Tuesday 15 October 2013

Seth's healthy snack ideas by Seth (Grade 4)

Good morning World!

I drank chocolate Milo drink for breakfast and I am very tired  this morning.  Most kids in my class who had unhealthy breakfasts or no breakfast at all can't concentrate till break, but the kids who had fruit or toast and egg are much more energetic. Here is some advice on healthy breakfast choices. . Come visit again!    

written by Seth in Grade 4

Are your kids eating a smart breakfast?

 The message has been out there for a while now – kids need breakfast. Now new research has shown that what kids eat at breakfast time is also important when it comes to their academic performance.

In general terms, kids need to "carb up" before school to ensure their brain has enough energy to sustain learning. But not any carbohydrate will do. It's important these carbohydrates are "smart" ones – that is, have a low glycemic index (low-GI).

What this latest research has shown is that kids who eat a low-GI and higher carbohydrate breakfast were able to do maths tasks more quickly and accurately and displayed improved attentiveness.

Understanding GI

Now that dietary experts are all talking GI these days, carbohydrates have come in from the cold – at least in health circles. But does the general population know the importance of eating the right carbohydrates, particularly for our active kids?

Low-GI foods are considered healthier because they don't cause sudden spikes in our bodies' blood glucose levels and instead release glucose more slowly and provide sustained energy.

And it's not rocket science working out which foods have the "dumb" carbs – basically anything that's high in refined sugars and flours also have an unhealthily high-GI.

What's the GI link with kids' brains?

Research has shown that the human brain is powered only by glucose and has essentially no reserves, making a constant supply of glucose absolutely essential to ensure optimum brain function.

"One-third of our bodies' daily glucose requirements is used by the brain," says Dr Alan Barclay, chief scientific officer at the GI Foundation.

"What this latest research has confirmed is that when children have a low-GI breakfast they are better able to perform the harder cognitive tasks.

"Eating a low GI breakfast provides a more constant level of blood glucose compared with the fluctuating glycemic response to a high GI breakfast, resulting in a smaller decline in concentration."

He reinforces the message that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, particularly for kids, and urges parents to ensure their children eat something before they head off to school. Yet are kids and parents getting that message?

What's so important about breakfast?

Research has been piling up showing two things: more and more children are skipping breakfast, and those who do go without are less healthy.

A 2009 study found that 42 per cent of children go to school one or more days a week on an empty stomach. When parents were questioned in the study about the reasons their children skipped breakfast, more than half said there was "no time" because of the pressures of being late for school or work or because of sleeping in.

This is consistent with other research that shows that at least 15 per cent of Australian teenagers rarely eat breakfast.

Yet studies have linked skipping breakfast with:
  • a higher likelihood of  kids being overweight or obese
  • a diminished mental performance at school
  • kids making poor food choices throughout the rest of the day
"There's no excuse for parents letting their kids skip breakfast when it doesn't have to take much preparation," Dr Barclay says. "My kids' favourite is a slice or two of fruit bread and a glass of milk – how easy is that?"

Eight healthy breakfasts for kids

Here are some ideas from the GI Foundation for healthy brekkies for kids. Tip: look for the low-GI symbol on food packaging:
  1. Wholegrain, low-GI breakfast cereals with reduced or low fat milk and fruit
  2. Natural muesli with reduced or low-fat milk
  3. Low-GI bread (with a teaspoon of margarine and your favourite spread (vegemite/peanut butter etc…)
  4. Baked beans on low-GI bread
  5. Poached or non-stick pan-fried egg on low GI bread with margarine
  6. Fresh, canned or dried fruit
  7. Plain or diet yoghurt with fruit
  8. Fruit bread with a teaspoon of margarine and a little of your favourite spread (such as jam or marmalade)link to the article

 Hi, I am Seth and this is a website full of nice recipes I found: www.freshforkids.com.au/recipes/breakfast_brunch.html

When you click on the recipes it turns it into a PDF printable page - how cool??

Cranberry & raspberry smoothie

 Ingredients

  • 200ml cranberry juice
  • 175g frozen raspberries, defrosted
  • 100ml milk
  • 200ml natural yogurt
  • 1 tbsp caster sugar, or to taste
  • mint sprigs, to serve
Method
Place all the ingredients into a blender and pulse until smooth. Pour into glasses and serve topped with fresh mint.
 
 
 
 In our class we have kids that eat doughnuts, Milo and chips for breakfast. We found that they struggle to concentrate in the mornings, here is an article our teacher found about bad food choices and attention: http://www.gifoundation.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=17&Itemid=41

1 comment:

  1. Hi Seth

    A very interesting read indeed and makes you re-think what you have for breakfast and the impact thereof on the rest of your day.

    Looking forward to some interesting topics on your blog.

    Well Done
    Dad

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