Make a balanced breakfast a habit in your home

Children who eat breakfast each day may have an advantage when it comes to learning. So shift your thinking to beyond sharpening their pencils to sharpening their minds by making a balanced breakfast a habit in your home. Here’s how:

Teach your kids how to build a balanced breakfast
A balanced breakfast includes foods from at least three of the four food groups in Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide:

Vegetables and Fruit
Grain Products
Milk and Alternatives
Meat and Alternatives
Beat the morning time crunch by planning ahead
A little planning the night before can go a long way when you’re in a rush to get out the door in the morning:

Make sure homework is done and school bags are packed before bedtime.
Get lunch items ready and store in the fridge the night before.
Have the kids set the table for breakfast after dinner.
Keep a bowl of fresh fruit on the counter and whole grain breads and cereals within easy reach for children.
Keep milk and juices in easy to pour containers.
Stock easy to pack breakfast items like cereal bars, juice boxes, and yogurt tubes for mornings when you need to send kids to school with a quick breakfast to eat on the go.
Try these quick and easy breakfast ideas
A nutritious breakfast can be as quick and easy as a bowl of whole grain cereal with sliced bananas and a glass of milk. Try these other simple ideas:
Half a whole grain bagel toasted, topped with sliced cheese and tomato.
A yogurt berry smoothie and a handful of trail mix with nuts and seeds.
Cheesy scrambled eggs topped with salsa in a flax seed tortilla wrap with a glass of orange juice.
Be sure to set a good example by starting your day with a balanced breakfast too. Your kids will be much more likely to make breakfast a healthy habit if you sit down to enjoy breakfast with them as often as possible.

This article was written for/ by EatRight Ontario