Back to school with a full belly for breakfast! Top 5 easy and quick breakfast ideas.

Starting the new year can be a hectic time. Organizing the morning routine can be a tricky task and often breakfast gets left out of the picture. It's important to remember that breakfast is considered the most important meal of the day. Children, and adults, who eat breakfast not only perform better in school and sports but have reportedly have better behavior at work and in the classroom. 

Eating any old breakfast also won't do. So skip the sugary cereal aisle and focus on breakfast foods that are protein and fiber rich in order to provide the best nutritious punch for your  money.

Here are the top 5 best breakfasts to kick off 

the new school year! 

1. Yogurt parfait (layer nonfat Greek vanilla yogurt with granola and fruit (blueberries or bananas)

2. Whole grain waffle with peanut butter and banana

3. Scrambled egg with cheese sandwich on whole wheat toast and a banana to go

4. Smoothie (Add any variety of low fat milk or yogurt, nuts, seeds, peanut butter, frozen fruit, avocado, and bananas)

5. Trail mix to go (mix up Cheerios, nuts, seeds, raisins, dried cranberries and dried mangoes)

Go back to school, full and healthy! Have a great School year! 

#KidsEatRightMonth 

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Breakfast...Why is it so important?

Do you eat breakfast? Do your kids eat breakfast? Studies have shown that children are more likely to eat breakfast when their parents eat breakfast. Sometimes parents are short on time and tend to skip breakfast as a habit. This habit leads to a day full of trying to catch up to achieve a better diet and higher energy level.

If we break down the logistics of breakfast we see that it has been roughly 8-12 hours overnight without food and now the day is about to begin. A long day of work or school is ahead, and it will be at least 3 hours until lunch. The body needs to refuel and get ready to face the day with a strong start. Breakfast provides the body with energy needed to sustain activity throughout the day. Without breakfast the brain and muscles may not have the energy that is needed to meet peak performance.

Research has shown that kids that do not eat breakfast have poor concentration and problem solving ability. Those that start the day with breakfast usually meet their protein, calorie and vitamin requirements throughout the day which leads to a more balanced diet. So start the day off right and remember...

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day!

Here is a quick list of 15 Breakfast ideas:

1. Hard boiled, scrambled or fried eggs

2. Nut butter and banana sandwich

3. Yogurt and granola and/or fresh fruit

4.Cottage cheese and fruit

5. Milk and fruit smoothie

6. Frozen waffles with nut butter, fruit and honey 

7.Flavored milk (milk mixed with fresh fruit)

8. Trail mix ( dried fruit, whole grain cereal, nuts and seeds)

9. Cheese sandwich; Cereal with milk; Banana with nut butter; Pancakes made with bananas and flax seed; No cook muesli (see recipe below); Granola bars, nut bar or low sugar breakfast bars and milk; Oatmeal with raisins or frozen blueberries.

One or our favorite breakfast recipes: 

No Cook Muesli

1 cup plain nonfat or 2% yogurt

1 cup quick oats

1/2 cup slivered or chopped nuts

1 Tablespoon flaxseed

1 Tablespoon honey or syrup

1 cup fresh berries or a banana

In a blender combine the yogurt, oats, flaxseed and honey. Blend until the oats and nuts are in small pieces (about 30 seconds), then divide the muesli among 3 bowls and top with berries or bananas.

A quick and cool alternative to hot oatmeal.

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Why are bananas so good for you? What vitamins are in bananas?

One of the best "fast foods" is a banana! They are easy to eat, easy to bring along anywhere and fun (who hasn't tried to use the banana as a phone)!

Bananas are high in potassium which is great for muscles. They help with diarrhea which is great for our digestive system and may be beneficial for our hearts.

Bananas contain 3 grams of fiber and around 100 calories per medium sized bananas. Bananas have a thick skin and for this reason they do not have to be organic.

Bananas can be frozen and added to smoothies. They can be used to replace eggs in a recipe for baked goods. They can be layered in a sandwich with nut butter and they can be eaten all by themselves.

Bananas get a lot of press. They are touted as being super foods and then other websites say they are the worst food to eat. The important thing to remember about any food is to make sure and research the facts and make sure that there is supportive evidence behind the claims. Eating any food is all about moderation.

So next time you finish a sporting event or need a quick breakfast or snack, reach out for the yellow thick skinned fruit that will make your belly feel full and happy.

 

Another excerpt from the America's Dietitian healthy foods video series.

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Brandi@ABCDEatRight.com



The Best Back to School Breakfasts

Starting the new year can be a hectic time. Organizing the morning routine can be a tricky task and often breakfast gets left out of the picture. It's important to remember that breakfast is considered the most important meal of the day. Children, and adults, who eat breakfast not only perform better in school and sports but have reportedly have better behavior at work and in the classroom. 

Eating any old breakfast also won't do. So skip the sugary cereal aisle and focus on breakfast foods that are protein and fiber rich in order to provide the best nutritious punch for your  money.

Here are the top 5 best breakfasts to kick off 

the new school year! 

1. Yogurt parfait (layer nonfat Greek vanilla yogurt with granola and fruit (blueberries or bananas)

2. Whole grain waffle with peanut butter and banana

3. Scrambled egg with cheese sandwich on whole wheat toast and a banana to go

4. Smoothie (Add any variety of low fat milk or yogurt, nuts, seeds, peanut butter, frozen fruit, avocado, and bananas)

5. Trail mix to go (mix up Cheerios, nuts, seeds, raisins, dried cranberries and dried mangoes)

www.ABCDEatRight.com