by Plainenglish

Created on: February 20, 2009

Getting your child to eat a healthy breakfast - or sometimes even any breakfast at all - is a dilemma many of us face on a daily basis. As with ourselves, there are two main problems cited - lack of time and lack of a healthy appetite in the morning. My children have always been early risers and, as a consequence, breakfast has always been a long drawn-out affair involving several courses! Time is therefore on my side as we have several hours before the short walk to the local school. However there are some lucky parents who actually rise before their kids and have to prize them from their beds. The downside of this is the stress that then ensues as parents and kids run around trying to find homework and missing shoes, not to mention making time for breakfast.

Whichever category you fall into, it is important that you take this first meal if the day seriously. Research shows that children who skip breakfast altogether are more tired and have difficulty concentrating at school. This is not surprising when you consider that their last meal would be over twelve hours ago! In other words, the brain is simply hungry and will not operate fully until it is fed. Breakfast is therefore brain food for your child and every effort should be made to make it as nutritious as possible.

To give your child the best start to the day, you should be aiming for foods which lower in fat, cholesterol and sugar and higher in fiber, vitamins and calcium. Try to incorporate a variety of foods including grains (breads and cereals), protein (meats, beans and nuts), fruits and vegetables and milk, cheese and yogurt. Making simple switches such as from sugary cereals to a whole-wheat variety, from white toast to whole-wheat toast or from from concentrate' juices to pressed juices make all the difference. Here are a few ideas for breakfasts that are suitable for both mum's on the run or those with more time to spare.

Homemade porridge: there is little to be gained from using the sachet variety which are packed with additives and sugar. It is just as simple, and far more nutritious, to pour some oats into a microwaveable dish, add some skimmed milk (which contains just as much calcium as whole milk) and microwave for 3 minutes. Stir throughout to make sure it stays lump-free and add honey to taste. As a healthier alternative, sweeten with Agave Nectar, which has a low glicemic index. Serve with a glass of fresh juice.

Fruit salad: mix together you child's favorite fruits such as banana, strawberries,

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