Healthy Breakfast Tips from Kenyan Mums

We all know by now that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Skipping breakfast will have you in a slump after about two hours of waking.

Think of breakfast as the fuel that drives your engine. It is very likely that you won’t make up your daily vitamin and mineral count once you miss breakfast. You should, therefore, strive to eat a good breakfast every day.

For kids, breakfast is reportedly three times as important as it is for adults for physical and mental growth. Kids expend huge amounts of energy while playing and require nutritious meals to keep them going. Their brains also require energy to be able to pay attention and maintain focus while in class.

Kindergarten teachers emphasize the importance of kids coming to school with full bellies to sustain them through a busy morning of learning and playing.

They can often see the difference when kids are fed a nutritious breakfast. So, according to the experts, what should your family wake up to for their breakfast?

Porridge

Porridge (Uji) is an easy-peasy dish full of nourishment. It’s easy to make and easy on the pocket. Millet contains high amounts of fibre and phosphorus. It’s also loaded with energy making it perfect for jumpstarting your body.

Quite a number of Kenyan mums serve their kids uji for breakfast. Add some blue band to give it extra nutrition and flavour. Some mums even add nuts, honey or slices of fruit to give it a zingy taste.

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Yummy Pastries

Serving sweet or savoury pastries goes a long way in making breakfast time momentous. Croissants (can you pronounce it as well as you can eat it?) are yummy if done right. Scones with raisins or chapati might be an easier alternative for the less daring.

Cereals

Crunchy cereal with milk is everybody’s favourite breakfast dish. The beauty of cereal is that it loaded with important vitamins such as folic acid and B2 which are key for physical development. If store-bought cereal doesn’t sit well with you, opt for homemade muesli. Muesli is essentially a mix of oats, nuts and dried fruit. When making your own, you can add melted blue band with honey – this also works when making homemade granola and flapjacks. Both options are great to make with kids.

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Sweet potato and arrowroots

Sweet potato is a great source of vitamin A, beta carotene, complex carbohydrates and macronutrients. It literally sits in your stomach making you feel fuller and satisfied for longer.

In fact, some doctors are even calling sweet potato a superfood. An added plus is that preparing sweet potatoes and arrowroots only require that you have a pan and water. I boil mine then slice and sautee in some blue band and serve with scrambled eggs for a great-tasting breakfast.

Don’t forget that health is never complete without fruit so make sure you serve some with any breakfast dishes to achieve the #GoodBreakfastChallenge.

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Download this Breakfast Meal Plan and Start Planning Healthy and Exciting Meals

What do you like to give your kids for breakfast? Comment below to share your tips with other Mums and Dads.