Get through the day easily with a good breakfast

Mornings are a hectic time for many parents: between getting up, getting dressed and preparing for the day, there is often little time for a balanced breakfast. However, this meal is important for many to start the day energised and in a good mood. It energises children for school and play and supports their growth and development in the long term. With these five simple and practical tips, you can conjure up a healthy and delicious breakfast on the table every morning.

Tip 1: Cereal products for breakfast

Ideally, breakfast should contain wholemeal products such as oatmeal or wholemeal bread. These foods provide complex carbohydrates that are digested slowly and therefore keep blood sugar levels stable. This helps children to stay focussed over a longer period of time and avoids hunger pangs.

Too much sugar: Although fruit juices and smoothies are practical, they are only suitable as a breakfast supplement to a limited extent.

Wholemeal products are also rich in fibre, which aids digestion and is filling. Is your child a muesli fan? Create your own personalised muesli mix together from unsweetened flakes and cereals. Nuts, kernels and seeds as toppings also increase the fibre content and provide healthy fatty acids.

Tip 2: Fresh fruit and vegetables

Fruit and vegetables provide our children with vitamins and minerals, which is why they should be on the breakfast table every day. Go for colourful combinations to benefit in more ways than one. This is because the colourful selection looks appetising, which means that children often eat more than once. The different colours also represent different nutrients. This means that the more colourful we eat, the more different nutrients we absorb. By shopping seasonally, you automatically ensure more variety on the plate.

Don't have the time to buy fresh produce right now? Keep a small stock of frozen vegetables and fruit to tide you over during hectic periods. Dried fruit can also be used sparingly. Due to their high sugar content, you should not eat more than a small handful. Although fruit juices and smoothies are practical, they are only suitable as a breakfast supplement to a limited extent. Even freshly squeezed, they contain more sugar than most sweet drinks. A two-decilitre glass of orange juice, for example, is equivalent to about four to five oranges - much more than you would eat.

Tip 3: Proteins for growth

As basic building blocks of the body, proteins are crucial for the growth and development of children. They play an important role in bone formation, cell repair and regeneration as well as in the production of enzymes and hormones. They also slow down the rise in blood sugar levels and keep you full for a long time. This makes it easier to bridge the hunger pangs until the next meal.

You don't always have to choose the «high protein» option for a balanced diet.

For many families, milk and dairy products are already an integral part of breakfast. Avoid sugar traps and choose unsweetened dairy products where possible. Also, don't get too hung up on the amount of protein contained in the food. With a balanced diet, you don't always have to choose the «high protein» variety. So if your child prefers yoghurt to quark, that's perfectly fine.

Sprinkle a few nuts over the yoghurt for some extra protein. If you have a little more time on your hands, eggs and egg dishes are also a good source of protein. In general, lean meat such as Bündnerfleisch is also a good source of protein in the morning. Cold cuts, cured meat and sausages, which are often used as toppings, often provide more fat than protein and should be avoided.

Tip 4: Calcium for strong bones

Children need a sufficient amount of calcium to develop strong bones and teeth. We often correctly associate calcium directly with milk and dairy products. Hard and semi-hard cheeses in particular are far ahead in terms of calcium content. However, yoghurt and milk also contribute to our daily intake.

Green leafy vegetables such as spinach are also rich in calcium.

If you prefer plant-based milk alternatives, you will lose an important source of calcium. You can compensate for this by choosing calcium-enriched plant drinks. The all-rounder nut can also score points here, as almonds contain about as much calcium as an average soft cheese. Green leafy vegetables such as spinach are also rich in calcium. Honestly, however, with the exception of egg dishes, it is challenging to serve this without objection at breakfast.

Tip 5: Water and unsweetened drinks for breakfast

It regulates body temperature, transports nutrients and flushes waste products out of the body - water is the basis for all functions in the body. This makes it all the more important to replenish your fluid reserves after a long night's sleep. Water should always be the first choice. Unsweetened teas can also be a good alternative to cover your fluid requirements without adding extra sugar .

Set a good example. Help your child to develop healthy eating habits.

Diluted fruit juice is also allowed on the table from time to time. However, it is important that children learn to appreciate water as their main drink. Of course, it is also okay if breakfast sometimes consists of pancakes or plaited bread with nut nougat cream. The important thing is that you specifically declare this as an exception. By the way: these tips also apply to adults. So set a good example and help your child to develop healthy eating habits.