Healthful Breakfast Hacks for Busy Parents: Academy Celebrates Kids Eat Right Month^® in August

July 27, 2023

CHICAGO – With the first day of school on the horizon, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics offers parents and caregivers some breakfast ideas to make the morning mealtime rush a little easier. In August, the Academy and its Foundation celebrate the importance of healthful eating and active lifestyles for children and their families during the annual Kids Eat Right Month^®.

"Breakfast is a great meal to share with your children. As children grow older, they are more likely to skip breakfast, which could affect their academic performance. I encourage parents to serve as role models by practicing a healthful morning routine that includes breakfast," says registered dietitian nutritionist and Academy Spokesperson Amy Reed of Cincinnati, Ohio.

"Registered dietitian nutritionists are the food and nutrition experts, so back-to-school time is the perfect opportunity for us to highlight the importance of enjoying a healthful meal to kick off the school day," she says.

Children should fuel their mornings with food from the different food groups. Grains made with whole-grain flours such as whole-wheat flakes, whole-wheat bread or whole-grain waffles contain carbohydrates for energy and provide dietary fiber, as do fruits and vegetables. Including protein foods such as eggs or Canadian bacon or low-fat cottage cheese from the dairy group can help keep them full until lunch. Reed offers some healthful tips to win the morning race for breakfast:

Plan Ahead

• Make overnight oatmeal by mixing oats with fresh or frozen fruit, low-fat milk and low-fat yogurt for a ready-to-eat morning meal.
• Buy frozen whole-wheat waffles to toast and spread with a nut or seed butter or top with fruit, such as a banana.
• Prepare homemade egg bites with vegetables the night before, then reheat in the morning.

Love Your Leftovers

• Repurpose leftover roasted vegetables to make hash with eggs and turkey sausage.
• Add sliced turkey, ham or chicken and a slice of low-fat cheese to a toasted English muffin.
• Use last night's spinach to scramble with tofu or bake into a quiche with eggs and low-fat cheese.

If parents and caregivers start their children with a healthful breakfast routine early in life, it's more likely to become a habit that they will continue through adulthood.

Kids Eat Right Month^®

Kids Eat Right Month^® was established by the Academy's Foundation in 2014. Resources are available for parents and caregivers, as well as Academy members, to promote healthful food choices and physical activity habits, culturally relevant tips and recipes to help consumers shop smart and cook healthful foods.

Learn more by visiting the Academy's website and the Foundation's website. To find a registered dietitian nutritionist near you, visit the Academy's Find a Nutrition Expert directory.

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Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

Representing more than 112,000 credentialed nutrition and dietetics practitioners, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is the world's largest organization of food and nutrition professionals. The Academy is committed to improving health and advancing the profession of dietetics through research, education and advocacy. Visit the Academy at www.eatright.org.

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation is a 501(c)3 charity dedicated exclusively to supporting nutrition and dietetics professionals by empowering them to help consumers live healthier lifestyles. It makes an impact with Academy members and throughout the profession with its scholarships, awards, research grants, fellowships, public education programs and disaster relief efforts. Through philanthropy, the Foundation empowers current and future food and nutrition practitioners to optimize global health. Visit the Foundation at www.eatrightFoundation.org.