| |
|
| |
| |
| Why bother to eat breakfast? |
| |
 | Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. It can "set you up" in a manner of speaking, for the rest of the day. |
| | | | By having a good start and filling up with high-fibre foods, you can help boost your energy levels, and prevent unnecessary nibbling later on. |
| | | | Don’t be fooled by thinking that by skipping breakfast you can lose weight easily. Usually what happens is that breakfast skippers overcompensate by eating more high fat, high sugar foods later in the day.
You are in fact more likely to become overweight if you don’t eat breakfast! |
|
| |
|
| |
| |
| In a Nutshell ...... |
| |
| Eating Breakfast can help: | | |  | Your energy levels |
| | Your intake of essential vitamins and minerals |
| | Your concentration and memory |
| | Your mood |
| | You control your weight |
|
| | Skipping breakfast: | | | | Makes it harder to learn |
| | Encourages snacking on high fat, high sugar and high salt foods |
| | Increases your risk of becoming overweight |
|
|
|
| |
| |
| Easy ways to ‘break’ the ‘fast’: |
| |
For a tasty and healthy start to the day, it’s good to base breakfast on starchy foods such as bread or breakfast cereals.
In fact, between 45 and 60% of the total calories we need as adults and children should come from carbohydrates, according to the European Food Safety Authority. That’s not just any old carbohydrate however. Be fussy about your carbs. |
| |
 | When choosing cereal, try to go for one that is higher in fibre. Compare the GDA label for one lower in salt and sugar. Serve it with low fat milk or fortified milk (but remember skimmed milk isn’t suitable for young children at home under 5). |
|
| Try to fit in some fruit – fresh, frozen, tinned or dried fruit all count towards 5 daily servings of fruit and veg. Put slices of banana on toast, or add chunks of apple, berries, or dried fruit like raisins to cereal. |
|
| Adding fruit to cereals is also a great way to get younger children to eat less sugary cereals. Alternatively, try mixing sugary cereals with lower-sugar ones, increasing the amount of lower-sugar cereal over time to get kids used to them. |
|
| Wash down breakfast with a glass of 100% fruit juice as this will count as a fruit and veg portion. A glass (150ml) of fruit juice counts as a maximum of one portion of your 5 A DAY. Try and put the lid firmly on the juice then for the remainder of the day as too many calories coming from juice can lead to weight gain in less active children. |
|
| Try making toast with wholemeal or granary bread, and use just a small amount of low-fat spread or butter or jam. Choose a spread that is high in polyunsaturates or monounsaturates (both types of unsaturated fat), instead of one that’s high in saturated fat, such as butter if family members have high cholesterol levels. |
|
| Why not try a fruit smoothie if there is time. Prepare prepare all the ingredients the night before ready to buzz in a blender in the morning. Use fresh fruit such as banana and strawberries and some plain low-fat yoghurt or lower-fat milk, or puree a few canned apricot halves with some orange juice. You could also try adding some wholegrain cereal to your smoothie for extra fibre. |
|
| Porridge oats are inexpensive and contain lots of vitamins, minerals and fibre. Make porridge with low fat milk, or water. If you usually add salt or sugar, try adding a few dried apricots or a sliced banana for extra flavour instead. |
|
| It there’s more time, why not have a poached egg and mushrooms on toast? Try grilling the mushrooms or tomatoes as it’s healthier than frying. |
|
| It’s great to have breakfast together as a family as it encourages kids to eat breakfast and get a great start to the day. |
|
| It’s fun for kids to make their own breakfast using different grains, cereals, unsalted nuts, dried fruit etc. |
|
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
