Children to school: very healthy breakfasts and snacks

| The importance of breakfast and lunch for children is key in their intellectual and physical development.

Summer is over and you have to prepare to go back to school. After the summer relaxation, it's time to get organized and get back to the routine. Feeding, especially the youngest ones, is usually among the first tasks on the list. And just as important as paying attention to their main meals is to monitor what we give them for breakfast and as snacks for school, as they influence their growth and development.

Breakfast

After hours of fasting it is important to have breakfast before going to school since, as confirmed by several studies, going to class without breakfast can worsen physical and intellectual performance. Some options are:

• Slice of bread with natural crushed tomato, a splash of extra virgin olive oil with 2 slices of fresh cheese. A bowl of chopped strawberries.
• Ciabatta bread with extra virgin olive oil with Serrano ham accompanied by a yogurt, orange and banana smoothie.
• Homemade sunflower oil cake with whole wheat flour, lemon zest, eggs and brown sugar. Accompanied by 1 bowl of yogurt and chopped natural fruit.
• Glass of semi-skimmed milk with whole grains (not chocolatey or sugary) with 1 handful of nuts accompanied by 2 slices.

Snack for recess and snack

Including complementary intakes in the mid-morning and in the snack provides them with the nutrients and energy more distributed throughout the day, preventing them from arriving very hungry at lunch or dinner. Some options are:

• Drinkable skimmed yogurt with a medium apple. It is preferable to accustom the little ones to taking the fruit with the skin to increase their fiber consumption.
• Bread sticks or breadsticks, best wholegrain and without salt, with whipped fresh cheese or cottage cheese and a tablespoon of light strawberry jam. The cheese can be presented in a whipped form and offered in a lunch box. Spread the sticks on the cheese is always very appetizing and fun for children.
• Raw or roasted nuts (without salt), such as walnuts, almonds or hazelnuts, with banana.
• Dried fruits (raisins, dried apricots or prunes, among others) mixed with a skimmed yogurt.

Did you know…

Those of MAPFRE have free access to the 24-hour Pediatric Guidance Service, the best specialists in nutrition and dietetics and also includes a Genetic Study of obesity at special prices for insured persons.

What you should know

• Having breakfast before going to school is important for them to perform physically and intellectually during the day.
• Especially if they don't eat much breakfast at home, it's important to make them a nutritious and healthy snack for recess.
• Snacks also help distribute energy better throughout the day and prevent them from coming to dinner very hungry.