A note on nuts and seeds. These are excellent sources of the brain fats omega 3 and omega 6. The good thing is you don’t need to eat a lot to get the benefit of eating them. Put half a cup each of sesame, sunflower and pumpkin seeds and one and a half cups of flaxseeds into a sealed jar. Keep this in the fridge and in the morning add I heaped teaspoon to your kids breakfast. You can ground them up freshly each day if they won’t eat it as is. This gives your kids a good dose of essential fats each day.

What are your thoughts on a good breakfast?

Kind Regards

Glenys

© 2009 Brizzy Kidz.