Parent Newsletter "Breakfast on the Run" Aug 2009



News For
SWIM  PARENTS
Published by The American Swimming Coaches Association
5101 NW 21 Ave., Suite 200
Fort Lauderdale FL 33309
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Breakfast On The Run
By Carol Bozarth, R.D., L.D., Nutritionist
 
"I don't have time to eat before I leave for school."
 
"I'm not hungry in the morning."
 
"I'm dieting, I'll skip a meal and save those calories."
 
Do your children (or you) use these excuses to avoid eating  
breakfast?  Do they routinely "grab" a doughnut, danish, or candy  
bar to carry them through till lunch?  Change this behavior NOW!
 
Breakfast is an important meal!  The human body needs fuel to run  
on.  That's what food provides.  Studies continue to support the  
fact that individuals learn, think and perform better when their  
body has been nourished in the morning.  A morning meal doesn't mean  
you need to eat as soon as you awake.  For parents, it may be more  
convenient for you to eat once you are at your day's destination,  
provided you make time for it.
 
What would a morning meal contain?
 
Protein:  low fat milk, cheese or yogurt, lean ham, turkey, peanut  
butter (use natural), egg white, (the cholesterol and fat is in the  
yolk - the white is pure protein).
 
Grains: breakfast cereals (hot or cold - provided it is not sugar  
coated), bread, rolls, crackers, bagel, english muffins, rice, pasta.
 
Fruit/Vegetable: fruit or vegetable juice, fresh frozen or dried  
fruit.
 
The following are examples of quick-to-prepare, easy-to-eat morning  
meals:
 
* low fat cheese and tomato sandwich (can be stuffed into a pocket  
pita)
 
* peanut butter and sliced apple or banana sandwich
 
* sliced egg (or egg white sandwich)
 
* lean ham or turkey sandwich with sliced tomatoes
 
* yogurt with fruit and dry cereal as a topping
 
* reheated pizza
 
Additional tips: Use disposable plates, cups, flatware.  Plan for  
breakfast before going to bed.
 
Wake up 10 minutes earlier...it may create less stress and make the  
morning meal so much easier to swallow.
 
The key to eating breakfast is convenience.  It must be easy to  
prepare, you must have the ingredients in stock, and the clean up  
must be minimal.  Most important, everyone must like what they are  
going to eat.