Breakfast stubbed out

Daily Mail. September 2, 2009.

"More than 1.2 million children begin the day by eating junk food or smoking cigarettes instead of having a proper breakfast", a survey shows.

Regular readers of this blog will know I have little regard for parents who don't give their children the most important thing they can give them - health. Being a great parent is not about being able to provide branded trainers, it's about inspiring your offspring to be the best people they can be. They can't even start to achieve in this increasingly demanding world, without basic health.

To send a child off to school without a decent breakfast inside them is negligent. On the other hand, this survey was commissioned by Kelloggs - no doubt looking to see if they can get the 30% of girls and 20% of boys, who don't have breakfast at home, to have a bowl of sugary cereal instead. This is just as bad as sending the child out for the day with an empty stomach.

Great breakfasts for children are bacon and eggs, omelettes, whole meal toast and marmite (if they love it), fruit, natural yoghurt, and/or sugar free cereals like porridge/shredded wheat (there aren't many). Frosties, Cornflakes and other sugary cereals are not the best start to the day.

The smoking bit came from the fact that many parents are giving children money to get breakfast on the way to school and some kids are getting cigarettes instead. If your child comes home smelling of ciggies, no more breakfast money!

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