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Breakfast Hits for Kids | Nestle Pou Nou | South Africa
January 15, 2021
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5 min
Is your child one of those who doesn’t do mornings and never fancies any breakfast? Well, we’ve got some helpful tips and tricks for you to tempt your kids with a tasty breakfast: from the key basic information right through to practical examples of breakfasts you can make.
ACTIVITY PROGRAMME TO BANISH THE BREAKFAST-TIME BLUES
Ideally, let your child make his own breakfast muesli or spread his own toast. Or get him involved in preparing breakfast for everyone. Because, if a child is involved in preparing a meal, he is more likely to want to eat it. A variety of colours is also good for stimulating sluggish morning appetites: treat your family to a few more surprises with new toast toppings or a different type of muesli, e.g. FITNESS Knusper-Müsli Schoko. Always make sure you have fresh seasonal fruit to hand. Serve it in bite-sized pieces and watch it disappear in an instant. Very poor eaters can be tempted to try something by giving them toast or bread cut into fun shapes and given creative names like “mousey nibbles”.
WHAT SHOULD BE ON YOUR BREAKFAST TABLE?
Milk and dairy products are all part of a healthy balanced family breakfast, as are cereals, fruits and drinks. Dairy products ensure that your kids get enough calcium to develop healthy bones. They also contain vitamins B2 and B12, as well as valuable protein. Children who don’t like milk, often enjoy drinking it when it tastes of chocolate, e.g. NESQUIK.
Kids of all ages also need enough carbohydrate for the best start to the day. The combination is all-important: rapid release carbohydrates found in fruit, fruit juice and jam are great for that initial get-up-and-go. Because these carbohydrates are released into the blood quickly, they boost energy levels fast. On the other hand, staying power calls for slow-release carbohydrates, including fibre from wholegrain products, such as wholemeal bread and wholegrain cereals.
These foods slowly and continuously increase blood sugar levels, ensuring steady levels of performance and concentration. Therefore, an ideal mid-morning snack at school would be something like a sandwich made with wholemeal bread. As well as a glass of milk or a cup of hot chocolate, be sure that breakfast at home also includes a drink like water.
KEY BREAKFAST INGREDIENTS AT A GLANCE: "
| Components | Food |
| Milk and dairy products (preferably low-fat varieties) | Milk, chocolate drink, yoghurt, quark, cheese (small portion) |
| Cereal products (wholegrain is best) | Bread, muesli, oat flakes, breakfast cereals |
| Fruits (according to season) | Apples, oranges, bananas, mandarin oranges, strawberries, kiwis, mangoes and pineapples |
| Drinks | Mineral water, diluted fruit juice, malt coffee substitute, fruit and herbal teas (if possible, unsweetened) |
TRY THESE BREAKFAST RECIPES TO KICK-START TINY APPETITES AND BANISH THOSE BREAKFAST BLUES:
| 1. Breakfast suggestion | 2. Breakfast suggestion |
| Good Morning Breakfast (1 portion): | “Tarzan” milkshake (1 portion): |
| · 200ml skimmed milk, 1.5% fat | |
| · Glass of skimmed milk, 1.5% fat (200ml) | · 1-2 tbsp. of oat flakes, instant (20g) |
| · 1/2 medium banana (125g) | |
| · 1 portion NESQUIK (30g) | |
| · 1 small glass of orange juice (100ml) | |
| · 1 glass of orange juice spritzer (200ml) | |
| After a small breakfast, the second breakfast or mid-morning snack should be a little more substantial. Need some inspiration? | |
Source: The main GU nutritional value and calories table (Gräfe und Unzer, 2010/11), Nestlé Nutritional Information
TIME: THE BREAKFAST KILLER
A hectic start to the day kills most kids’ – and adults’ – appetites in the morning. If the whole family gets up a quarter of an hour earlier than usual, everyone will be in a better mood for breakfast. You soon get used to it and everyone then starts the day in a more relaxed frame of mind. Be the one to set an example!