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Breakfast

Medically reviewed by: Mary L. Gavin, MD

"Eat your breakfast. It's the most important meal of the day!" Why are parents always saying that?

Well, imagine you're a car. After a long night of sleeping, your fuel tank is empty. Breakfast is the fuel that gets you going so you can hit the road.

What Should I Eat?

Just like with other meals, try to eat a variety of foods, including:

  • fruit
  • vegetables
  • grains ( make at least half your grains whole grains)
  • protein (meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dry beans, nuts, and seeds)
  • dairy products (low-fat or fat-free milk, cheese, and yogurt)

Breakfast Ideas

First, the traditional ones:

  • eggs
  • French toast, waffles, or pancakes (try wheat or whole-grain varieties)
  • cold cereal and milk
  • hot cereal, such as oatmeal or cream of wheat (try some dried fruit or nuts on top)
  • whole-grain toast, bagel, or English muffin with cheese
  • yogurt with fruit or nuts
  • fruit smoothie, such as a strawberry smoothie

And now some weird (but yummy) ones:

  • banana dog (peanut butter, a banana, and raisins in a long whole-grain bun)
  • breakfast taco (scrambled eggs and shredded cheese on a tortilla, topped with salsa)
  • country cottage cheese (apple butter mixed with cottage cheese)
  • fruit and cream cheese sandwich (use strawberries or other fresh fruit)
  • sandwich — grilled cheese, peanut butter and jelly, or another favorite
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Skipping Breakfast

Some kids skip breakfast because they sleep too late or because they think it's a way to stay thin. But people who skip breakfast tend to eat more calories throughout the day.