Nutrition News: Back to School, Back to Healthy Breakfasts Charlyn Fargo Back to School, Back to Healthy Breakfasts The annual back-to-school pilgrimage is in full swing. As parents scour stores for the years school supplies, its also important to stock up on healthy breakfast foods. A healthy breakfast is crucial in providing children the nutrients and energy they need to succeed in school. Studies show that breakfast eaters tend to have higher school attendance, less tardiness and fewer hunger-induced stomachaches in the morning, which means fewer trips to the school nurse, says registered dietitian nutritionist and Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics spokesperson Toby Smithson. Their overall test scores are better, they concentrate better, solve problems more easily and have better muscle coordination. Children who eat breakfast are also less likely to be overweight and more likely to get enough calcium. But too often and for a variety of reasons, children skip this important meal. A new report, Family Nutrition and Physical Activity Report, by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, revealed that breakfast is not eaten all of the time by 42 percent of white and Hispanic children and 59 percent of black children. Additionally, 12 percent of white, 18 percent of black and 12 percent of Hispanic children reported never or rarely having breakfast. For most people, time is the biggest obstacle to eating in the morning, but a healthy meal doesnt need to take a lot of time to prepare, Smithson says. Getting organized the night before, keeping meals simple and even taking breakfast to go are three easy steps parents can take to make sure breakfast is eaten every day. Smithson offers quick, easy and balanced breakfast ideas for children: --Cheese slices served on whole-grain toast --Iron-fortified, whole-grain cereal with low-fat milk and banana slices --Nut or sunflower butter spread on whole-grain toast or waffles or rolled inside a whole-wheat tortilla --Fruit like peaches, strawberries or raisins in instant oatmeal made with low-fat milk --Apple slices and low-fat yogurt topped with crumbled graham crackers --Lean turkey on a toasted whole-wheat English muffin These options are all loaded with protein and carbohydrates, two important nutrients that help energize the body and keep stomachs full for longer, Smithson says. While some prepackaged foods may seem convenient, parents should be cautious, as many contain excess sugar and fat. Donuts, toaster pastries, pork bacon or sausage sandwiches, chips, fruit drinks and some cereals can be laden with extra calories and have little nutritional value. Read the nutrition label to find lower-fat items and the ingredients label for products that do not list sugar as one of the first ingredients, Smithson says. Most importantly, parents need to be positive role models: Eat breakfast yourselves, Smithson says. If your children see you making excuses, they are likely to do the same. But if they see you making time to eat a healthy meal, they will follow your good example. Your whole family will be better off. Q and A Q: Is it true that eating several small amounts of food throughout the morning could rev up my metabolism and help me lose weight better than eating one breakfast? A: Despite how often you may hear people say that eating more frequently boosts metabolic rate and increases the calories we burn, well-controlled studies do not show that eating more often promotes weight loss. If you cut your calorie consumption to the same total, the amount of weight youll lose does not seem to change based on whether you eat those calories all at once or spread throughout the morning in several mini-breakfasts. Some studies do suggest that compared to eating your whole breakfast at once, the same food choices spread out over a few hours could offer some other health benefits, including a smaller rise in blood sugar and insulin in the hours after eating. But the key is finding an eating pattern that best allows you to consistently include foods that meet your nutritional needs and support overall health, and keeps calories at a level that helps you reach and maintain a healthy weight, sustains your energy, avoids excess hunger and fits into your lifestyle. For some people, spreading eating out over the morning reduces total calorie consumption by avoiding late morning hunger that could prompt them to grab candy or pastries, or to overeat at lunch. However, for other people, spreading out their eating means they are more likely to quickly grab less-healthy options, or provides more occasions to eat portions beyond what is needed to satisfy hunger, with an end result of increasing total calorie consumption. Depending on your habits, either choice can fit with your goal of weight loss, so choose whatever breakfast pattern you can sustain and implement in a way that supports your total health. American Institute for Cancer Research. Recipe This recipe for a breakfast tortilla includes hash browns on the inside. Its from Cooking Light magazine. Breakfast Tortilla 1/2 pound Yukon gold potato (about 1 medium) 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives, divided 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 4 large eggs 1 large egg white 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 garlic clove, minced 3 tablespoons finely grated Manchego cheese 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 cup halved grape or cherry tomatoes Preheat oven to 350. Place potato in a saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until tender; drain. Cool. Peel potato; thinly slice. Combine 2 teaspoons chives, 1/4 teaspoon salt, pepper, eggs, and egg white in a bowl; stir with a whisk until blended. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in an 8-inch ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and potato slices; cook 30 seconds, gently turning potato to coat with oil. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Press potato mixture with a spatula into a solid layer in bottom of pan. Pour egg mixture over potato mixture; cook 1 minute. Gently stir egg and potato mixture. Press potato back down into bottom of pan; cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 for 7 minutes or until center is set. Remove from oven. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil. Loosen sides of tortilla from pan; gently slide onto a serving platter. Cut into 4 wedges. Top with tomatoes and remaining 1 teaspoon chives. Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 wedge and 2 tablespoons tomatoes) Per serving: 190 calories, 10 g protein, 14 g carbohydrate, 10.7 g fat, 215 mg cholesterol, 1.2 g fiber, 581 mg sodium.
Posted on: Mon, 18 Aug 2014 07:18:51 +0000
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