As another busy year starts it may be time for me to give breakfast a wake-up call. I do believe breakfast is no doubt an important meal for both children and adults. Research shows that children who eat breakfast do better in their studies at school. They have a longer attention span, can concentrate longer and can be more creative and energetic. Starting your day with breakfast is a smart thing to do.
By beginning the mornings with breakfast you are creating a positive role model for your kids. A health and nutritious breakfast would usually include three or more items from these food groups: grains, fruit and veggies, milk products, and meat/ alternatives. When I was growing up the breakfast my mom would serve me would include cereal, eggs, toast, waffles, bagels, milk or juice. These are great items, but not so easy to have on hand on the busy mornings that today’s modern family eat and run mornings.
Breakfast does not have to be elaborate or time consuming. Busy families are looking for nutritious, whole foods to fill the gaps in their diet. One would say superfoods are what most busy families are looking for. Superfoods are foods that are low in calories and despite their low calorie content they are rich in nutrition. Eating superfoods for breakfast will allow beginning your day with a diet rich in fibre, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidant compounds.
Everybody should be eating blueberries because they are a great source of antioxidants and a good source of dietary fibre. They provide some iron and vitamin C, and are best known because they have more antioxidants than any other food and they taste great! Eating blueberries can be as quick and easy as adding a handful, while splashing some milk over cereal. Adding blueberries to breakfast will increase the superfood health benefits. The key is to rely on a mix of fresh ingredients and healthy convenient foods. Choose the ones that have the fewest ingredients. Time invested in breakfast is more valuable than a few minutes of extra sleep you might get from skipping breakfast.
A way of knowing that you and your family are getting everything they need to feel the gaps in their diets especially when you are eating on the run.
In an ideal world we would make every meal from scratch, using items we have grown in our gardens. The key is to rely on a mix of fresh ingredients and healthy convenience foods. But how do we find the good stuff, when so many packaged foods are high in fat, salt and preservatives? A good guide choose is to reach for the ones that have the fewest ingredients
