Breakfast is often said to be the most important meal of the day and for very good reason. The word ‘breakfast’ means to break a fast – that is, to end a long period without food or drink. Most children will have slept between eight and twelve hours. During that time their bodies will have been dormant and not have taken in food or fluid. On waking, their energy and fluid levels will be low, just as adults’ will be, so eating and drinking first thing in the morning is essential to rehydrate the body and boost energy levels.
Studies have shown that children who regularly eat breakfast are generally healthier, concentrate better at school, perform better at tests, participate more in physical activities and are less likely to be overweight than children who don’t eat breakfast. Children who skip breakfast often feel tired and irritable by mid-morning as their blood sugar and fluid levels plummet, resulting in lack of concentration, restlessness and lethargy. It is far too long for a child to go without eating from dinner one evening – usually eaten between six o’clock and eight o’clock – to lunch the following day – usually eaten around twelve noon: that’s between eighteen and twenty hours.
Breakfast is therefore essential for all children, even if it is light, and it must include a drink.
Breakfast routine
Breakfast in the school/working week may understandably be rushed – the clock is ticking and you and your family need to be out of the door at a set time to go to school and work. Even so, for the reasons given in Chapter Twelve, breakfast should be treated as a mealtime and therefore eaten at the table or breakfast bar with as many family members present as possible. As with all meals, the atmosphere should be calm and sociable, although the conversation may not be very stimulating first thing in the morning – I know it isn’t in my house!
Clearly it is up to you and your partner how you plan your morning routine and whether your children wash and dress before they come down to breakfast or eat in their nightwear and then wash and dress afterwards. Whatever your routine, make sure it allows enough time for your child to eat their breakfast, even if it means getting them up ten minutes earlier. Ten minutes in the morning on a tight time schedule can make a huge difference.
Make sure your morning routine is the same each day, certainly for the school/working week. The weekends are probably more relaxed, with breakfast eaten later and in a more leisurely way. As with all routines, having the same one each morning will ensure your children know what is expected of them: when they have to be downstairs, ready for breakfast, and when they need to leave the house for school. I have a child’s clock on the wall in the children’s bedrooms and even young children who can’t read the time can be taught the basics: that they need to have finished dressing before the big hand points to a certain number. It can be fun – a race against time – and as well as teaching the child the time it builds their confidence by giving them responsibility for coming to breakfast on time. And it’s far more pleasant for you than standing at the foot of the stairs yelling to the children to come down now or they’ll be late.
Breakfast food
What children eat for breakfast is important. The food should ideally contain mainly protein and carbohydrate, which will boost their energy levels for longer than high-sugar and high-fat foods. In this chapter I give suggestions for quick breakfasts and ones that require longer preparation below, but a word of warning: some sugary cereals, toaster pastries, breakfast biscuits, cereal and yogurt bars contain no more nutrition than a candy bar, with most of the calories coming from sugar. Check on the packet or wrapper of these items before buying them.
Drinks for breakfast
It is vital children have a drink at breakfast as otherwise they will quickly become dehydrated. Younger children can have milk, water, fruit juice or drinking chocolate, and older children may enjoy a cup of tea. They should not have any fizzy drinks. Apart from being bad for teeth, these have high levels of sugar and often contain caffeine, both of which will give the child an immediate high, but this will be short-lived, leaving them listless, irritable and dehydrated, as caffeine is a diuretic.
Quick breakfast ideas that kids love
Cereal
A bowl of cereal with semi-skimmed milk can be a good start to the day for kids. Avoid high-sugar cereals and choose from wheat flakes, wheat ‘biscuits’, porridge, muesli or any wholewheat or wholegrain cereal. Check on the packet for the nutritional content of the cereal and always have a packet of cereal in the cupboard for a quick breakfast. Nearly all children are happy to eat cereal, and diced or sliced fruit can easily be added for additional nutrition. If your child only ever eats cereal for breakfast, then rotate the type of cereal he or she has. As well as keeping breakfast interesting, different cereals contain different nutrients and varying the cereal will therefore contribute towards a balanced diet.
