5 Reasons to Serve Veggies for Breakfast

More often than not, we tend to exclude veggies from our breakfast and focus more on fruit – I get it!  Fruit is sweet and juicy and is a great addition to any breakfast meal, but veggies can be too!  We have some KES Clubs that serve peppers, carrots and other veggies at breakfast, but the majority do not.  I came across this great read from Super Healthy Kids, read the below tips and just as it suggests try adding more veggies to your kids breakfast as home, as well as your KES Club.

1. SERVE UP GREAT NUTRITION

Vegetables are among the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet, so it only makes sense to start fueling kids’ bodies with them first thing in the morning. Leafy greens like spinach, kale, and chard, and orange veggies like carrots, sweet potatoes and butternut squash pack a big nutritional punch. But try all kinds! They all come with a healthy dose of vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

2. Normalize it.

Kids learn what normal eating looks like meal by meal, year by year. The more you serve vegetables with breakfast, the more kids learn that these foods belong on the table at breakfast–and every other meal. Once it becomes a habit, you can count on your kids to notice that something is “off” when veggies are missing from breakfast.

3. Expand your menu options.

Tired of oatmeal, yogurt, and scrambled eggs? Try frying an egg in a bell pepper, spreading refried beans into a tortilla with tomatoes, or baking up some Sweet Spinach Muffins. Get excited about new flavors and colors in your family’s breakfast!

4. Work with kids’ unpredictable eating habits.

The more chances kids have to eat vegetables, the more chances they have to say YES!  Use kids’ unpredictable eating habits to your advantage, and serve veggies in the morning.

5. Get a head start.

Speaking of unpredictable, sometimes it’s hard to know which direction your family’s day will go. So it pays to get a head start on veggies first thing in the morning. Then, if you end up having pancakes and fruit for dinner, you can feel confident that your kids got a chance to choose veggies at least once or twice in the day.

Information retrieved from: http://www.superhealthykids.com/5-reasons-to-serve-veggies-with-breakfast/

Janel Genge is a registered dietitian with Kids Eat Smart Foundation Newfoundland and Labrador