Tip of the Day
Take Breakfast off the Back Burner
A nutritious breakfast is fuel for the whole family. However, even with mounting evidence showing the advantages to eating a breakfast, between 42 percent and 59 percent of American children do not eat it every day, according to a report by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, The State of Family Nutrition and Physical Activity: Are We Making Progress?
On hectic mornings, don’t put breakfast on the back burner. Make it a priority with these easy tips:
- Sit down with your kids and plan a weeks’ worth of breakfast. Your child might be more interested in eating breakfast if they take part in the planning.
- Assign breakfast tasks to everyone in the family. Giving kids ownership of creating the meal may also encourage them to eat it.
- Take a few minutes to prep for breakfast the night before. For example, slice fruit, make sure you’re stocked with high-fiber cereal and even set the table to get a jump start.
- Keep the kitchen stocked with easy to grab items like low-fat yogurt, whole-grain bagels and fresh fruit.
- Elaborate breakfasts are great when you have the time, but on busy days, a sandwich or even a slice of leftover veggie pizza is great.
- If there's no time to eat at home, take your nutrition to-go. Pack a brown bag breakfast for the road—or see if your child's school offers a breakfast program.
For more information about feeding your family, consult a registered dietitian in your area and visit our Eat Right Nutrition Tips section and www.KidsEatRight.org.
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Reviewed November 2012