Toast
Toast should ideally be made from wholemeal bread, although don’t fret if your child prefers white bread – most children do. Spread the toast with butter or a butter substitute, and then add a topping: cream cheese, yeast extract (Marmite), honey, peanut butter or any topping the child likes. Use high-sugar spreads sparingly – jams, preserves, chocolate spread, for example, are always high in sugar, even when the jar states ‘sugar reduced’. A slice of cheese, ham or other cold meat can easily be added to a slice of toast, giving protein and additional calories and nutrients. One child I fostered loved fish paste on his toast in the morning, which I couldn’t stomach but made him happy and our cat very excited.
Bread rolls
To add variety, try bread rolls instead of toast. Although rolls can be eaten cold, they are especially appetising when warmed in the oven or microwave. I am a great fan of partly baked rolls, which can be bought from the supermarket. They take only a few minutes to cook in a preheated oven, and there’s nothing to beat the smell, texture and taste of fresh warm bread first thing in the morning. Cut the baked roll in half and spread with butter or a butter substitute and then add a topping as for toast. If you are adding cheese, ham or other foods, close the roll again to make a crusty roll sandwich, which children love and find easy to eat. Your child might like to add some relish or sauce, and if you can slip in a slice of tomato, cucumber, pepper or other piece of salad, so much the better.
Bagels
Most children like bagels and they come in different varieties, including plain, seeded, sundried tomato, onion, cinnamon and blueberry. Stand the bagel on its side, cut in half and then lightly toast, or warm in the oven or microwave. Spread and top as for toast, again adding a nutritious filling if desired, such as ham, cheese, salad or even an egg if you have the time to cook one. Obviously choose a topping or filling that complements the type of bagel – savoury with savoury and sweet with sweet. So a slice of ham or cheese will go nicely with a sundried tomato or a seeded bagel, and honey can be spread on a plain bagel, and butter or butter substitute on a cinnamon or blueberry bagel.
English muffins
These are not cakes as American muffins are but yeast-based dough – that is, a type of bread – and have been popular in England since the eighteenth century. Muffins come in different varieties, including plain, sourdough, cheese, wholegrain and cinnamon. They have a softer texture than toast or bagels and can be bought from most supermarkets and bakers. Prepare the muffin by cutting it in half and toasting or warming as with a roll or bagel. Add a topping that complements the flavour of the muffin and close for easy eating.
Croissants
These are buttery, flaky pastries, originally associated with France. Children love them. They are easy to eat and you can now buy low-fat croissants. Warm in an oven or microwave. Savoury or sweet fillings can be added, or just spread thinly with butter.
Fruit
I always include a piece of fresh fruit at breakfast in addition to whatever else the child is eating. It can be added to a bowl of cereal or served separately on a small plate or dish. Make the fruit look appealing and easy to eat by peeling and slicing as necessary. Try half a dozen seedless grapes, half an apple thinly sliced, a small sliced banana, or half an orange or tangerine, peeled and segmented with pith and pips removed. Once fruit is peeled it soon dries out and discolours, so prepare the fruit as the child arrives at the table for breakfast – it only takes a minute or so. Canned fruit can also be used but choose those that contain natural juice rather than heavy syrup, which is in effect sugar. Some children will make a breakfast of fruit, which is fine, but if they do, make sure they have enough protein and carbohydrate at lunch to sustain them through the day.
Yoghurts
Yoghurts come in many flavours and varieties and are popular with children, as they are easy to eat and often sweetened. They can be added to breakfast or used instead of breakfast if your child won’t eat anything more substantial. Check the contents on the carton and avoid any with a high sugar content or with a long list of food additives. Yoghurt is basically fermented milk, so should contain no more than milk, a bacterial culture (used to allow the fermentation) and a little sugar or fruit. Be wary of large amounts of sugar preservatives, colourings, flavourings, sweeteners, gum, stabilisers, emulsifiers and anything else unrelated to milk (remember ingredients are listed in order – highest first). Yoghurt can be introduced into a baby’s diet at six months.
Smoothies
A smoothie is food and a drink and can be a healthy alternative or an addition to a ‘solid’ breakfast. If time is short in the morning, smoothies can be prepared the night before and left in the fridge. The basis of a smoothie is milk, yoghurt or soy milk, with fruit and a little honey or sugar to taste. All the ingredients go into a blender to produce a smooth thick ‘drink’. The consistency of a smoothie will depend on the amount of milk you use, and it can be drunk or eaten with a spoon depending on how thick it is. Smoothies are very nutritious and filling and provide calories, protein, carbohydrates, fat, vitamins and minerals. If you are buying a ready-made smoothie from a supermarket or fast-food restaurant, check the content, as some are very high in sugar and calories and have additives. You can be adventurous when making smoothies and experiment with what you put in to suit your family’s tastes. Banana is a good fruit to use, as it gives the smoothie texture, taste and sweetness as well as being packed with carbohydrates and protein for energy. Tinned or frozen fruit can be used instead of fresh, and crushed ice cubes can be added.
