Breakfast is the most important meal of the day
from Emily Richter, RDN, CD, CL
If you’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it a thousand times: “breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” Now five months into my position at Tosa Pediatrics, I can tell you that the most common feedback I get from kids and their parents is that children of all ages are skipping breakfast. If you are noticing this trend in your house, read on.
Some common barriers that I hear to not eating in the morning are a lack of time, a lack of hunger, or a lack of interest in consuming typical, breakfast foods. If time seems to be the issue, consider having grab-and-go items available for the walk or ride to school. This can be as simple as a bar or a piece of fruit. Station them near where your kiddos walk out in the morning as a cue to grab something on the fly.
Otherwise, consider combining breakfast with another morning task. Depending on your family rules, try keeping packaged items available in the bedroom, bathroom, or in the car if you drive to school for easy access.
It also isn’t uncommon to hear that kids just aren’t hungry in the morning, and honestly, we can’t force feed them. Even when we aren't necessarily hungry when we get up, we are typically thirsty. Offering a beverage that contains some nutrition is better than no nutrition at all. Try any variety of milk or milk substitute, a smoothie, or a whole fruit juice that is fortified with protein (think Bolthouse Farms or Naked brands).
Finally, what if your kid just doesn’t dig cereal or waffles? There is nothing normal when it comes to breakfast. Did they love last night’s lasagna or taco bar? Fair game! There are no requirements for what breakfast should look like. Feed them what sounds good to them and what you’ll know they eat.
Zooming out to look at the bigger picture - why do we care so much about eating breakfast? Overnight, our bodies are fasting and using glucose (or sugar) stores to continue to function in our sleep. When we get up, we have to break that fast or we are running on fumes. Most importantly, our brains are STARVING! So while your kiddo may say their stomach isn’t necessarily hungry, their brain is in serious need of some nourishment.
Consider leaving your house with the gas light on in your car or your cell phone almost dead: who in their right mind would do such a thing?! When kids skip breakfast and then head to school, we are expecting them to perform without the tools their body, and especially their brain, desperately needs. Don’t forget, parents also have to be good role models by setting an example and ensuring that they eat breakfast too.
If you find you are still fighting the breakfast battle, come chat with me to find other strategies to work breakfast into your daily routine. Cheers!
To meet with Emily Ritcher, contact our office to set up a comprehensive, one-on-one, in-office appointment.
