Five Better Breakfast Tips

As kids are getting back into the groove of the school year, September has been targeted as NATIONAL BETTER BREAKFAST MONTH to encourage parents make sure they are providing their children with a nutritious start to the day before sending them off to class.   Barbara's, known for its healthy cereals and snacks, recently conducted a survey on families' back to school breakfast habits and found that one in five children go without breakfast at least once per week during the school year.   Of the 1,000 households polled by SurveyMonkey with school aged children, 38% of the parents that reported their kids skipping breakfast due to hectic mornings and lack of time.  50% of those who had a history of skipping breakfast also typically eat on the go or in the car.

Barbara's partnered with Frances Largeman Roth, RDN, a nutrition expert and mom of three to provide Five Better Breakfast Tips to help busy parents get breakfast on the table and children eating it:

Breakfast Time over Screen Time – Mornings are hectic, especially at the beginning of the school year, before everyone has settled into their schedules. Make it clear to your kids that breakfast time needs to come before they turn on the TV or play with their phone.

Better Breakfasts – Barbara’s Breakfast Survey revealed that juice and cereal are the most common breakfast foods on school days: 71% of children drink fruit juice and 95% of children eat cereal. Clearly, kids love juice and cereal but you can still help them make better choices. For example, 100% fruit juice rather than “drinks” or “blends” and lower sugar cereals like Barbara’s Puffins, which are also packed with whole grains.

Add Color! – Studies show that kids like food that’s colorful, so take the opportunity to fit in an extra serving of antioxidant and vitamin C-rich fruit--and tempt their taste buds--by offering brightly colored berries, diced apple and melon, or sliced grapes and kiwi fruit on the breakfast table.
 
Streamline Set Up – Having a sit-down breakfast is much more doable if you do a little prep in advance. Set up the breakfast table the night before: Clear clutter, and set out bowls, spoons, and napkins. Then all you need to do in the morning is serve the food!

Always Have Backup! – There are some days when you just have to grab and go! Being prepared with a healthy back up option is smart. I like to make extra whole grain pancakes on the weekend and freeze them for a rainy day.