The Horrible Truth about Breakfast!
by Sara Kair
http://www.moms-connection.com 

You may think that your kids are eating healthy but there are 
some alarming trends in kids’ eating behaviors.

· 98% of school-aged children fail to meet the Food Guide Pyramid serving recommendations for the major food groups.

· Teenage girls have especially low intakes of fruits and dairy products. Children’s diets are very high in added sugars. 

· In an average child’s diet, approximately 20 percent of total food energy comes from sugar, which has no nutritional value.

· Most children consume large amounts of regular or diet soda. 

· 1/3 of all teenagers drink more than three carbonated beverages each day.

· Overall, 56 to 85% of the American children choose carbonated beverages over milk everyday.

Parents can encourage good nutrition by providing a variety of foods for their children. Iron-rich foods are important to helping prevent anemia. Oysters and liver contain iron, but may not be too popular with kids. Try serving green leafy vegetables, raisins or ground beef (thoroughly cooked) for a daily dose of iron. Fresh veggies served raw contain the most nutrients. 

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. The body uses carbohydrates when sleeping, causing the blood sugar levels to drop. Breakfast will “refuel” the body and give it the necessary calories it needs for concentration and alertness. Some experts believe that eating breakfast may add years to your life. In a study done by the Goergia Centenanian Study recently reported that those that live beyond 100 years of age have a history of eating breakfast each morning.

The following guidelines will ensure that your family starts the day with a healthy jump start: 

· Breakfast should include 2 servings of fruit

· High fiber food like whole-grain or cereal

· A glass of orange juice, which is a good source of potassium and helps the body absorb iron and other vital nutrients.

· Plenty of hydration, this will help the body wake up quickly and best use the offered nutrients.

If time is limited, consider these tips:

· Oatmeal or other hot or cold fortified cereal

· Fruit smoothie with wheat germ

· Peanut butter on whole wheat toast with a glass of milk and orange juice

· Last nights baked potato (or micro-waved) with green veggies and cheese

· Leftovers from last nights dinner

Thinking “out of the box” on breakfast may get your family more interested in breakfast. Involve your children in the breakfast planning and preparation. If you make breakfast important and fun, they will be excited to get up and eat. Always remember, ‘Breakfast is the most important meal of the day!!’

Related Articles:

My Child Has a Hearing Loss...What Next?
Recently, a parent of a newly diagnosed, hard of hearing infant contacted me. Like most parents, she and her husband were stunned when they received the news. She was looking for information to help them in their quest for knowledge about hearing loss and how best to help their child.

School's in Session -- and So Are Lice!
It seems like school and lice go hand in hand. My own children have been back at school for only a very short time, and there has already been a couple outbreaks of lice. I am thankful that my children have never had lice, but I also believe that us parents can do quite a bit to prevent lice coming into our home.

Have You Noticed The Focus On Water Lately?
Over Labor Day weekend, a tragic outbreak of E. Coli bacteria in upstate New York made the national news. Two people died. Hundreds of fairgoers became severely ill; dozens were hospitalized.

Peanut Allergy  
Caleb is four years old. He likes playing with legos and matchbox cars, Winnie-the-Pooh and collecting bugs of all sorts. When you see him laughing and playing he looks just like any other little boy.