Perhaps the most important dietary habit for a child to develop throughout his life is eating a full breakfast. But many parents, either underestimating its value, or due to haste due to the daily routine, do not teach their children to systematically eat breakfast.

It is true that many children only drink milk before leaving for school, others never have breakfast, while some sometimes get something from the school canteen which may not always be the right thing. Data from the Institute of Consumers (INKA) show that 83% children do not get a proper breakfast at home, while 89% does not even get a snack from home.

There are many reasons why children should have breakfast, rich in nutrients. It has been shown that children who eat breakfast are up to 30% less likely to become obese, since they eat larger amounts at lunch or snack on usually unhealthy snacks.

Impressive are the findings of many studies, which support that children who have breakfast choose a more balanced diet throughout the day. In particular, it has been shown that the percentage of fat intake is much lower. Also, several nutrients are absorbed to a sufficient degree during the day, such as calcium, iron, vitamin A and C, thiamin, riboflavin, zinc in relation to children who skip breakfast. Also, the consumption of vegetable fiber was significantly higher. All these characteristics of a more balanced diet were also seen in laboratory tests where children who did not eat breakfast were found to have higher concentrations of cholesterol in their blood.

The role of breakfast proves to be particularly important in increasing performance at school, since it seems that concentration and alertness are greater with breakfast. On the other hand, children without breakfast seem more tired and lazy. This is because by not eating breakfast, blood glucose levels decrease as well as neurotransmitter concentrations. A 10-year-old child needs to eat about every 4 hours to keep glucose levels high enough to adequately fuel the brain and nervous system. A child's brain is the size of an adult, but its liver is still small, and the glycogen stored there can only meet glucose needs for 4 hours.

Skipping breakfast increases the likelihood of dental disease among children. More specifically, children between the ages of 2 and 5, who do not eat breakfast on a daily basis, face four times the risk of developing tooth decay compared to those who never skip breakfast. In addition, they are more likely to suffer tooth decay that requires fillings, especially if they avoid eating fruits and vegetables at the same time.

For all the above reasons, eating breakfast seems to be special important for children. But, to maximize the benefits, breakfast should be healthy and particularly balanced. For this reason - we suggest the following recommendations for children's breakfast. A proper breakfast should cover approximately 25% (1/4) of the nutritional and energy needs that the child needs every day. Therefore, the composition of his breakfast must consist of all three caloric groups of nutrients, fats, carbohydrates and proteins.

So, good suggestions for a proper breakfast are:

• 1 cup of milk, 1-2 slices of bread with margarine-honey and 1 fruit

• 1 cup of milk with unsweetened breakfast cereal and 1 piece of fruit

• 1 toast (with wholemeal bread margarine-cheese-turkey) and 1 natural
  juice

• 1 egg, 1-2 slices of bread, some cheese and 1 fruit

• 1 cup of milk, 1 Thessaloniki bun and 1 fruit

• 1 cup of milk and 2 whole grain cookies,

• 1 yogurt with breakfast cereal without added sugar and 1 fruit.

It should be noted that the quantities listed are indicative and are adjusted according to the child's growth rate and appetite.

The child who is not used to having breakfast, it may be difficult to learn directly to consume any of the above. The example of the parents is of great importance as well as the gradual introduction of foods at breakfast: at first only a glass of milk, then 1 slice of bread with a little margarine and honey, and finally fruit or natural fruit juice. Also, until the child gets used to breakfast, the tithe meal (breakfast) could be strengthened a little. 

Kontopidou Irini

Clinical dietician, M.Sc.

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