A few days ago we told you about the controversy that arose on Twitter due to the photograph published by a nutritionist mother of her son eating chickpeas. Many people criticized this nutritional option by also proposing unhealthy alternatives.
And unfortunately, there are still many people who believe that breakfast or mid-morning lunch should consist of certain irreplaceable foods, without being aware of the amount of hidden sugar and trans fats that they can contain. We have talked with María Merino, a graduate in Nutrition and Dietetics, about Healthy alternatives we can offer our children for breakfast.
A healthy breakfast
As the nutritionist explains, the first myth to be broken regarding breakfast is what considers it the most important meal of the day.
"Breakfast, despite what is believed, It is not the most important meal of the day, nor is it essential. There are children who get up without appetite and never force them to eat. In these cases a glass of milk or 4 nuts will be enough until the time of the patio arrives, where they will surely be hungry and can have breakfast in greater quantity the lunch that we have prepared them
Having made this clarification, there are many people who still believe that breakfast should always consist of a dairy and a cereal ration (industrial), whether packed cereals, pastries or bread or industrial cookies.
Advertising, marketing and the food industry as it is conceived today can lead us to mistakenly think so. And if not, let's reflect for a moment on type of products that we find in the supermarket aisle listed as "Breakfast Foods": muffins, biscuits, croissants, all kinds of cookies, industrial breads, soluble cocoa, packaged juices, dairy drinks ...
Therefore, Nutritionists insist on the importance of fleeing from this type of processed food and highly sugary and offer children natural alternatives:
"My advice is to offer children" food ", no matter what they are while they are natural. Always without forcing them to eat and offering them alternatives to be them who choose what and how much to eat"
"Within those alternatives, the offer must always be healthy and without the option of ultra-processed bakery products, the so-called "breakfast cereals" (commercial cereals with a rectangular box and bright colors), cookies, cupcakes, juices, dairy desserts ... "
Therefore, what healthy and natural alternatives can we offer our children?
- Whole wheat toast with…
Whether in the form of toast or snack, we can accompany the bread with a drizzle of olive oil, scrambled eggs or tortilla, homemade cream made with avocado and milk, or vegetable pate like the classic guacamole or hummus, for example.
Hummus, a recipe made with legumes, becomes an excellent alternative to accompany the bread since legumes are a great source of protein of plant origin, and specifically chickpeas are also quality protein, that is, they contain all the essential amino acids.
María recommends a consumption of legumes greater than what is usually done, due to the multiple benefits they provide: they help weight control, have a high satiating power, are rich in vitamins, minerals and essential micronutrients for the body and are excellent fiber source
- Cocoa or nut creams
For those who like chocolate and wish to escape from the classic industrial spreadable cream loaded with sugars and fats, María recommends making a homemade cream based on soluble and sugar-free pure cocoa, mixed with crushed bananas, dates and hazelnuts.
And if what we want is a cream made exclusively from nuts, our Vitónica partners show us how to prepare an almond or peanut butter cream loaded with nutrients such as magnesium, calcium, phosphorus and iron.
- fruit
Among the healthy breakfast proposals to offer to the kids, the fruit could not be missing. Maria recommends offer any type of fruit, whole, chopped or mixed with others By way of Macedonia but without the juice.
In Vitónica we also propose other alternatives to consume fruit in a different and very healthy way, based on homemade jam to spread on bread.
- Dairy products
In addition to the classic glass of milk (without cocoa powder, or sugar) Maria recommends that we offer our kids a natural yogurt without sugar or sweeteners, which We can add nuts or fruit, for example.
In Direct to the Palate we propose several recipes to consume yogurt in a healthy and nutritious way such as skyr yogurt cups or crispy with grapefruit and yogurt, for example.
- Homemade cookies and cereals
And who can resist some delicious homemade cookies? Maria encourages us to forget about industrial cookies, which contain large amounts of sugar, and prepare our own homemade cookies. It is true that some recipes need time, but they are exquisite and are an excellent alternative to offer a rich and healthy breakfast to our kids.
With regard to cereals, the nutritionist recommends us consume any type of cereal whenever it is integral. We can take it in the form of bread, cookies or homemade pastries, or if we prefer, in whole grain mixing it with yogurt, fruit or milk.
- Homemade Pancakes
The homemade pancakes made with whole grain cereals of different cereals They are also a great alternative for breakfast. We can accompany them with fruit, homemade jam or cocoa cream made by us.
Fleeing from unhealthy foods
As we have commented on several occasions, it is in our hands to educate our children against the bad habits of life, among which of course the consumption of products little or not recommended for health is included.
It is a fact that the number of obese children has increased considerably in recent years, and with it the associated diseases such as diabetes or heart disease. WHO has been warning about this problem for some time and there are many organizations, institutions, associations and professionals that are trying to raise public awareness about the importance of taking care of our food.
Obesity is linked to multiple diseases and associated health problems, and physical exercise and proper nutrition are the keys to fighting it.Let's educate our children's palate since childhood and drastically reduce the sugar in their diets. Let's run away from processed foods loaded with salt and saturated fats, and offer natural alternatives instead. Other food is possible!
IStock photos
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