Here are a few suggestions to get you started. Put all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Serve in a glass or dish with a spoon.
Basic smoothie
100ml semi-skimmed milk
½ banana, sliced
100ml plain yoghurt
1 teaspoon honey or sugar
Add another fruit:
100ml semi-skimmed milk
½ banana, sliced
4–6 large strawberries
100ml plain yoghurt
1 teaspoon honey or sugar
Try soy, oats and vanilla for a different taste and texture:
150ml milk or soy milk
1 banana, sliced
½ teaspoon vanilla essence
45g rolled oats
4–6 large strawberries
1 teaspoon honey or sugar
Try different combinations of fruit:
1 banana, sliced
100ml orange juice
50g blueberries or raspberries
1 tablespoon of honey or sugar
1 peach, sliced
50ml vanilla soy milk
1 mango, diced
50ml orange juice
Try adding crushed ice cubes:
4 large strawberries
50ml pineapple juice
1 teaspoon honey or sugar
50ml milk
50ml vanilla yoghurt
2 ice cubes
All the suggestions above are nutritious and will give your child a healthy start to the day. They can all be prepared in 5 minutes.
Cooked breakfasts
Now for some suggestions for children’s breakfast when you and your family have more time, for example at the weekends and in school holidays. Cooked breakfasts take a little longer to prepare but they are well worth the effort. In my house cooked breakfast at the weekend has become a family tradition, which we all enjoy. There’s nothing like the smell of a cooked breakfast to entice children and teenagers from their beds at the weekends, and with more time children can help prepare the meal and then clear away afterwards. Here are some suggestions that children will find satisfying and are also nutritious. Most take under 15 minutes to prepare.
Full English breakfast
The full English breakfast has a worldwide reputation, although what exactly constitutes a full English breakfast is sometimes open to debate. Choose three or more foods from the following and your child will be having not only a cooked English breakfast but also a wholesome, energy-packed and nutritious start to the day.
Bacon One or two rashers, fried or grilled.
Egg Usually fried, but can be poached, scrambled or boiled and peeled. (For cooking eggs, see here.)
Sausage Fried or grilled. Choose a meatless sausage if your family is vegetarian.
Tomato Usually cut in half and fried, grilled or baked. Tinned tomatoes can also be used.
Mushrooms Usually fried, or can be grilled but brush with oil first to prevent drying. Can also be boiled. Always wash before cooking.
Hash browns To serve 4, grate 4 medium potatoes into a bowl, add 1 medium onion, grated, 1 beaten egg, salt and pepper. Mix well. Heat a little oil in a frying pan and add spoonfuls of the mixture. Flatten and, when cooked until brown on one side, turn and cook on the other. Hash browns can also be bought ready made and frozen from the supermarket, and these can be fried or baked in the oven.
Black pudding Some would say that a full English breakfast should include a slice of black pudding. Black pudding is a type of sausage with a high content of dried animal blood. It can be bought from a butcher or delicatessen counter. You either love it or hate it. None of my family are fans but your child may like to try it.
Toast or fried bread Usually cut diagonally and served on the same plate as the cooked breakfast, toast or fried bread is essential for mopping up the juices from the egg, baked beans or tomatoes. To make fried bread, heat a little oil in a frying pan and cook both sides of a slice of bread until crispy and golden, which usually takes 2–3 minutes. White bread works better than wholemeal.
Baked beans Irresistible when the red sauce mixes with the yellow egg yolk on the plate.
The full English breakfast sometimes receives a bad press, but eaten occasionally and with oil used instead of lard for frying, a cooked breakfast is a satisfying meal that will see your child through to lunchtime. And a cooked breakfast doesn’t have to be saved for breakfast but can be eaten for lunch, dinner or at any time in the day, as many cafés and restaurants announce on their menus: the all-day breakfast.
