Breakfast for the kids. A milestone in the morning

It is well known that breakfast for children is one of the most important meals of the day. It is essential that children take in the right calories in the morning to be able to face the day in the best way and at the same time have a healthy and nutritious breakfast.

Breakfast for children: what to give to children

The morning is a difficult time for many families: you need to wash, dress, have breakfast and then ... face the day. And especially in this period, you absolutely must not sacrifice breakfast.

Many studies have shown that breakfast for children positively affects school performance and prevents the risk of obesity. In the morning, the body has recovered from an overnight fast of almost 12 hours, the energy reserves are exhausted and it is important that the child replenishes calories to face the day.

This first meal should provide approximately 15% 20% of the daily calories, to be balanced it must contain a mix of nutrients: complex carbohydrates, simple carbohydrates and proteins ». In particular:

1.Complex carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates can be provided by different foods: bread, durum or whole wheat (while the canned one should be avoided); cereals, but paying attention to the label: sugar should not be the main ingredient, and preferably choose whole grains; biscuits and rusks, better wholemeal: here too it is important to read the label to check that they contain good oils, such as corn, sunflower or extra virgin olive oil and better if cold extracted.

2.Simple carbohydrates: fresh fruit, preferably in season and organic because it contains more antioxidants (pesticides, in addition to not being good for health, block the natural development of antioxidants); dried fruit (but with no added sugar); honey, preferably dark honeydew or chestnut honey, rich in mineral salts; and fruit compotes, with at least 70% fruit.

3. Proteins. The protein part can be given by: high quality whole milk; whole white yogurt, to be preferred to the one with fruit; dried fruit; soy milk or yogurt. For children who prefer salty, you can offer: fresh cheese, an egg or even legumes (perhaps in cream).

Breakfast for children: why it is important

Breakfast for children is really essential. In addition to providing a good number of calories to get you through the day, numerous studies have also shown it to offer protection from diabetes.

A recent survey, conducted by researchers at St. George's University in London and published in the San Francisco-based weekly medical journal PLoS Medicine, confirmed that children who skip it are more at risk of suffering from diabetes and being overweight. or obese as adults.

The results of the aforementioned study showed that children who skipped breakfast most days (26%) had a higher risk of diabetes than others. Notably, they had higher fasting insulin levels and higher insulin resistance levels (which can lead to diabetes).

Furthermore, among the children who ate breakfast, those who ate high-fiber cereals had lower levels of insulin resistance than those who preferred biscuits. Consumption of fiber could therefore protect against the risk of early development of type 2 diabetes.

Breakfast for children after one year of life.

According to the indications on the feeding of the Esfa child, the European Food Safety Authority can be the parents to choose, according to their beliefs, habits, traditions, which foods and what type of milk to offer to the child who has just turned one year.

The expert stated that "if the mother is still breastfeeding, she will understand if breast milk is enough or whether to offer something else, both by evaluating whether the child is still hungry, and by taking into account the fact that the child must be educated to do breakfast, that is to introduce a solid food in addition to milk. After the portion of mother's milk, a fruit could therefore be fine ».

If the baby is no longer breastfed for breakfast, he can eat some rusks (or bread) with jam or some biscuits and / or fruit. Once again, the mother has to rely on her own instincts, trusting the baby at the same time, that is, what and how much she wants to eat. It is obviously only valid if he is offered a range of simple and healthy foods, such as fruit, bread, yogurt.