Nutrition Tips and Tricks to Start the Day Off Right

Everything you need to know to deliver a healthy start to the day for your busy family

From the LifeMinute.TV Team

July 22, 2021

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day for everyone but especially for kids and teens because nutrients that are missed at breakfast are unlikely to be made up later in the day and a morning meal helps to get a head start on the nutrition that’s needed to support normal physical growth and development. We have the scoop on everything you need to know to deliver a healthy start to the day for your busy family while still including all the vitamins, minerals, and protein essential to good health. 

Avoid the Morning Breakfast Battles
The dilemma is a classic one — kids want food that tastes good to them, but it's often too low in nutritional value, and parents want foods that are going to give kids the nutrients they need to take on the day. Having options on hand that provide the best of both worlds is the ticket to a low-stress morning. We love Carnation Breakfast Essentials® which offers delicious flavors that kids love such as the irresistible flavor of an oven-baked Cinnabon® cinnamon roll and Kellogg’s® Froot Loops® which is bursting with Froot Loops® flavor and contains key nutrients like protein to help build muscle and calcium to support growing bones, plus, vitamins C and D, key nutrients for immune support.

Stick to a Routine
Even though mornings may look a little different when school is out of session, have your kids maintain a similar eating routine that they follow during the school year. While it may be easy to skip breakfast during the summer months, the first meal of the day is essential to start the day right. For a quick on-the-go option that doesn't disrupt kids' summer schedules, pair a serving of fruit with a Carnation Breakfast Essentials® Nutritional Drink, which is packed with 10 grams of protein plus 21 essential vitamins & minerals.

Try New Fruit and Veggies
Encourage kids to try less familiar summertime fruits and veggies by setting up a snack board that combines some familiar foods with some items that may not be in your child’s rotation. Think pitted cherries, cherry tomatoes, or sliced peaches. Poke some kid-friendly toothpicks (perhaps with a mermaid or dinosaur top) in the less-familiar foods to make them look more approachable, and serve! You may be surprised to find your child willingly popping a veggie in their mouth with no fuss.

Pack the Protein
Don't underestimate the importance of protein, especially at breakfast time. Protein helps support growing muscles and bones, but breakfast is usually the meal with the lowest protein intake. Though breakfast options like bacon and eggs are obvious sources of protein, you may not always have time to make them. That's why Carnation Breakfast Essentials® Nutritional Drinks are perfect — they are convenient and fuel kids with 10 grams of high-quality protein, equivalent to the protein provided in one and one-half large eggs.