Add some vegetables and fruits to your child's breakfast
Many parents now know the importance of a good breakfast for their child's growth and learning, but they often focus only on the "quantity" and not the "quality," which is a balanced combination. Therefore, vegetables and fruits should be added to a child's breakfast.
A previous survey found that most children's breakfasts were nutritionally insufficient, with less than 20% having a reasonable nutritional balance. The survey was conducted in the cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Xi'an, Nanning, Jinan, and Harbin.
“Through this survey, we found that the most lacking component in the breakfast of primary and secondary school students is a serving of vegetables and fruits,” said Yang Xiaoguang, a researcher at the National Institute of Nutrition and Food Safety of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, who was in charge of the report. “A nutritionally adequate breakfast should include four types of food: grains (rice, bread, steamed buns), animal-based foods (meat, eggs), dairy and dairy products, and vegetables and fruits.”
Many parents now know the importance of a good breakfast for their child's growth and learning, but they often focus only on the "quantity" and not the "quality," which is a balanced combination.
Researcher Yang Xiaoguang said that if a primary or secondary school student's breakfast includes three of the four food groups, it indicates that the nutrition is relatively sufficient. A breakfast with two or fewer food groups is considered inadequate. The best breakfast includes all four food groups, accounting for about 30% of the total daily food intake.
Among these, vegetables and fruits are indispensable. On one hand, they provide rich nutrients such as vitamins and minerals. On the other hand, they are rich in phytochemicals and are an important source of dietary fiber and natural antioxidants. A diet rich in vegetables, fruits, and potatoes plays a vital role in maintaining good health, normal intestinal function, and boosting immunity, as well as reducing the risk of chronic diseases like obesity, diabetes, and hypertension, which is crucial for a child's healthy growth and development.
Compared to store-bought breakfasts, a meal prepared by parents at home is more hygienic and nutritionally balanced.
Researcher Yang Xiaoguang said: “A glass of milk and an egg can serve as the basic foods for a child's breakfast. For the staple food and vegetables and fruits, you can often change the combinations to increase the variety of foods. For example, today have steamed buns with cold cucumber salad, and tomorrow have rice with stir-fried greens. Prepare the staple food the night before and reheat it the next day, then just add a serving of vegetables and fruits. If you really don't have time to cook vegetables, it's also a good idea to let your child take a tomato, cucumber, apple, or other fruit to eat at school after breakfast.”