Making The Most of Breakfast

If you didn't know by now, breakfast is considered to be the most improtant meal of the day. The trouble is knowing just how to make the most out of breakfast. I recently teamed up with Nestle Cereals to find out just how good my choices at breakfast time were.

Over the course of a week I filled in a daily diary describing just what my girls and I were eating for our breakfast. These diary entries were then looked at by nutritionist Juliette Kellow and I was advised to what I could do to change/improve just what we were digesting.
Below you can see a few of my diary entries, the girls and I always try to vary what we have at breakfast time, keeps it from getting boring.

Juliette then analysed what I had written. I was lucky enough to get to talk with her on the phone, listen to her expert advise, as well as being able to ask questions myself.

It was nice to hear that in general what I was giving the children for breakfast was absolutely fine. I think as a parent, I tend to worry that they aren't eating the right foods, eating the correct amount of food etc.

I hope Juliette's advice can help with breakfast time in your house too.

Here is what Juliette concluded about our eating habits :

Chantelle

• It’s great to see a variety of different foods are eaten at breakfast time. This is the best way to prevent diet boredom.
• It’s also good to see that wholegrains (such as porridge, wholemeal muesli and wholemeal toast) are eaten regularly. Experts recommend we eat at least three servings of wholegrains a day and breakfast is the ideal time to get one of these servings. Wholegrains are simply grains that contain all three edible parts: the germ, endosperm and bran. Together, they provide a range of vitamins, minerals, fibre, starch and other nutrients, contributing to a varied, balanced diet
• If you’re looking for some different wholegrains at breakfast time look for Nestlé cereals. They all contain wholegrain – just look for the green banner. Great choices for wholegrain include Shredded Wheat – it’s made from just 100% wholegrain wheat and is free from added sugar and salt. Other great options include Shreddies and Cheerios. 
• Keep an eye on portion sizes for muesli and granola – these choices are dense so the recommended 50g-60g serving often looks a small amount in the bowl with the result that it’s easy to have considerably more than this – and therefore considerably more calories, too.
• Aim to include milk or yogurt on days when cereal or porridge isn’t eaten. These foods provide a range of nutrients including protein, important for the growth and maintenance of muscle, and calcium, important for the maintenance of normal bones and teeth. Homemade lattes can be a good way to include milk if you don’t like drinking it on it’s own. To keep fat and saturated fat intakes down though, it’s best to use a reduced-fat option such as semi-skimmed, 1% fat or skimmed milk – or chose low-fat or fat-free yogurt.
• Cooked breakfasts are fine as an occasional treat, but they can be high in salt if bacon and sausages are included. Grilling is a better option than frying to keep fat intakes down – go for lean bacon and reduced-fat sausages, and opt for poached or scrambled egg instead of fried.
• On most days, Chantelle is missing out on an opportunity to get one her 5-a-day for fruit and veg at breakfast time. The easiest way is to add a sliced banana or handful or two of berries to a bowl of cereal. Alternatively, simply munch on a piece of fruit such as an apple, pear or orange – or have a small (150ml) glass of unsweetened fruit juice.

Children (they all tend to have roughly the same)

• It’s great to see that the children eat fruit at breakfast on most days – this puts them on the road to 5-a-day at the start of the day, with the result that they’re more likely to achieve this. It’s good to see that a variety is eaten too. Aim to add in a portion on those days when it’s missing. Just watch portion sizes for dried fruit – it’s a more concentrated source of naturally occurring sugars than fresh. Aim for no more than 1tbsp (which counts as one of their 5-a-day)
• It’s good to see that cereal is often eaten, too – aim to provide wholegrain cereals and those that are fortified with vitamins and minerals. As well as containing wholegrain, all Nestlé cereals, except for Shredded Wheat, have B vitamins and iron added to them, while many also have added calcium and vitamin D. These include Cheerios, Cookie Crisp, Golden Grahams and Golden Nuggets. Most mueslis and porridge tend not to be fortified with vitamins and minerals. Cereal acts as a great vehicle for getting milk into children and along with that comes a range of important nutrients, including calcium, important for the maintenance of normal bones and teeth. Childhood and teenage years are the crucial time for building strong bones. 
• On days when hot cross buns, toast and pancakes are eaten, aim to provide a glass of milk or pot of yogurt, too, to provide calcium.

It was nice to hear that in general what I was giving the children for breakfast was absolutely fine. I think as a parent, I tend to worry that they aren't eating the right foods, eating the correct amount of food etc. It was myself that was lacking on the 5 a day intake, something that I didn't really notice until it was written down, I will definitely be making more of a conscious effort to eat more fruit at breakfast time.

I hope Juliette's advice can help with breakfast time in your house too.

xxxx