How to optimise your son’s breakfast: 8 healthy options

Breakfast is supposed to be the most important meal of the day. But when you look at the ‘breakfast’ foods marketed at children, you see shelves of sugary cereals, processed spreads and biscuits. Instinctively we all know that cereal or toast can’t be a viable option for a growing child. But if not these then what are the healthiest kids’ breakfasts?

A healthy option for your child’s breakfast would be one that gives them everything they need for a busy day. Vitamins and minerals to power their energy hungry brain, protein to repair their growing muscles, and fat to fuel them through a day of play and learning.

What are the healthiest kids’ breakfasts?

Ban the bowl (of cereal)! Sugary and highly processed food is never good, But first thing in the morning all it will do is crash your son’s energy levels and hinder his focus. His growth and development depends on adequate nutrition. So start the day off well and provide him with the best chance tov optimise each and every day.

1. Eggs

What are the healthiest kids breakfasts?

The classic breakfast food is a classic for a reason.

If you want a breakfast that provides exceptional nutrition while filling your son’s belly, then you can’t go far wrong with the humble egg. It will provide everything he needs for the physical and mental challenges of the day.

A large egg contains around 6g of protein. Protein is essential for the upkeep of his growing body. It’s needed to repair any tissues damaged so that they can be repaired bigger and stronger. If he’s especially active through sports, physical work, or general play then protein becomes even more vital.

Not only will it keep his muscles in peak condition, but the lack of sugar will stabilise his blood sugar. This will allow his energy levels to remain constant without any crashes. Stable energy is essential for proper focus and concentration at school and will help him keep a positive mood and get the most out of the day.

Whatever the egg dish, always make sure that you don’t exclude the yolk. Egg white omelettes were a trend for abit because of their high protein and low fat content. Fortunately, the low-fat diet fad has pretty much been eradicated. Yolks are the real magic of the egg. It contains the fat soluble vitamins like vitamin D and essential nutrients like choline. Vitamin D is important for your son’s proper growth and bone development, his immune system, and his cognitive development. Choline is used to help with metabolism and proper liver function(1).

2. Scrambled Eggs

What butter and whiskey won’t cure, there is no cure for.
Irish proverb (2)

I had to include my youngest daughter’s absolute favourite breakfast. An easier and more palatable method to get all the goodness of eggs has not been invented yet. Simply whole eggs (never ditch the yolk), plenty of grass-fed butter (absolutely not margarine) and some sea salt to taste if you fancy.

Put as many eggs as you like in a pan with the chunks of butter. On and off a low heat, stirring continuously until at the desired creamy consistency. Nothing fancy and can be knocked up in minutes. There’s no excuse to pour out another bowl of cereal ever again.

The beauty of this easy recipe is how nutritious and filling it is for a breakfast. The high saturated fat content will keep your son full for hours, ensuring that his energy levels remain high and he doesn’t crave foods that will cause them to plummet.

Choosing pure grass-fed butter also adds more nutrients like vitamin K and DHA omega-3(3). DHA has been called the ‘happy fat’ as low levels of it have been linked to depression and anxiety. Our brain itself is made up of a lot of DHA and general cognitive function depends on it. A big hit of DHA before a day at school can only be a good thing.

3. Boiled (Dippy) Eggs and Beef Sausages

A Son of Man take on a traditional egg and soldiers. By replacing the bread soldiers for good quality beef sausages, you miss out on the blood sugar spike from processed wheat flour. You also gain a hell of a lot more macro- and micro-nutrients that don’t exist in bread. And they’re easier to dip!

As well as DHA, which we’ve already discussed, the sausages contain zinc, vitamin B12 and iron.

Vitamin B12 is worth talking about. It’s so important, especially at a young age. Unfortunately the current war on meat puts people at risk of deficiency. In children, low B12 is associated with low IQ, speech and language issues and mental disorders(4). Instead of vilifying all meat, governing bodies should promote healthy meat and separate it from grain-fed factory farmed animals. Treating them all the same will be our downfall.

Read here for more benefits of meat

This breakfast is guaranteed to keep your son’s stomach full and energy levels high. It’s perfect for if he plays sport or trains in the gym and wants the extra edge over the competition.

4. Homemade Bacon and Eggs

If you thought I was being unrealistic with the beef sausages (seriously, find a good butcher), then you probably think I’m being over the top with making your own bacon. But, it’s so easy and so worth it.

I don’t have to tell you that those cheap packs of Danish bacon from the supermarket aren’t good for you. They’re packed full of nitrates that your body can convert into carcinogenic compounds(5). But pork itself is packed full of protein and B-vitamins while also managing to be very cheap (in the UK anyway) so is a cost-effective breakfast option. The fats in it are also split mainly between saturated (what healthy cell walls are made of) and monounsaturated (what makes olive oil healthy)(6). These fats start to diminish, in favour of unhealthy polyunsaturated fats, when the pigs are fed a more grain heavy diet.

To make your own bacon just go down to a decent butchers and buy a boneless joint of loin (for back bacon) or belly (for streaky bacon). Rub it with salt and honey/ maple syrup (plus any other herbs or spices) and leave in a zip lock bag for a week. Once ready, take the meat out, wash it thoroughly and let it dry. Slice as thick or thin as you like and you’ve got your own bacon. Making your bacon in this way may be even more healthy than just eating pork without marinading and curing it(6).

5. Grass-fed Steak

What better start to the day than one of the healthiest foods for humans. A piece of good quality beef or lamb steak packed full of protein, fats, vitamins and minerals will make your son unstoppable and accelerate the growth of his body and brain. Combine with eggs for the absolute ultimate breakfast.

