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Kids’ Breakfast Pyramid: Featuring Kids Top 25 Favorite Breakfast Picks

Kids’ Breakfast Pyramid: Featuring Kids' Top 25 Favorite Breakfast Picks

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But are kids real-life breakfast choices really the best? Here’s how 6- to 12- year-olds’ favorite breakfast foods fit into the USDA’s Food Pyramid -- a guide that shows the kinds and amountsof foods they should eat each day. Then check out the flip-side of this sheet to find out how you can easily transform your kid’s favorite breakfast into a healthy five-star meal.

Build Your Kids’ Breakfast The “5 Star” Way

How can you tell if your kids are eating a healthy breakfast? Use the following quick and easy rating system to find out. The goal is to earn at least five stars. Here’s how it works: Give yourself one star…

for each choice from a different food group (Except no stars for the fats and sweets category)

for each whole grain food (Scan the ingredients and make sure the words “whole” or “whole grain” appear first on the list and in front of the words oats, wheat, rice, or corn.)

if your kids actually ate the breakfast!

Breakfast—Who Benefits?

Not only is breakfast important, but “what” kids eat for breakfast may affect their ability to learn in school. Two recent studies conducted by Tufts University found that when children between the ages of 6-8 and 9-11 ate instant oatmeal for breakfast, as compared to eating a cold cereal or no breakfast, they did better on some tasks of attention and memory which are important for learning math and geography. Although more research is needed, scientists attribute these findings to oatmeal’s whole grain, high fiber and protein makeup, which may help delay digestion and provide a steady supply of energy to the brain. Here are some other breakfast benefits. Kids who eat breakfast are more likely to...

meet their daily nutritional needs
keep their weight under control
have lower blood cholesterol levels
attend school more frequently
make fewer trips to the school nurses office complaining of tummy aches.

5 Star Breakfast

Instant oatmeal made with skim milk and topped with cinnamon and raisins

3 food groups (instant oatmeal = Grain Group, skim milk = Milk Group, and raisins = Fruit Group)

Instant oatmeal, like regular oatmeal, is an excellent whole grain choice and good source of fiber.

kids love to eat oatmeal!

“Get Real” Serving Sizes

Here are some guidelines to help you and your kids visualize a serving size.

Food Groups Grain Group:
1/2 cup cooked cereal = 1 packet instant oatmeal
1 cup ready-to-eat cereal = about the size of an adult fist
1 pancake or waffle = the diameter of a 4-inch CD
1/2 bagel = the size of a hockey puck

Vegetable and Fruit Groups:
3/4 cup vegetable juice = the size of a small styrofoam cup
1 medium apple or orange = about the size of a baseball

Milk Group:
1 cup milk or yogurt = the size of a baseball

Meat Group:
3 oz cooked meat = about the size of a deck of playing cards.
1 oz cooked meat = 1 egg

Can Your Kids’ Breakfast Be Saved?

Help your kids rise and their breakfast shine. Here’s how you can transform their favorite breakfast picks into a 5 Star Meal:

Cereal and Milk Before…

2 food groups (grain and milk)

assume your kids ate it

After…

Buy whole grain cereals, like an oat-based granola, add milk and top with fresh berries

3 food groups (grain, milk, and fruit)

whole grain cereal

assume your kids ate it

Add an extra star if you serve low fat milk.

Scrambled Eggs and Bacon Before …

1 food group (meat) remember bacon counts as a serving from the fats and sweets category

assume your kids ate it

After…

Round out this traditional breakfast of eggs and bacon by adding a slice of whole grain toast and a glass of calcium-fortified orange juice.

3 food groups (meat, grain, and fruit)

whole grain toast

assume your child ate it.

Add an extra star if you top the eggs with grated cheese.

Chocolate Donut and Fruit Drink Before…

1 food group (grain)

assume your child ate it

After…

Dunk a cake-type doughnut in low fat chocolate milk then drink it down, swap the fruit drink for a naturally sweetened fresh fruit cup, and add a hard-boiled egg.

4 food groups (grain, milk, fruit, and meat)

assume your child ate it

Add an extra star if you encourage your child to get a little more physical activity, such as walking the dog after breakfast or riding a bike to a friends house.

Toaster Waffles and Sausage Before …

2 food groups (grain and meat)

assume your child ate it

After…

Skip the syrup and top whole grain toaster waffles with yogurt and sliced fruit like peaches or strawberries.

4 food groups (grain, milk, meat, and fruit)

whole grain waffles

assume your kids ate it Add an extra star if you buy reduced fat or turkey sausage.

Beat-the-Clock Breakfasts

When you’re in a hurry, wake up your kids’ appetite with these grab-and-go 5-Star breakfasts that take only 1-minute to make

Fruit and Nut Oatmeal. Add dried cranberries and almonds to instant oatmeal, and microwave for sixty seconds.
Shake It Up, Baby! Whir low-fat milk, frozen strawberries, and a banana in a blender for thirty seconds. Drink it down with a whole-wheat bagel.
Banana Dogs. Spread peanut butter in a whole grain hot dog bun; plop in a banana, and sprinkle with raisins.
Breakfast Taco. Sprinkle grated Monterey Jack cheese over a corn tortilla; fold in half, and microwave for twenty seconds. Top with salsa.

The American Dietetic Association Knowledge Center

This fact sheet is sponsored by Quaker Oatmeal. The contents have been reviewed by the American Dietetic Association’s Fact Sheet Review Board. The appearance of this information does not constitute an endorsement by ADA of the sponsor’s products or services. This fact sheet was prepared for the general public. Questions regarding its content and use should be directed to a dietetics professional.

To view the Kids Daily Food Planner to find out how well your kids are meeting the Food Guide Pyramid’s daily recommended servings, go to www.quakeroatmeal.com/partnersnutrition.

For more tips go to www.quakeroatmeal.com.

For food and nutrition information or for a referral to a dietetics professional in your area call: 800/366-1655 or visit: www.eatright.org.

Check out the American Dietetic Association’s Guide to Healthy Eating For Kids (John Wiley and Sons, 2002)