The benefits of a good breakfast for children: stimulates concentration and improves performance

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

This is a phrase that resonates in the heads of those who are fathers and mothers and that they repeat frequently to their children.

Is it really essential to eat first thing in the morning so that the school day for children and adolescents is more fruitful?

Seems that if.

“Breakfast is, without a doubt, the star meal of the day.

What we eat then will prepare us to cope with the school day and, in addition, it will nourish our body after many hours without eating.

It is essential to eat good and healthy food and, of course, get up early enough to enjoy it," explains Gemma Bes, nutritionist at the Rafa Nadal Academy, the Spanish tennis player's sports center located in Manacor aimed at children and adolescents that combines teaching high performance sports with education.

The expert points out that it is essential to start the day in the best possible way.

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Is the breakfast your child eats healthy?

Bes argues that a bad breakfast, which is not adequate, can cause lack of concentration, bad mood, dizziness, decreased performance (especially in the growing age) and headache.

“On the other hand, if the food and the amounts are adequate, its benefits are just the opposite, since they improve the nutritional status and the intake of most of the nutrients;

They stimulate concentration and promote high performance.

Some studies also indicate that having breakfast after practicing some physical activity favors the immune system and concentration in class.

Just walking for 15 minutes or playing a little soccer would be enough,” she adds.

For the nutritionist, "pastries are the most typical food for children's breakfast in Spain, but you have to know that it has difficult-to-manage consequences, such as causing glucose spikes, which increases inflammation, hunger, and cravings during the rest of the day".

As detailed, it is important to choose salty options for the first meal of the day that contain complex carbohydrates -peas, beans, whole grains and vegetables-, combine them with healthy fats -avocado, nuts, olive oil- and quality protein.

"In this way we will maintain constant blood glucose levels."

“When it remains stable, in the long run we take care of our health;

our hunger hormones will be more stable;

there will be no glucose plummet;

there will be less insulin release,

Gemma Bes is a nutritionist and ensures that a healthy breakfast makes children work harder at school.Rafa Nadal Academy.

What happens if the child does not want to eat breakfast?

“If our son does not want to eat first thing in the morning, we should ask ourselves certain questions: Is he hungry in the morning?

Did he have too much dinner last night?

Do you like what I prepare for you?

Does breakfast suit him?

or does he prefer to eat later?

With the answers in hand, we will be able to look for, if he is hungry, the best options for him”, says Bes.

The expert explains that the weekend is a good time to prepare new and healthy recipes and encourages parents and children to cook together: "It's a good activity to do as a family, very positive bonds are created."

In addition, he is of the opinion that children and adolescents should have breakfast in a quiet environment and with nothing around to distract them: "It is very necessary for minors to get used to appreciating what they are eating, noticing the textures, being able to even discuss positively if there is an ingredient that is missing or another that is left over.

Creating a good relationship with food is very important.

For this, the best thing is not to use tablets, mobile phones or television”.

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The nutritionist offers three examples of a healthy breakfast.

The idea is to avoid anything that contains added sugar or refined cereals:

• Bread made with sourdough and long fermentation, integral with avocado and tuna, turkey, egg, Serrano ham, goat or sheep cheese or hummus.

  Optional: a yogurt with nuts and a piece of fruit or a glass of almond drink with pure cocoa.

• Pancakes made with wholemeal flour and water.

  We add on top peanut butter without added sugars and blueberry or apple compote made without sugar.

• Whole goat, sheep or cow yogurt with nuts, seeds, whole oats and fruit.

Christmas and infant feeding

The Christmas holidays are just around the corner and Bes wants to influence something that fathers and mothers should remember at this time: "On the designated days it is very good to maintain traditions, perhaps try to control excess sugar consumption or compensate with fruit and physical activity.

The rest of the days we can follow guidelines that are as balanced as possible taking these bases into account”.

For the expert, the consumption of green, leafy and seasonal vegetables must be promoted —which, at least, account for 50% of the total intake—;

moderate the intake of refined cereals -we will use few cereals during this time, we will avoid most of the foods that we abuse-, and also increase the consumption of healthy fats such as avocado, extra virgin olive oil, nuts and fruit .

“Eat clean, real food.

As for the processed ones, eat them occasionally or for those special days.

And drink enough water, the liquid will favor the hydration of the liver and promote cell regeneration in it, filtering out a greater amount of waste and substances, thus increasing its working capacity”.

The perfect lunch if we take a 'tupperware' to school or it is a day of excursion

Some children take food from home to school or need to bring a lunch with them when they are going to spend the day out on excursions.

On these occasions, nutritionist Gemma Bes recommends that the inspiration for preparing this lunch box come from the Harvard healthy plate.

"A considerable proportion of vegetables, carbohydrates, try to add whole grains, quality proteins and always the use of virgin olive oil, among other healthy fats such as nuts, seeds, avocado, etc.," she details. 

In addition, she advises always putting water in the children's backpack and, for dessert, seasonal fruit: “It is important to cook with sea salt and avoid processed meats and ultra-processed foods.

It is advisable to vary the protein and that one or two days a week they can consume legumes, not always animal protein. 

Examples that Bes proposes so that this lunch box is as complete as possible:

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