BREAKFAST

Would you believe 40% of parents surveyed said their children do not eat breakfast daily. Come on parents, making sure your children have a healthy breakfast everyday is very important! The experts seem to agree that breakfast is the most important meal of the day for adults and for children. Just the word breakfast gives us a clue as to why. The word simply means break the fast or tell your body it is time to go to work and refueling is an important part of that process. A balanced healthy breakfast helps to kick start your metabolism for the the day. Research also shows that eating breakfast can help with weight control in both children and adults. You don't have to spend an hour to serve a healthy breakfast. A balanced breakfast should include food from at least three groups. You can easily do that with cereal but make it a healthy whole-grain cereal that is not loaded down with sugar. Take your healthy cereal, add fresh fruit for sweetness, and use low-fat or fat-free milk. You have covered grains, fruit, and dairy in one quick simple meal. Another quick breakfast might be a slice of whole-grain toast spread with peanut butter and sliced fruit or low-sugar jelly or jam and a glass of milk. Just make sure you and your family are starting your day with a healthy breakfast!