A slab of red meat will top up his DHA, vitamin D and vitamin B12 as well as boosting his iron and zinc. Most of the iron in meat is harm iron which is more easily absorbed than non-harm iron. Haem iron also enhances the absorption of iron from plant foods, where it’s less bioavailable(7). Another essential mineral is zinc, found in abundance in red meat. Your son needs zinc for DNA formation, cell growth, sex hormones and sexual maturation and a healthy immune system(8).

Cholesterol

It’s worth taking a second here to discuss cholesterol. I understand that feeding your child foods like beef, butter and eggs can be stressful. The media has said for years that these foods will fill your child’s arteries with cholesterol and they will die of heart disease. In reality, this theory was outdated when it was first hypothesised. Cholesterol itself isn’t the issue. The issue is the type of fats that are carried by the “bad” LDL cholesterol. Damaged fats from over processed polyunsaturated fats that are found in vegetable oils, cause chronic inflammation and, eventually, diseases. The amount of cholesterol you eat doesn’t matter. The quality of the fats does(9).

6. Yoghurt with collagen and honey

Yoghurt

To be clear: when I say yoghurt, I mean natural unsweetened yoghurt. Not the colourful little pots that come in different flavours that are marketed at children. Yoghurt is packed with bacteria cultures that promote your gut flora. An increasing number of studies show that these microorganisms living inside us are responsible for an in readable number of biological processes. Everything from supplying us with essential nutrients to promoting nerve function(10) It is possible that some of these bacteria also protect children against heavy metal exposure(11), and increase testosterone and sperm count in males(12).

Collagen

Collagen is one of those forgotten foods that would have been a staple evolutionary food. It’s becoming fairly fashionable as a supplement in the beauty industry but isn’t marketed for it’s health benefits. It’s popularity is due to the positive effect it has on hair, skin and nails. Because it’s used to make connective tissues it makes these parts of the body strong and able to withstand stretching. But as the most abundant protein in the body, it’s a good idea to introduce it to your children from a young age. They’re in the biggest growth phase of their lives and could do with the strength to maintain all their knew tissues(13).

An easy way to introduce collagen is through supplement powders from quality grass fed cows. Choose this over, for example, collagen from chickens. Chicken diets are grain heavy and so diminish the quality of the collagen. The below options source their collagen from high welfare cows living on their natural diet.

For more information on the benefits of collagen and other undervalued foods, click here

Honey

Since ancient times, and still amongst hunter-gatherer tribes, honey has been coveted. Not only has it been a highly appreciated food, but also used for medicinal purposes. According to modern scientific literature there may be something in that. Honey could be useful in protective measures against a number of diseases. This is due to the high antioxidant, antimicrobial, flavonoid and polyphenol count(14). A word of caution: it’s advised to not feed honey to infants under one year. This is due to the risk of it carrying bacteria that causes botulism, Honey is safe for everyone above one years old(15).

7. Bone Marrow and banana porridge

I get it. This one sounds weird. And I have to admit, my son has no idea that when I give him porridge it’s got bone marrow in. But as a nutrition source it’s packed full of quality nutrients, cheap and easy to hide in more child-friendly foods.

I buy a bone from the butchers, roast it and then scoop the jellyfull marrow out of the middle. Once it’’s all contained in a bowl I whisk it so it becomes like a creamy paste and leave it in the fridge. From there I can add it to porridge, stews, soups or anything else.

Bone marrow could be the food that developed us into the humans we are. The animals with sharper teeth and claws, and bigger muscles would have been more likely to kill something than us skinny creatures. But once they had ripped the carcass to shreds we could swoop in and crack the bones open to get the marrow. The marrow itself is full of iron, collagen and CLA (an anti-inflammatory). It boosts, bone and joint health and supports proper growth of tissues. I like to mix it in when I’m giving my son something carb-heavy like porridge with banana and honey (which he loves) because it helps regulate blood sugar(16).

As an easier way to get the benefits of bone marrow without the fuss, APE Nutrition’s Bone Matrix is a great option. And check out the rest of their range. I always have their Optimised Male capsules with me and add them to my son’s foods every now and again. (Available on their website: apenutrition.co.uk). It’s such a simple way to get quality nutrition into a fussy child.

8. Leftovers

Who said that breakfast needed to have it’s own specific foods? Just as it’s ridiculous to think that breakfast needs to consist of sugary cereal and toast, don’t think that you need to equally stick to bacon and eggs. If you had beef stew last night and there’s a portion left in the fridge, give it to our son. Most people eat their most nutritious meal in the evening for whatever reason. So carry that over to the next morning. It might surprise them at first but they quickly get used to it. If you think about it, it isn’t really that strange. A healthy meal is a healthy meal. As long as it gives them the energy to power through the day and excel, then it’s a good breakfast.

Now you’ve hacked breakfast, read here to learn what else your son needs to thrive

Summary

Get rid of breakfast cereals, toast, jams and anything that call itself a breakfast biscuit. Don’t eat them yourself and definitely don’t feed them to your children.

Eggs are a great source of protein, saturated fat, vitamin D and choline. Mix with butter to boost your son’s energy for the day. Don’t worry about overdoing the eggs. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that cardiovascular risk factors didn’t increase from eating over 12 eggs a week for three months(1).

When choosing sausages, buy them from a good butcher that knows where his meat comes from- and makes his own sausage. And choose beef over pork if possible.

For the optimum breakfast, steak and eggs will always be a winner.

Introduce undervalued foods like collagen and bone marrow. Especially when you’re able to hide it in other foods.

Raise Your Legacy

References