Is breakfast really the most important meal of the day? Should we prefer buttered bread or cereals? And what if my child is reluctant to eat? Friday, at the microphone of Melanie Gomez on Europe 1, the nutritionist Raphael Gruman sits at the table and answers all the questions that arise on the breakfast.
Is breakfast the most important meal of the day?
Yes and no. Breakfast is a good base to balance all meals of the day. But an adult can do without it as long as he balances his lunch and dinner and does not skip another main meal. The risk is weight gain because it is not uncommon in the same day to skip breakfast, eat on the go at lunchtime and make a dinner too rich.
Failing to eat in the morning, it is recommended to drink a hot drink or a glass of water so as to hydrate because when we are dehydrated our brain works less well. Our intellectual faculties - concentration, memory - will then diminish.
And for children, it's the same? Should he force them to eat?
About 30% of children do not have breakfast or an insufficient breakfast. It's annoying because children need at least an energetic base to allow the brain to function well. They have less important reserves than adults and need more memorization and concentration.
However, do not force them to breakfast because the goal is not to disgust them. Instead, try to find tips such as waking up 5 minutes earlier in the morning. In this way, they do not start the day in the stress, that of preparing his bag and going to school for example, which can cut the appetite. You can also give them a small glass of water on waking which will open the digestive system.
What is recommended to eat in the morning?
The best is to take a carbohydrate source for example bread. It is rather complete to have a maximum of cereals and therefore fiber. However, it is these fibers that can hold as long as possible in the morning, that's what brings satiety.
On bread, you can eat ham, cheese, eggs for those who like. The advantage of this protein breakfast is to bring more satiety and avoid hunger in mid-morning. You can also eat butter, jam or spread even if it's not every day because this paste contains saturated fatty acids such as butter and sugar like jam. We can afford to have something a bit greasy in the morning because we will have all day to eliminate this caloric intake.
Finally, one can try to consume fruits to have maximum fiber and vitamins.
Can a fruit juice do the trick?
It is better to avoid. Industrial juices are classified in the same category as sodas. But it's also not a good idea to drink a squeezed fruit juice every day. For a glass of juice, you need three oranges. So you will recover in one glass the sugar of three fruits without however benefit from the fibers because they are in the pulp.
Are cereals recommended for children?
Cereals are much sweeter than bread even though manufacturers are beginning to make efforts by incorporating a little more fiber into their products. But the problem of cereals, beyond their sugar content, is that they do not stall. Better for a child who eats cereals than a child who eats nothing. To avoid the small hunger at ten o'clock, the trick is to offer them in addition a fresh fruit cut into quarters or a compote.