2 children eating a balanced breakfast including cereals

    Morning routine

    A good breakfast is great for growing up

    They’re yawning. They’re rubbing their eyes. After a long night’s sleep, children should have a nutritious breakfast to get them up and running. It is highly recommended they get around 20% of their daily energy and a significant amount of nutrients, first thing.[1]

    Early learning

     

    Because breakfast is often easy to prepare, even the youngest children can learn to make their own breakfast (okay, things might get a little bit messy now and again, but, hey, that’s the joy of parenting. Isn’t it…?).[2] From pouring milk to spreading jam (as long as it’s not on your nicely ironed work shirt) there’s a lot of fun to be had. And choosing what they eat can also help them learn to make healthy choices and develop good habits that can last a lifetime.[3]

     

    Did you

    know?

    Breakfast Guide - Nestlé Cereals

    Tut, tut ...

    Khorasan grain is a wheat variety that was brought to the US as a souvenir from an Egyptian tomb - it was sold as ‘King Tut’s Wheat’. Now known as kamut, an ancient Egyptian word for wheat, this rich, buttery-tasting wheat is certified organic.

    Rice in disguise

    Wild rice isn’t really rice at all – it’s the seed of an aquatic grass originally grown by Native American tribes. It has a strong flavour and is quite expensive so it’s usually mixed with other types of rice.

    What to have on your plate in the morning?

    A balanced breakfast helps you get ready to start the day. Make sure you choose from different grains, fruit and dairy as part of a balanced diet!

    Read moreWhat to have on your plate in the morning?

    1, 2, 3... let's eat breakfast!

    Take a look at our top three tips to make brekkie unmissable!

    1. Get arty!

    Now and then (we know you have busy mornings), why not try turning your child’s breakfast into a work of art. They’ll wake up wanting to see what’s waiting for them! You could use cut-up fruit to turn their plate into a masterpiece, turn their eggs on toast into a happy face or use cookie cutters to turn pancakes into fancy shapes.

    2. All together now…

    Children love to copy. And if you sit down and eat breakfast with them, they’re more likely to learn to do what you do – and enjoy it!

    3. The power of choice

    Try spreading the table with different foods and leave it to your children to decide what they want to eat. You could set out two or three varieties of breakfast cereal, offer different fruits for their cereal, or ask if they want their eggs scrambled or boiled.

    More ideas for fun breakfast

    Footnotes

    1. Cho S, Dietrich M, Brown CJ et al (2003) The effect of breakfast type on total daily energy intake and body mass index: results from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III). J Am Coll Nutr. Aug;22(4):296-302.
    2. Serra Majem L et al (2004) Nutricion infanil y juvenile. Estudio enKid. Elsevier Espana: Volume 5.
    3. Rampersaud GC, Pereira MA, Girard BL et al (2005) Breakfast habits, nutritional status, body weight, and academic performance in children and adolescents. J Am Diet Assoc. May;105(5):743-60.

    Related Articles

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     A balanced breakfast is important - it gives you the nutrients needed to be ready for the day. Find out what makes cereal part of a balanced breakfast Read the full article Break out the breakfast cereal – it’s too good not to!

    Weekend breakfast time - Fun for all the family

     Make breakfast fun and unique for all the family by creating games and activities - or by simply using some of Nestlé's other breakfast ideas Read the full article Weekend breakfast time - Fun for all the family

    Footnotes

    1. ^ Cho S, Dietrich M, Brown CJ et al (2003) The effect of breakfast type on total daily energy intake and body mass index: results from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III). J Am Coll Nutr. Aug;22(4):296-302.
    2. ^ Serra Majem L et al (2004) Nutricion infanil y juvenile. Estudio enKid. Elsevier Espana: Volume 5.
    3. ^ Rampersaud GC, Pereira MA, Girard BL et al (2005) Breakfast habits, nutritional status, body weight, and academic performance in children and adolescents. J Am Diet Assoc. May;105(5):743-60.

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    We've tried to answer as many of your questions as possible. You can search them all here:

    How can I find foods made with whole grain?

    Two things to remember: • Look for food labels where the word 'whole' appears in front of the name of the grain, like “whole wheat” or “wholemeal bread”. • For foods with more than one ingredient, make sure whole grain is listed towards the top of the ingredients list. The further up the list it is, the more whole grain has been used in the recipe. And look out for the percentage of whole grain. You should find this in the ingredients list too.

    What’s the difference between a whole grain and a refined grain?

    A ‘whole’ grain has more nutrients than a ‘refined’ grain, because all parts of the grain are retained – kernel, bran, endosperm and germ – along with their fibre, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. But most of the bran and germ are removed when producing refined grains. Whole grains therefore contain more nutrients than refined grains.

    What is gluten?

    The general name for proteins found in cereal grains such as wheat. It holds the food together, like a ‘glue’, and gives dough its elasticity.

    How much whole grain do I need to eat every day?

    Keep it simple: make grains the base of your diet and choose whole grains over refined grains wherever possible. U.S Dietary Guidelines recommend eating 3 servings (48g) a day. So, whenever you look for breakfast cereals, bread, pasta, rice or flour to cook at home, look for the word “whole”, ideally among the first ingredients in the list.

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