The main meal: What to do if a student refuses to eat breakfast

Many children are reluctant to eat, especially in the morning. Parents of schoolchildren are familiar with the feeling of anxiety when a child refuses to eat breakfast - there is a rather long school day ahead, the body needs strength, and it is impossible to make a little person eat breakfast. What to do in this case?

Ekaterina Morozova, Candidate of Medical Sciences, Senior Pediatrician at Medicina (Clinic of Academician Roitberg), recommends that you form a child's eating habits - this will save you from gastrointestinal problems. Breakfast, lunch and dinner should be at about the same time of day. "Be sure to make sure that the schoolchild has a dense breakfast at home, otherwise he can stay hungry. If the school provides an extra breakfast in the morning, review the menu. Ask the class teacher to adjust it if the child has allergies, intolerance to certain foods or gastrointestinal problems," says the expert.

The importance of snacks

Catherine adds that as a snack you can give your child with fruit, nuts (if there are no allergies), healthy sandwiches with boiled meat and vegetables. A representative of the company "Vivo Market" Natalya Fedunishina is sure that it is not necessary to insist on breakfast, if the child does not want to eat. "Breakfast is certainly an important meal, especially for schoolchildren. It gives strength and energy for brain work. But experts say that you should not force your child to eat in the morning. This is because during sleep somatotropic hormone is produced and glucose molecules from other compounds are accumulated. Therefore, after awakening, the child's body stores enough energy for activity. And it lasts for 1.5-2 hours..

It is important to understand what time the child can eat, if he goes to the school canteen at the first break, it is a great option, because school lunches are a healthy and balanced meal. If, on the other hand, the school child comes to the cafeteria later, it is better to give a snack with him - an apple, a banana or a muffin. But not to worry that the child will forget to eat, and snack will remain in the baby's briefcase and turn from healthy to dangerous, it is better if he buys a snack in the dining room. In addition, many caterers now develop menus so that children can choose what to eat, and parents have peace of mind that the child will eat a nourishing and proper meal," she said.

Vladimir Chernigov, president of the social and industrial foodservice instityte, supports this point of view - he believes that it is not necessary to force a child to eat breakfast at home if he soon gets a hot meal at school. But it is possible to give a snack with which the pupil will satisfy a light hunger during recess: "Carrots, peppers, apples, pears and bananas are excellent for snacking. It is better not to give soft fruits: they can leak in the backpack. Sandwiches with cheese, chicken or ham will saturate the child's body with fats, proteins and carbohydrates. But do not give kids boiled or smoked sausage, they spoil quickly.

PFC (protein, fat, carbs)

Experts agree that the diet of a schoolchild should be balanced and contain right amount of protein, fats and carbs:

Protein. Meat, fish, dairy products, eggs;

Fats. Oil of vegetable and/or animal origin;

Carbohydrates. Bread, potatoes, sugar;

Nuts and dried fruits are an excellent source of fatty acids and proteins. Cashews, peanuts, almonds, and walnuts are considered the most caloric.