Breakfast everyday
Doing the first meal of the day well is essentialto have courage and energy at the time of playing, performing at school and even, to prevent obesity. Despite its importance, this food is often the great forgotten of our diet. You only need 15 minutes a day to enjoy a rich and tasty breakfast with your children.
According to the Spanish Society of Endocrinology and Nutrition (SEEN), "between 20 and 40 percent of children go to school without breakfast although it must be one of the main meals of the day. This behavior affects school performance and favors childhood obesity. "
"As a general rule, they are foods rich in fat or processed products: chips, sancks, industrial pastries, cookies, sausages, sweets and sodas, etc., instead of vegetables, salad, fish or fruit," says Julia Álvarez, coordinator of the Nutrition Area of the SEEN, which insists on the importance of taking care of children's food since "it is the ideal time to acquire healthy habits".
Breakfast foods provide the nutrients and energy that the child's body requires once it has opened its eyes. A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, olive oil and blue fish are associated with positive effects on the concentration, memory and performance.
How our children's breakfast should be
The rush, lack of time, going late, makes many families try to counteract it regardless of their children's breakfast. The ideal and adequate breakfast should be varied in foods that contain the necessary nutrients:
- Dairy products: milk, yogurt and / or cheese.
- Carbohydrates: cereals, cookies, bread.
- Fats: olive oil, butter or margarine.
- Vegetables: fruits or juices.
- Others: jam, ham or turkey, honey ...
Five benefits of breakfast for health
1. Improves nutritional status. It helps to improve the balance of energy and nutrients that the body needs during the day.
2. Increase physical performance. If you are going to perform a physical activity and have not had an adequate breakfast, the child may experience fatigue or even fainting due to lack of energy.
3. Increase concentration and memory. Breakfast provides the necessary glucose to the body, the nourishment of the brain, which improves memory, concentration and creativity.
4. Fight against childhood obesity. It helps maintain healthy weight limits. When your child has a good breakfast, he is not so hungry during the morning, so it's easier than not to peck between meals.
5. It gives joy and good humor. Breakfast increases glucose which makes the nervous system work better, having better mood and joy to face the day.
Noelia de Santiago Monteserín
