Why a healthy breakfast is important
Breakfast gives children the energy they need to start their busy days. Children who eat a healthy breakfast can concentrate on playing, learning, remembering and solving problems, because they aren’t distracted by feeling hungry.
This means that a healthy breakfast can help children perform better at school.
Children who eat breakfast also tend to:
- have better school attendance than those who regularly skip breakfast
- be more emotionally healthy than non-breakfast eaters
- stay at a healthy weight, because they’re less likely to snack on unhealthy foods.
What a healthy breakfast looks like
A healthy breakfast needs to have a balance of carbohydrates, protein and fat. This combination gives children enough energy for the whole morning.
Your child might like to choose from options like porridge, oats, untoasted muesli, low-sugar wholegrain cereal, boiled eggs, omelettes, wholegrain toast, fruit and yoghurt.
Wholegrains like multigrain bread, oats and porridge are good choices for breakfast. Your child’s body digests and absorbs them more slowly than processed, sugary cereals. They give your child longer-lasting energy and fullness.
Healthy breakfast ideas to encourage reluctant breakfast eaters
You’re an important role model when it comes to eating. Showing your children that breakfast is yummy and an important part of your day is a good way to encourage them to eat it. You can talk about the benefits of breakfast with them too.
Here are more breakfast ideas to encourage healthy eating habits in the morning:
- Make breakfast a time to sit and eat with your children. Being a good example is a powerful way to influence your children’s habits.
- If your child says they’re not hungry in the morning, try making a healthy smoothie, with milk, yoghurt and a piece of fruit like a banana, instead of a more traditional breakfast ‘meal’.
- Another option is for your child to eat a small meal at home, like a small bowl of oats or a piece of fruit. Then give your child a healthy snack to eat before school starts – for example, some yoghurt with fruit.
- If a busy morning schedule or an early start leaves little time for breakfast, try setting your child’s alarm 10 minutes earlier, or even getting breakfast ready the night before. For example, put cereal in the bowl overnight and leave it on the bench or table, so your child just has to add milk in the morning.
- If your child is a fussy eater at breakfast, think about ways to make breakfast more interesting. For example, you could try something like low-fat ricotta on wholemeal toast with sliced banana and honey drizzled on top.
- If your older child refuses to eat breakfast, try not to make a big deal about this. Your child might be doing this as a way of showing independence. You could suggest your child takes a piece of fruit or a healthy smoothie made with milk, yoghurt and fruit to have on the trip to school instead. Or encourage your child to choose their own healthy breakfast options when you’re out shopping.
Nutritional benefits of breakfast
Human bodies make energy from carbohydrates, breaking them down into a sugar called glucose. Glucose is our main source of energy. After a night without food, your body has used most of its glucose. This is why we need a fuel top-up before we tackle the day.
Eating breakfast will give your child energy and get their metabolism started. It will help your child’s body use the food they eat more efficiently throughout the day. Also, children who miss breakfast don’t ‘catch up’ on any missed nutrients during the rest of the day.
Languages other than English
- Arabic (PDF: 108kb)
- Dari (PDF: 158kb)
- Karen (PDF: 104kb)
- Persian (PDF: 158kb)
- Simplified Chinese (PDF: 155kb)
- Vietnamese (PDF: 186kb)