Omelette
Beat 2 eggs in a bowl with a pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Heat a little oil or butter in a frying pan and then pour in the egg mixture. After about a minute, when the mixture is setting and half cooked, add a filling (grated cheese is popular) over half of the omelette. Cook for another minute and then flip the half without the filling over the half with the filling. Cook both sides for another 15–30 seconds until light golden brown. The filling can be anything your child likes: for example, diced cooked meat, sliced and cooked mushrooms, baked beans, sliced tomatoes, cooked and diced vegetables. Any meat or vegetable will need to be cooked and diced or sliced before being added to the omelette. Depending on your child’s age and appetite, a two-egg omelette is usually suitable for one older child or can be shared between two younger children.
Boiled egg with soldiers
A great favourite of children and adults in the UK. Allow 1 large egg per child. Bring a small pan of water to the boil, with enough water to cover the egg. Add a pinch of salt: this will stop the white of the egg seeping into the water if the shell is cracked. Using a large spoon, gently lower the egg into the boiling water and allow the egg to cook for 3 minutes, so that the yoke is still runny. Remove the egg from the water and place in an egg cup. Cut a slice of buttered toast into strips about 2cm wide. These are known as ‘soldiers’. Using a knife or spoon, carefully slice off the top of the egg so that the runny yolk is exposed. Your child then dips the ‘soldiers’ into the egg and eats the yolk-covered soldiers. Yummy. The set white of the egg can be eaten using a teaspoon. Tradition says that once the egg is empty the child plays a trick on the parent by turning the eggshell upside down and replacing it in the egg cup so that it looks as if it hasn’t been eaten.
Egg/sausage/tomatoes/baked beans/cheese/mushrooms on toast
Serve any of these, cooked, on buttered toast for a versatile and wholesome breakfast. Eggs can be fried, scrambled, poached or boiled.
Fried egg Melt a knob of butter or butter substitute or a teaspoon of oil in a frying pan. Carefully crack an egg into a small bowl or cup by giving the egg a small sharp tap on the side of the bowl or cup and gently prising apart the two halves of the shell. Slowly turn the egg into the cup or bowl, checking that the egg yolk is whole, and remove any shards of eggshell. Gently pour the egg into the frying pan. Repeat with any additional eggs, keeping the frying eggs separate in the pan. The pan can be covered to accelerate the cooking but check regularly until the desired consistency of the yolk is reached. It takes 3–4 minutes for a medium-set yolk. Serve with the yolk upwards – known as sunny side up – or flip in the pan and cook for another minute for a completely set egg.
Scrambled egg Beat together 1 or 2 eggs per person in a bowl with a tablespoon of milk for each egg. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Beat the mixture for 2 minutes until light and frothy. Melt 1 teaspoon of butter or butter substitute in a frying pan for each egg and tilt the pan so that it melts evenly. Add the beaten eggs and allow them to set slightly. As soon as the eggs start to set, stir gently with a spoon or spatula, gradually lifting and folding the eggs from the sides of the pan so that they don’t burn. Repeat until the eggs are softly set and then serve on buttered toast.
Poached egg
* If you have a poacher, then lightly grease the cups of the poacher (for however many poached eggs you want – a poacher can usually hold up to 4 eggs) and fill the pan base with water. Replace the lid and bring the water to the boil. Gently crack an egg into a cup or small bowl and check there are no shards of eggshell. Take the lid off the poacher and carefully pour the egg into the greased poacher cup. Replace the lid of the poacher and cook for 3 minutes until the egg white is set. Remove the poacher from the stove. Take off the lid and lift the cup from the poacher. Using a teaspoon, gently ease the poached egg from the cup and serve on a slice of warm buttered toast.
* To poach an egg without an egg poacher, put water in a small saucepan – enough to cover the egg – and bring the water to the boil. Break an egg into a cup or small bowl and check for eggshell. Gently pour the egg into the middle of the boiling water and cook for 3 minutes. Using a large spoon, lift the egg from the water and allow the excess water to drain off. Serve on warm buttered toast.
Boiled egg Submerge an egg in a pan of salted boiling water. Cooking time depends on how your child likes the egg. For a medium-size egg allow 3 minutes for a runny yoke, 4 minutes for a firmer yolk (known as a soft-boiled egg) and 6 minutes for a hard-boiled egg, where the yolk and white are set hard. For a large egg, add 1 minute to each of the above cooking times. Once cooked, briefly submerge the egg in cold water so that the eggshell is cool enough to peel and serve on warm buttered toast.
