Protein packed breakfast ideas from top nutrition specialist and fitness trainer, Katie Bottini
We’ve all been told “the most important meal of the day is breakfast”, and for good reason! A healthy breakfast serves as a jump-start to the day, and for growing children, it is more important than ever. A healthy meal at the start of your child’s day can be the key to…
Better decision making
Less chance of obesity
A balanced meal with enough calories, especially for kids going to school who may not eat properly during the lunch hour
Better academic performance
Better athletic performance
Lifelong healthy habits!
Fuel: As an adult, on a day that you don’t eat a breakfast or even have your morning coffee for that matter, don’t you feel slightly lethargic? Slower to think and move? Less alert? It’s as if our body and brain haven’t woken up yet—and that is exactly the case. Having a breakfast to start your day provides immediate fuel to your brain and body. Just like an athlete needs energy for the muscles to perform, our brain is also a muscle that needs the same energy to think and make decisions. This is especially important for students of all ages who are going to school, often early in the morning, and need that energy to focus and absorb everything they are being taught. Having that energy to concentrate, will lead to increased academic performance and better decision-making.
Family Time: Mornings are often one time when families are getting up and starting the day together, which is a good time to connect and create a healthy morning routine through breakfast. Use breakfast as a way for kids to get a balanced healthy meal before school when you won’t be there to make sure they eat their lunch or make healthy choices in the lunch line.
Prevention: A healthy breakfast can also decrease the chance for childhood obesity by preventing kids from becoming ravenous later in the day or eating junk food. Just as adults are told to have breakfast to lose weight, to kick start their metabolism, and prevent overeating later in the day, the same applies to kids. Childhood obesity has risen dramatically recently and although a lot of that has to do with inactivity and an increase in fast foods, those who eat a breakfast have a lower chance of becoming overweight. A great breakfast routine will create a healthy habit for kids to continue into adulthood.
Energy for play: Just as a healthy meal provides energy to their brain to learn, it will also give your kids the energy they need to be active! Whether it’s in gym class or after school sports, having a healthy breakfast will ensure proper calories for them to burn and the nutrients their muscles need to perform.
Check out some energy boosting breakfast ideas to start the school day!
Tight on time? Get your kids involved in the process the night before so that the morning scramble feels more manageable for everyone.
Sample breakfast 1
-2 scrambled eggs
-Energizing smoothie
-½ cup frozen spinach
-½ frozen or fresh banana
- ½ cup berries
-1 cup unsweetened almond or soy milk
Sample breakfast 2
-2 whole eggs 1 egg white scrambled with 1-2 slices multigrain toast (such as Ezeikiel)
-1 cup fresh fruit or banana cut up with 1 tbsp natural peanut butter
Sample Breakfast 3
-1 cup cooked oatmeal with almond/soy milk or regular milk , cinnamon, honey and nuts or nut butter
-½ cup berries (can be put into oatmeal as well)
Sample Breakfast 4
-2 slices Ezeikiel toast topped with ½ avocado and 3 scrambled eggs
-½ cup fruit
About the author: Katie Bottini is a NASM Certified Personal Trainer and Fitness Nutrition Specialist and has a B.S. in Exercise Science and Nutrition from Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, CT. She works with clients in Fairfield County, Connecticut and Manhattan, New York. Check out: www.katiebottini.com for more information!
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