What is best for children to eat for breakfast?

Answer:

Many parents nowadays are not able to prepare breakfast for their children. Some also see breakfast as a snack, which does not have to be prepared carefully. However, this is completely wrong.

Breakfast should be consumed between 10 and 12 hours after the dinner of the previous day, so that the body could be provided with enough nutrients and energy. Thus, breakfast should in fact be considered the most important meal of the day.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Photo illustration by Freepik

You should not buy readily prepared or processed food such as cakes, or fried sausages as breakfast for your child, as you cannot control the safety and hygiene of these foods.

Instead, you can prepare simple dishes at home. There is one important thing to keep in mind: children’s breakfast should contain all the necessary nutrient groups including carbohydrates, protein, fats, vitamins, and minerals. For example, you can alternate between pho and other kinds of noodles, accompanied by meat and vegetables.

Rice or bread, served with meat, eggs, and vegetables, with milk as an optional addition are also good breakfast choices.

In general, breakfast should be considered a main meal. It is advised to let children have a carefully prepared breakfast, so that they can study and do other activities effectively.

Dr. Nguyen Trong Hung

National Institution of Nutrition