Why focus on breakfast?
Skipping breakfast has a relationship with increased risk of being overweight, obesity or having a higher BMI
Breakfast consumers:
- have a higher daily energy intake but a higher nutrient intake
- get their energy and nutrients from meals not snacks
Breakfast is likely to be a proxy for healthier lifestyle patterns in general.
Breakfast tends to be comprised of foods from ‘core’ food groups, therefore has potential to provide a healthy start in terms of dietary intake.
Breakfast is associated with regular meal patterns which is protective against higher BMI.
Breakfast is positively associated with overall diet quality including increased consumption of fruit and veg and less soft drinks.
Higher breakfast quality has been associated with better behaviour.
A healthy breakfast:
- contributes to the energy, vitamins and minerals children need for healthy growth and development
- assists learning and concentration
- gets children into good habits for life long benefits
- helps maintain a healthy weight
- reduces unhealthy snacking during the day.
What is a healthy breakfast?
A healthy brekky comprises at least two to three food groups, preferably from wholegrain breads and cereals, dairy and fruit, and is low in sugar, salt and fat.
Examples of healthy cereals include:
- Wheat biscuits
- Porridge
- Kellogg's Sultana Bran
- Kellogg’s Mini-Wheats
- Uncle Tobys Weeties
Other options include:
- Plain or toasted wholegrain or fruit breads
- Fresh, frozen or tinned fruit in natural juice
- Proteins such as baked beans, eggs, redued-fat milk, yoghurts and cheese.
Healthy Breakfast Options
It can take a while for kids appetites to wake up in the morning. Give your kids the best chance of enjoying a healthy brekky by:
- Limiting snacks after dinner
- Setting an earlier bed time
- Waking them up in plenty of time for kindy or school
- Turning off the TV in the morning
- Eating breakfast with your kids
Breakfast FAQ Sheet