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Why it is important for children to eat breakfast

March 7, 2022
  • Breakfast
  • Breakfast for children
Why it is important for children to eat breakfast

Lack of appetite in the morning or too little time are common reasons why children do not eat breakfast. However, this has a big impact on the little ones’ performance during their exciting daily routine at school or kindergarten.

It is not for nothing that breakfast is also called the most important meal of the day. A healthy breakfast for children is especially important.

Find out why it is so important for children to eat breakfast here.

Why children need breakfast

While we sleep at night, our energy stores are emptied. In the morning, they need to be replenished so that we can start the day full of energy. Breakfast therefore serves as an important basis for an energetic day.

If you skip breakfast altogether in the morning, you will notice quite quickly how your energy level drops in the course of the morning. For children, this becomes noticeable at school, when their attention is not quite up to par.

As the performance curve clearly shows, the energy level rises a little in the morning even without breakfast, but it remains relatively low throughout the day.

Children who eat a meal in the morning can perform better on the one hand and also show a performance peak in the afternoon. This energy boost in the second half of the day does not occur when children do without breakfast.

Breakfast improves concentration

Breakfast is particularly important for schoolchildren, because if you don’t give your body energy in the morning, you can expect a drop in performance. This can be seen, for example, in attention and concentration at school.

Pupils who do not eat breakfast often have problems concentrating in the morning. It is difficult for them to follow school lessons attentively and they are quickly distracted.

Children who eat breakfast are fitter

However, breakfast does not only have an effect on children’s mental performance, but also on their physical performance. According to a study by the ETH Zurich, children who eat breakfast regularly are more capable of motor skills. This was determined on the basis of their sport motor skills.

In addition, the researchers of the study found out that the morning meal is associated with a healthy BMI. For students who eat in the morning, the BMI calculator for children shows significantly lower values.

In the long run, an elevated BMI is bad for the health of our little ones, because overweight children tend to register too high BMI values even as adults. This in turn increases the risk of various cardiovascular diseases or type 2 diabetes.

My child, the breakfast muffle

Get up early, get ready and get the kids to school on time before going to work yourself. The daily morning routine with children can be quite stressful and must be well coordinated.

When the children refuse breakfast, the nerves of many parents are put to the test. That’s why we have collected tips on how to motivate your little ones to eat breakfast:

Kind Frühstücksmuffel
When children don’t want to eat in the morning, it often causes frustration among parents.

Child-friendly breakfast

Basically, the same applies to breakfast for children as for adults. It should contain whole grains, fresh and seasonal fruits and vegetables, dairy products or vegetable protein and plenty of fluids. It should also be as low in sugar as possible, because sugar makes blood sugar levels and energy levels go crazy.

To motivate children to eat breakfast, the food must first and foremost taste good. That’s why we at VERIVAL have come up with something very special: Together with nutrition experts, we have developed a delicious breakfast assortment especially for our little ones.

We use the best whole grain cereals in organic quality as the main ingredient to satisfy both big and small appetites. In addition, our VERIVAL children’s breakfast products contain up to 50% less sugar than conventional breakfast cereals.

Find a common breakfast routine

Children are more willing to eat breakfast if they have a say in what goes on their plate. This is not to say that your little ones should have complete autonomy over their breakfast. But to get them involved in the breakfast routine, you should offer them alternatives from which they can choose. Do you prefer muesli, granola (crunchy muesli) or porridge? Apple pieces or banana as a topping? A glass of fruit juice or tea?

It is also important that you eat breakfast yourself, because children learn from their role models and adopt the habits of their caregivers.

Do not force children to eat breakfast

If your child absolutely does not want to eat breakfast in the morning and even the best tips are ineffective, then only one thing helps: acceptance. Forcing children to eat is often counterproductive.

For many children, hunger comes on its own at the latest at school or kindergarten and then it is important to be prepared. So pack your little ones a tasty and healthy breakfast.

One of the most popular breakfast dishes for on the go are Overnight Oats. Overnight oats are oatmeal that is prepared the night before and develops its delicious taste during the night. The next morning, all you have to do is add your children’s favourite toppings. Prepared in the practical take-away container, it becomes a healthy and delicious breakfast to-go in no time, which even the little foodies will enjoy.

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Basic recipe: Overnight Oats

The basic recipe for Overnight Oats is super simple – you only need 2 ingredients.
Prep Time2 mins
Total Time2 mins
Servings: 1
Calories: 150kcal

Ingredients

  • 4 tbsp oat flakes (approx. 45g)
  • 80 ml water, milk or a plant-based alternative

Instructions

  • Put the water, milk or plant-based alternative into a glass together with the oat flakes and stir well.
  • Put the mixture in the refrigerator overnight or for at least 2 hours. 
  • Stir well once again and enjoy. 

Notes

We recommend to sweeten the overnight oats with honey, agave syrup or maple syrup and to decorate them with fruits, nuts and seeds.

Nutrition

Calories: 150kcal
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