Breakfast is the most crucial meal of the day, and starting your day without one is like trying to fly a kite without wind. A nutritious breakfast is essential for children not just to give them a powerful start to the day, but also to refuel their bodies after sleep, as their brains and bodies are still developing.
The most difficult task for parents is to ensure that their children have a nutritious breakfast. About 20-30 per cent of youngsters miss meals, therefore a breakfast for them should be quick, easy, filling, and, most importantly, delicious.
Aditya Bagri, Director at Bagrry's shares delicious and healthy breakfast options for your kids:
- Wheat Bran Pancakes - Pancakes and waffles are the breakfast of champions (when it comes to fixing our tastebuds), but it doesn't need to be all unhealthy. Wheat bran, along with atta and oats, is a great substitute for maida. Just change the grain and add a lot more fibre and protein to your kid's breakfast. You can sweeten the batter with honey, jaggery, and bananas instead of sugar as well, along with some cocoa powder.
- Quinoa Upma - Like a veggie breakfast -why not add quinoa instead of suji to your kids' Upma? It packs a lot more protein and fibre along with Omega 3 fatty acids.
- Peanut Butter & Wholegrain Toast - A easy peasy peanut butter and toast combo are great for kids. Be sure to use actual wholegrain toast and unsweetened peanut butter, topped with some bananas for sweetness. You can even sprinkle some honey or chia seeds for more crunch.
- Oats Idli - Idli's are an all-time breakfast favourite - why not change the base from white rice to Oats along with dal, adding more fibre, more protein and better energy.
- Chocolate Muesli - Chocolate cereals are often laden with sugar. For older kids, muesli is a much better choice, laden with whole grains, nuts, berries and much less sugar. It gives energy for the whole day and needs no preparation time.
- Banana Berry Smoothie - In case parents are short on time to cook breakfast, portable breakfasts for eating on the go act as an exceptional option. The simplest sugar-free, on-the-go meal for kids is a simple blend of bananas, berries, oats, and a dash of milk. Just blend it all together and it's got the fuel needed to start your day.
- Overnight oats: These are easy to prepare and way to healthy. Make them in Mason jars the night prior, and let your child customise this dish with their preferred toppings. You need to mix about 1/4 cup (26 grams) of rolled oats and 1/2 cup (120 ml) of your choice of milk in a small Mason jar. Garnish with nuts, shredded coconut, chia seeds, and dried or fresh fruits. As an alternative to cooking them, leave the jar in the fridge and allow the oats to soften overnight.
- Pumpkin-quinoa porridge: Quinoa is a quick-cooking, gluten-free grain, and this breakfast porridge packs a punch of vitamin A. Boil one part of quinoa with two parts of milk of any type and let it cook for 10 minutes on a medium-low flame. Stir in some pumpkin, cinnamon, and a pinch of nutmeg and allow it to simmer. Top it with brown sugar, chopped nuts, or shredded coconut before you serve it.
- Berry yoghurt parfaits: Layer high-protein Greek yoghurt with fresh berries and a sprinkle of granola for an easy and on-the-go meal.
