Eat Breakfast: Eating breakfast helps your family start the day in a healthy way.
Breakfast can provide your family with energy for the day. A balanced breakfast includes carbohydrates, protein and fiber. Carbohydrates provide immediate energy, while protein continues the energy throughout the day. Fiber helps the body properly digest food and feel full.
Keep breakfast interesting by trying a variety of foods. It is important for you and your family to eat different fruits, vegetables, grains, protein, and dairy products throughout the day.
Here are some breakfast ideas that include items from several food groups:
- Eggs with vegetables and cheese
- Cereal with fruit and milk
- Oatmeal with fruit
- Whole grain toast with cheese
- Yogurt with fruit
- Fruit smoothie and whole wheat bagel
- Peanut butter and banana sandwich
*The Nemours Foundation. (2012). KidsHealth: Breakfast Basics. Retrieved from https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/breakfast.html
Family Fun Activity: Breakfast Favorites
Use this easy activity to help your child learn.
What You Need:
- Paper
- Crayons or markers
What To Do:
- Encourage your child to think of his or her favorite breakfast food
- Allow your child to draw a picture of his or her favorite breakfast
- Challenge your child to then draw the favorite breakfast foods of each member of your family
- Talk to your child about making healthy choices when choosing breakfast foods
- “Eating breakfast will help you have the energy to play outside today”
- “This whole grain toast will help you stay full today”
This is publication 8 out of 24 in the Eat Healthy, Be Active: Keeping Children Healthy at Home and School series. For more information visit www.eathealthybeactive.net
