BACK-TO-SCHOOL: Fuel For School
August 22, 2011 in BACK-TO-SCHOOL, Health Information, Power Juicer Kids
Breakfast Really Is the Most Important Meal of the Day
Pancakes, bacon, sugary cereals, cookies, bread and a whole lot of not good food are usually on the menu for breakfast time in many American homes. For your kids, breakfast is definitely the most important meal of the day. It defines how the rest of their day will go, especially one it is back-to-school time. They need a meal that will keep them focused and concentrated all day long!
Why Is Breakfast So Important?
When you child sleeps at night, they are fasting. They wake up with no food in their stomachs and on EMPTY. Breakfast is the body’s way of fueling up for the day. And glucose is that fuel. It provides energy. Without it, kids can have problems with their memory and visual and spatial understanding. With a healthy, balanced meal for breakfast, they can perform better academically and have a better short-term memory.
Don’t Feed Them Just Anything
Not just any breakfast will do though. Too many kids are having quick burning carbohydrates in the morning. They are high on the glycemic index (GI). The GI is a measure of how quickly carbohydrates are absorbed and converted to fuel. High GI foods provide kids with a quick boost of energy but, within two hours, blood-sugar levels fall dramatically causing them to crash and lose energy.
Instead, you should give your child food that are low on the GI. These foods provide a sustained and constant level of performance throughout the day. Foods that are also rich in protein and good carbohydrates. For example, a sugary cereal and oatmeal may have the same amount of carbs, but oatmeal is a low GI food while the sugary cereal is a high GI food.
Some examples of good breakfast food for your kids are oatmeal, whole wheat or grain varieties, peanut butter, fresh fruits, nuts and bran cereal. Try to stay away from the processed carbs and sugary alternatives.
Don’t send your kids back to school on E… fuel their bodies with a day boosting breakfast so they can get the most out of their academic performance.
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