A healthy breakfast is key to a child's good day

Jet, March 3, 1997

A nutritious as well as filling breakfast can be a key part to your child's having a good day at school.

Studies have shown that the absence of breakfast can affect a student's attention span and concentration.

With the fast-paced family living today, most families do not have the time to sit down together to eat a balanced meal, which may include juice or fruit and hot or cold cereal. These days many are eating on the run while hurrying out the door to work or school.

Parents of children who usually eat on the run should be wary of the kinds of foods that their children gobble down before leaving or en route to school.

Particular attention should be paid to some of the convenience foods such as breakfast bars and muffins, which can be high in fat and calories.

Breakfast tarts are usually not a good choice either. They are considered more of a treat than part of a healthy breakfast. Many contain refined sugar and processed flour and have little or no nutritional value.

A good guideline to use for making choices about what breakfast foods to serve the family is to make sure the food selected contains no more than three grams of fat for each 100 calories.

Yogurt is a good breakfast choice for the child on the go, and it is made tastier with additives like fruit or low-fat granola mixed in.

Pancakes or waffles surprisingly can also be a very good option for a quick, tasty and nourishing breakfast.

Another good pick is dry cereal--if parents read labels and select one that is low in sugar. Those that are generally high in sugar usually list added sugar as their first or second ingredient.

A warm, nutritious start to a cold day can be hot cereal. However, it's important to avoid adding more than one to two teaspoons of sugar. Parents should be certain to read the labels on instant hot cereals since many contain a lot of added sugar.

Dairy products, such as milk and cheese, can be an excellent choice at breakfast time. They are good sources of energy and can supply youngsters with needed calcium, protein and carbohydrates.

Although it has added sugar, parents may offer chocolate milk to children who do not drink regular milk because it is still a healthful beverage.

Also, egg dishes should be limited to occasional breakfast-time treats since they are high in cholesterol, which is a problem for some children and adults.