By Alana Gold, Registered Dietitian

You wake up late, your kids won’t get out of bed and they can’t find their schoolwork. In other words, it’s another rush out the door leaving behind the most important thing of all—breakfast! We have all heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day yet many of us, including our growing children, don’t eat it. Numerous studies have shown that kids who eat breakfast have a better overall nutritional intake, have an increased ability to concentrate and are better able to manage their weight. Before you send your kids out the door tomorrow morning, let Truestar give you the breakfast smarts you need to improve their health.

Breakfast—the most important meal of the day
Breakfast helps fuel the brain and muscles after a nightlong fast. If your kids don’t eat when they wake up, their body lacks the energy it needs to perform all of its daily functions. Some other important benefits breakfast include:

Improved overall nutritional intake: Eating breakfast can improve your child’s total daily nutrient intake. Studies show that children who eat a regular breakfast of cereal with milk get more vitamins A and B6, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, calcium, iron and zinc than children who eat little or no cereal for breakfast.

Increased ability to concentrate: Studies show that kids who eat breakfast think faster and clearer and concentrate better in school. Breakfast eaters have also been shown to have greater improvements in standardized test scores and are more alert and creative.

Better ability to manage their weight: Skipping breakfast sets your child up for extreme hunger later in the day, leading to poor food choices and excess caloric intake. Also, a study by researchers at Oxford Brookes University found that kids who ate a breakfast low on the glycemic index, such as high fiber cereal, oatmeal or muesli, felt fuller longer and ate less at lunchtime than kids who ate a high glycemic index breakfast, such as white bread or corn flakes. High glycemic index foods (highly processed foods made from white flour and white sugar) cause a spike in blood sugar levels and an over-secretion of insulin. Excess insulin gets stored as fat.

A healthy breakfast
Breakfast should provide one-quarter to one-third of your child’s energy and nutrient needs for the day. Eating a balanced breakfast includes getting the right type and the right amounts of carbohydrates, protein and fat. Truestar kids' meals are designed to provide:

• 50% complex carbohydrates, such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables, beans and lentils;
• 25% lean proteins, such as poultry, fish, lean meats, turkey, omega-3 eggs, lowfat dairy products, soy and tofu; and
• 25% essential fats, such as olive oil, nuts, avocado and flax.

Truestar meal plans also include a wide variety of foods to ensure the optimum intake of important nutrients kids often lack, such as fiber, vitamin C, folate, iron and calcium. Check to see if your child’s school offers a school breakfast program for times when eating breakfast at home isn’t feasible.

Easy breakfast ideas

• Protein fruit smoothie: Blend fruit, protein powder, milk or yogurt and flaxseed or nuts in a blender until smooth.
• High fiber cereal: Mix cereal, such as Nature’s Path Flax Plus, with milk and serve lowfat cheese on the side.
• Cottage cheese and fruit medley: Mix cottage cheese with fruit and chopped nuts.
• Fruity lowfat yogurt: Mix yogurt with protein powder, berries and flaxseed.
• Cheesy pita melt: Melt cheese on a whole wheat pita with flaxseed
• Omega-3 eggs and toast topped with peanut butter

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