Any breakfast is better than no breakfast! If you're in a rush, consider the following quick and easy options – all paired with a serving of 100 percent fruit juice, of course!

• Low fat plain yogurt topped with crunchy whole grain cereal
• String cheese and a small handful of whole grain crackers
• Homemade trail mix made with whole grain/high fiber cereal, nuts, and dried fruit
• A slice of whole grain/whole wheat toast topped with natural peanut butter and banana slices
• Hummus and cucumber slices wrapped in a whole wheat flour tortilla

Breakfast is a key occasion for getting many of the essential nutrients your body needs. The vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients found in breakfast staples like whole-grains, low-fat dairy and fruit – including 100 percent fruit juice – are necessary to stay healthy and fight disease. Unfortunately, the statistics show that far too many Americans are skipping this all-important meal. Join leading author and nutrition expert, Elisa Zied, MS, RD, CDN as she shares her thoughts on building a better breakfast. 

Did you know…

• More children and adolescents skip breakfast than ever before; a recent study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association found that about 1 in 5 children and almost 1 in 3 adolescents report they skip breakfast.
  

• Having breakfast let's your body know it's not starving and raises blood sugar that has dipped after an overnight fast.
  

• There’s evidence that breakfast eaters have more nutritious diets than non-breakfast eaters. Having breakfast is a great opportunity to incorporate foods and beverages from some key food groups (and the nutrients they contain).
  

• In children, eating breakfast is linked with improve cognitive function related to memory, test grades, and school attendance. There’s also evidence that those who consume breakfast are better able to concentrate and solve problems.
  

• Breakfast is also important because it can be used as a weight management tool. There’s modest evidence that kids who skip breakfast are at increased risk of overweight or obesity; the evidence is stronger for adolescents.
  

• Breakfast is a great way for the family to start the day off connected to one another. There’s evidence that having as few as 3 to 5 family meals each week is linked with better nutrient intake, decreased disordered eating behaviors, and less risk of developing an eating disorder or using and abusing substances in teens.

 

*Courtesy of Elisa Zied, M.S., R.D., CDN
www.elisazied.com
Award-winning author of:
“Nutrition at Your Fingertips”
“Feed Your Family Right!”
“So What Can I Eat?!”