Does my child really have to have breakfast?

Nutrition is an important topic. Is your child also one of the kind that doesn't get anything down at breakfast together in the morning? Surprisingly, you're not the only one with this problem.

A study from 2019 showed that about every third child in Germany goes to kindergarten or school without breakfast. That's quite a lot, isn't it? It is also said that the older your child is, the higher the proportion of breakfast refusers.

This is an important topic that we want to discuss with you in today's blog post, as not having breakfast can have adverse consequences. We will also help you deal with breakfast grouches.

The idea is definitely frightening when you consider that almost 30 percent of children and young people in Germany leave their home in the morning Leave without balanced breakfast.

Also interesting:

Ideas for a balanced breakfast

What nutrients does my child really need?

A study by the University of Bielefeld came to this conclusion at the time. They worked nationwide in the 2009/2010 school year on an international study by the World Health Organization (WHO). 5.000 adolescents between 11 and were recruited for the study 15 years on this topic.

It also emerged that children and young people in particular from families with low income rarely or not at all have breakfast. Among 15-year-olds, every second child went to school with an empty stomach.

The consequences can be fatal. Experts agree and emphasize again and again: Children and young people simply need enough energy and nutrients to get through the (school) )day to come. That is the be-all and end-all. If your child has a balanced and full breakfast, there shouldn’t be any problems with the have the ability to concentrate and remember.

Also interesting: If your child is a little older and concerned about their weight, they may decide that they want to skip breakfast. However, more recent studies have shown that breakfast is an important factor in preventing overweight.

Possibility

So what can you do as a parent? The doctor and expert on nutrition and obesity in children and adolescents, Dr. Christiane Petersen from Hamburg definitely warns against coercion and too much worry when it comes to this topic: "If a child simply can't get anything down in the morning and has absolutely no appetite, you shouldn't force it to eat," she says. At this point it is enough to give the child a glass of milk.

Don't worry: there are definitely enough alternatives.

Try it, for example, with a smoothie, these are pureed fruits of any kind. We'll stick to liquids: how about it, for example with muesli to drink? Liquid is usually less time-consuming for your child and therefore also increases the chance that it will at least absorb nutrients in this way. Other suggestions would be a kids latte or for cold days: a hot almond milk.

Some yoghurt with fresh fruit shouldn't be a problem either.Try it!

If none of the tips above have worked, the right lunch box is of course important. It should be able to contain all the important ingredients for a nutritious lunch. Of course, size also matters.

We offer you our stainless steel lunch boxes in three different sizes and variants. These range from 550 ml to 1280 ml. The lunch boxes are intended for both school and kindergarten. Please visit our Shop!

Unsure? Our purchase advisor will be happy to help you!

Right to have a say

Now it's time for your child's second breakfast or lunch box. dr In any case, Petersen thinks that hunger will definitely come sooner or later. “If the first breakfast was liquid, it is best to give your child nutritious snacks such as fresh grain muesli, wholemeal sandwiches and additional fresh fruit or raw vegetables Take them to school or kindergarten.”

In order to have a better guarantee that your child will actually eat the second breakfast, you should definitely include it in the choice of food, because Dr. Petersen knows: “If you ask children what they like and if they dislike certain foods, the chances that they will eat healthy snacks increase.”

Structure is everything

As already mentioned, the obvious danger of sending your child to school or kindergarten without breakfast is obvious. Children with an empty stomach are nervous, slightly irritable and lack of concentration . It should of course already be vigilant and attentive on the way to school.

However, breakfast not only plays an important role in everyday school or kindergarten life. Having breakfast together also helps enormously when it comes to strengthening family relationships between parents and child or siblings.

This morning ritual gives a feeling of security, which children of that age definitely need. Breakfast gives the day structure, which in turn stress prevents.

There is a simple trick to be able to adhere to this structure. For example, just set the table for breakfast the evening before. So you have already been able to prevent this stress and you can have breakfast relaxed for 15 minutes.

Please no quarrels or discussions - breakfast serves to wake you up slowly and should therefore be arranged as harmoniously as possible.

Breakfast or break time?

If your child is already going to school, there is of course the possibility to buy something at the kiosk. I know it can be tempting to just give the child some money to take with them. It's just a shame that most kids tend to grab sweets and the like as soon as they have the power to choose their lunch break.

Precisely for these reasons, it is all the more important to give your child something in the lunch box that is healthy and delicious.

Try wholemeal bread with cold cuts, for example. Cheese and gherkins as a vegetarian alternative. Ask your child what they like best and vary it. Add some grapes or carrots.

If the fruit and vegetables are already cut to bite size, they are much more likely to eat them or share them with classmates

Don't forget

Drinking! Here you should really only use water or unsweetened tea.

We hope that our tips could help you. Try it and you will notice that a relaxed, joint, morning ritual can give you a lot of strength and also slow you down.

If you have any questions or suggestions, please send us an email. You can find this in the Imprint.

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