Do you know the origin of the word “breakfast”? From the time you go to sleep until you awake in the morning, you’re effectively “fasting” by not eating at all. Your body needs you to “break” that fast by recharging its metabolism and giving it the fuel it needs for the day ahead. That means ingesting real foods rich in protein, healthy fats, fiber, and with no added sugar. Does that sound like the kind of breakfast your children are eating?
Especially during the school year, children need nutritious foods to start the day. Otherwise, they’ll “crash” after just a few hours. Processed foods that offer only refined flour, added refined sugars and artificial flavors are addictive to children and provide no benefits in terms of their health and wellness. Even worse, they can lead to the development of serious long-term problems such as obesity, heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Those processed and junk foods are the absolute worst breakfast choice that parents concerned about their children’s nutrition could make.
Beware Of Marketing Techniques
It’s hard to resist the pressures of a food industry dedicated to selling all kinds of convenience in bright packages. How many of us take the time to read the labels and learn what we’re really serving to our families? Sugar, high sodium content, refined flour, soybean oil, high-fructose corn syrup, preservatives, artificial colors and flavors. Which of those gives children what they need to get through the day? None.
“Today, according to Sugar Knowledge International, an independent sugar technology organization, we eat 120 million tons of sugar a year, and it’s an expanding market. As the food industry has discovered, pop a little (or a lot) of sugar into any kind of processed food and we like it a lot, no matter that sugar is not good for us. Much like a chimpanzee drawn to a hive in spite of the bees, we, too, ignore the stinging consequences of bad teeth and thick waistlines as we down our personal share of those 120 million kilos of sugar.” “Why We Love The Sweet Life” by Meredith F. Small (www.livescience.com)
What You Can Do
The main breakfast “foods” in typical American households are very processed, with no nutritional value and a very high glycemic index. That means children are not getting the real food that will benefit their growing bodies and minds.
Our children’s book, “The Adventures of Veggieman : Food Fight”, is an empowering story that will guide children to make the right choices. Now available in both English and Spanish, it helps them understand the importance of improving their nutrition by eliminating junk food from their diet. Along with the dietary supplement, which is gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, vegetarian, and non-GMO vegan. It can easily be used in any number of great-tasting ways and can help children meet their daily requirement for fruits and vegetables while providing critical antioxidant protection. These will help parents to start the day with the good breakfast they need!
