Don't start the day without it.

Of course I am talking about breakfast, the most important meal of the day. Experts say that if your kids leave the house without eating breakfast they will have problems concentrating in school and lack the energy needed to sustain them throughout the day. But even if a child does eat breakfast, what he eats for breakfast may also dictate how well he does in school. For example in a recent U.K study school children were randomly given one of four breakfasts in a four day period. Their cognitive abilities were then tested throughout the day. The breakfasts the children were given were either a wheat cereal and milk, whole grain cereal such as oatmeal and milk, a sugary beverage or no breakfast at all. The study showed that the kids that were given the grain based breakfasts scored much higher than the kids who had either the sugary beverage or no breakfast at all. This study and many others have proven unequivocally how important it is to start your kids out right.

Keep in mind that your kids don't actually have to eat oatmeal every morning in order to have what is considered a nutritious breakfast. A fruit sweetened, whole grain muffin with nut butter and milk or scrambled egg in a whole grain tortilla are two quick and easy breakfasts that will keep your kids focused on school and don't we want to do what is best for our kids.

Happy Parenting,

Monicka

Fruity Granola Recipe

We all know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and a good way to give your child energy for the day. Here is a recipe for a fruity granola that your kids can help you make. Makes a great nutritious snack too.


HOMEMADE GRANOLA

(1/3 ( cup light brown sugar ¼ cup light tasting vegetable oil like Canola or Sunflower¼ cup water ¼ t salt 3½ cups regular oats ½ cup sunflower seeds or chopped nuts 16 oz dried mixed fruit (chopped) such as cherries, cranberries or any other dried fruit that your kids like and a non-stick cooking spray

Combine brown sugar, oil, water, and salt in a small saucepan. Heat, stirring until sugar is melted. Drizzle mixture over oats, tossing well. Spray non-stick coating on a large shallow baking sheet and spread oats. Bake at 250° F. for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally (do not over bake or mixture will be bitter) and add the seeds and nuts during the last 10 minutes. Cool. Stir in dried fruit bits. Store in a tightly covered container or zip lock bag Makes 6 cups

Breakfast before school

Shockingly, in the UK up to 20% of children go to school having had nothing to eat in the morning. Did you know that a child's nutritional breakfast is not only essential for bodily health but also gives him an academic edge over those kids that skip breakfast in the morning?

Many research studies have demonstrated that eating breakfast improves children’s problem solving abilities, memory, visual perception and creative thinking.

Here in the UK, many Welsh schools have implemented free breakfast clubs to encourage primary school children to get into the habit of eating breakfast.

If your kids aren't lucky enough to get a free breakfast at school, please make it a priority to ensure they get one before leaving the house!

Wishing you and your kids academic and goal-setting success!

Cassie

References:

Kleinman, et al (2002). Diet, breakfast and academic performance in children.

Pollitt and Matthews (1998). Breakfast and cognition: an integrative summary.

Powell et al (1998). Nutrition and education: a randomised trial of the effects of breakfast in rural primary school children.

Wesnes et al (2003). Breakfast reduces declines in attention and memory over the morning in schoolchildren.

Busch, C. (2002). The effects of breakfast composition on cognitive processes critical to learning in young children.

Waggoner, A. (2002). Breakfast consumption and student achievement prior to lunch.