Eggy bread
Use 1 egg for each slice of bread and break the egg(s) into a bowl. Check there are no fragments of eggshell. Add 1 tablespoon of milk or cream for each slice of bread, and a pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Beat the mixture, using a fork or whisk. Heat a little oil in a frying pan and cut each bread slice in half. Dip the bread into the egg mixture, making sure the bread is covered with the mixture on both sides. Place the eggy bread into the frying pan and cook on both sides until golden brown. Eggy bread is very nice with a splash of brown sauce or tomato sauce, or a teaspoon of relish. For a larger breakfast, serve the eggy bread with one or two of the following: sausage, bacon, baked beans, tomatoes, mushrooms or cold meat.
Welsh rarebit
A traditional Welsh rarebit recipe includes beer, probably because the dish seems to have originated in eighteenth-century taverns (pubs) in the UK. The beer can be left out when cooking this dish for children. Welsh rarebit provides a healthy and satisfying breakfast, but can also be eaten at any time of the day as a light meal or snack. Here is the child-friendly version, which serves 2:
1 tablespoon oil or a knob of butter
100ml semi-skimmed milk
100g grated cheese
1 teaspoon plain flour
a few drops of Worcestershire sauce
a little mustard (optional)
2 slices of bread, preferably thickly sliced
Put the butter or oil in a saucepan and warm. Add the milk, grated cheese, flour, Worcestershire sauce and mustard. Stir until the mixture is smooth. Remove the pan from the heat.
Toast the bread. Spread the cheese mixture over one side of the toast. Grill until the mixture starts to bubble and turn brown.
Serve on a plate, adding a sliced tomato or salad if desired.
Toasted sandwiches
These can be eaten as a light meal or snack at any time of the day and they also make a wholesome and satisfying breakfast for children. Cheddar cheese is the most popular filling, but try cheese and chutney, baked beans, cheese and sliced tomatoes, ham, cooked mushrooms, bacon or sausage. If you don’t own a sandwich maker, you can lightly toast two slices of bread, add the filling, gently press the two slices of toast together and then warm in a microwave or oven.
Pancakes
These make a nutritious and satisfying meal to start the day for you and your family when you are enjoying a more leisurely breakfast. Makes 8 pancakes.
100g plain flour
pinch of salt
2 medium eggs
200ml milk
butter, for frying
Sift the flour into a mixing bowl and add the salt. Break the eggs into a cup and check for eggshell. Drop the eggs into the flour and whisk, slowly incorporating the flour. Gradually add the milk and beat the mixture until smooth.
Heat a little butter in a frying pan. Pour about 2–3 tablespoons of the mixture into the pan. Tilt the pan until the mixture covers the base evenly. Cook on a medium heat for approximately 1 minute until the pancake is golden. Flip the pancake and cook the other side.
Repeat with the remainder of the batter.
Fillings for pancakes Pancakes are traditionally eaten rolled and with a sprinkling of sugar and lemon juice, but experiment with fillings – savoury or sweet. Try ham and pineapple, spinach and grated cheese, sliced banana, strawberries and honey, blueberries and maple syrup, and for a special treat cream or ice cream (though not necessarily for breakfast).
Leftovers
Eating up leftovers from the evening meal of the night before, providing they have been stored in a fridge and are thoroughly reheated, can provide a quick, satisfying and nutritious start to a child’s day. In my house we are all fans of leftovers and often have to share them. Children usually love leftovers, and one lad I fostered was such a fan that I soon began cooking extra the night before so that he could have the ‘leftovers’ for breakfast the next morning. Obviously don’t store cooked food for more than a day or two in the fridge, but leftovers can be safely frozen, and while you might not appreciate having cottage pie or curry and rice first thing in the morning you may be surprised how many children do.
School breakfast
Many schools now provide a breakfast for a small charge, but what they provide varies, from a bowl of cereal and a drink to a choice of cooked breakfast. Check out what your child’s school offers for breakfast and if you don’t consider it healthy or worth the money, petition for improvement. It may suit you to use the breakfast club at school sometimes if you have to leave the house early and before your child is ready for breakfast.
Breakfast for adults
Before we leave the subject of breakfast it is worth remembering that having something to eat and drink first thing in the morning is as important for adults as it is for children. Breakfast kick-starts the body into action by providing energy and fluid to see it through the first part of the day until you have a mid-morning snack or lunch.