Health Benefits of Eating Breakfast for Children

Children have unique nutritional needs and breakfast is an important opportunity for them to eat wholesome, nutritious foods isn’t it ? Breakfast is often called ‘the most important meal of the day’, and for good reason. As the name suggests, breakfast breaks the overnight fasting period. It replenishes supply of glucose to boost energy levels and alertness, while also providing other essential nutrients required for good health.

Eating breakfast at home or school fuels students for learning. Starting the day with a healthy breakfast is associated with better health, diet quality, behavior and academic benefits in children. On the other hand, skipping breakfast is associated with decreased cognitive performance, lower diet quality and low intakes of fiber, folate, iron and calcium.

Eating breakfast at home or school fuels students for learning, but it doesn’t have to be time-consuming or fancy. A glass of milk with a cereal bar and a piece of fruit is a simple but healthy way to start the day. Including foods from three or more food groups will help keep kids feeling full through lunch.

Health Benefits of Consuming Breakfast

• Eating breakfast boosts your energy levels and restores your glycogen levels ready to keep your metabolism up for the day.
• Breakfast foods are rich in key nutrients such as folate, calcium, iron, B vitamins and fibre.
• Breakfast helps to keep you alert and productive throughout the morning.
• It prevents large fluctuations in blood glucose levels, helping to control appetite.
• It boosts mental performance, including attention, ability to concentrate and memory.
• Breakfast delivers essential micronutrients while reducing stress on the body.

To help you fill up on all the richness and nutrition of a wholesome Breakfast, here is a recipe

Vegetable Pancakes

Preparation Time- 15- 30 minutes

Serves — 4 Pancakes

Ingredients

Whole-wheat flour — 1 cup

Rice/maize/ragi/plain flour — 1/2 Cup

Beaten rice (poha) — 1/4 Cup

Onion — 1

Grated bottle gourd — 1/3 Cup

Capsicum- 1

Carrot — 1

Cauliflower — 2 florets

Chopped cabbage — 1/2 Cup

Ginger grated — 1 piece

Green chillies finely chopped — 1

Salt to taste

Sugar — 1/4 tsp

Soda bicarb — 1/2 tsp

Oil — 1 tbsp

Oil for shallow frying

Method of Preparation

1. Wash, drain partially, and keep aside beaten rice for 10 mins. Put all cleaned vegetables in a chopped and chopped very fine
2. Use an electric chopped for convenience. Put both flours in a large vessel. Add chopped vegetables. Add 1–1/2 cup water, salt, soda, chillies, ginger, oil, beaten rice, and mix well.
3. Heat either a dosa tawa or non-stick griddle, or waffle iron. If using tawa, pour a ladleful of batter on centre, spread into thick pancake.
4. Drizzle a little oil, allow one side to turn golden, flip and repeat for other side. If using waffle iron, grease lightly with oil and brush before putting batter.
5. Heat, put batter, close iron and allow to cook.Take out when golden in colour.
6. Serve hot and crisp with chutney or sauce.

A nutritious breakfast is beneficial in improving cognitive function and concentration in children. After going without food for 8 to 10 hours during sleep, breakfast gives a child’s body the fuel it needs for the day. Furthermore, Studies have found that children who eat breakfast perform better on assessments, have better memory recall and experience less fatigue throughout the day.

References:

https://www.healthline.com/health-news/breakfast-most-important-meal

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/is-breakfast-really-the-most-important-meal-of-the-day

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/do-you-really-need-to-eat-breakfast/

https://kidshealth.org/en/kids/breakfast.html