We all know the familiar saying, “breakfast is the most important meal of the day” and it truly does play an important part in giving us and our families a strong start for our day. The American Academy of Pediatrics website -healthychildren.org – details the many benefits of encouraging your family to have breakfast:
- Evidence that demonstrates children who eat breakfast have a lower BMI than those who skip breakfast
- Studies that show students who have breakfast have more energy and concentration, and do better in school
- Better overall nutrition and eating more of important nutrients, vitamins, and minerals
Tips to make breakfast a good time for family mealtime:
- Prepare the night before! Plan what the family will have for breakfast the next morning and make as much as possible the night before. If your family wants cereal for breakfast, have the bowls, spoons, and box of cereal on the table. Then the next morning you can grab the milk from the refrigerator, slice a banana or wash a handful of berries, and breakfast is ready. Make sure to minimize the morning scramble of finding missing homework, library books, or a stray shoe by having backpacks organized and picking out school outfits, complete with socks, shoes, and accessories.
- Set the alarm – and go to bed early! A common reason for skipping breakfast is not having enough time, so make sure to head to bed early and set the alarm to allow for enough breakfast time the next morning.
- Avoid distractions! Keep the TV, phones, and other electronic devices off in the morning.
- Keep it easy! If you know that you do not have a lot of time in the morning or are consistently running late then check out our videos featuring quick morning meals and make-ahead breakfasts:
