It's a no-brainer: Healthy breakfasts fuel good days at school -- and

beyond. Landmark studies link even the simplest morning meal (a bowl

of cereal, a splash of milk, a few banana slices) with better attention

spans, sharper fact recall, and happier moods for kids. Newer research

links morning eating with less obesity, stronger bones, and healthier

teeth.

Yet kids are dropping out of the breakfast club at an alarming rate:

Although 95% of elementary school kids (and 87% of teens) ate

breakfast in 1965, fewer than 86% (and fewer than 70% of teens)

do so today. The reason: rushed mornings, busy families.

The solution? Breakfast to go. "A good breakfast is easier than you

think," says children's nutritionist Jackie Berning, PhD, RD, of the

University of Colorado. "Choosing the right foods, you can make an

easy brown-bag breakfast at a fast-food place or convenience

store and know that your kids are getting a healthy meal. Just

follow these three-food rules:

1. Fruit: Whole or cut-up fruit, or 1/2 cup of orange juice. Fruit

supplies carbohydrates (for energy), Vitamin A and C, plus a wealth

of healthy anti-oxidants.

2. Whole grains: Whole wheat toast (look for varieties with at

least 3 grams of fiber per slice) or hot or cold whole grain cereal.

Grains provide carbs, Vitamin E, Folic Acid, and heart-healthy fiber.

3. Protein: Two eggs, 6 to 8 ounces of low-fat yogurt, 1 cup of

1% milk, or 2 tablespoons of peanut butter. Protein is the building

block for growth and for repairing most body systems; diary sources

add bone-building calcium.

The following three-food meals are easy to put together on a busy

morning and even easier to eat on the run.

Assemble these meals in brown paper bags the night before and keep

them ready in your fridge.

* A container of low-fat yogurt, an apple, and a Puffins Cereal &

Milk Bar (available at some supermarkets and natural food stores).

* A mozzarella cheese stick, two slices of whole wheat bread with

a dab of trans fat-free margarine, and 1 cup of seedless red grapes.

* A half-pint carton of 1% milk, a banana, and half of a peanut

butter sandwich on whole wheat bread.

* Breakfast trail mix (1 cup whole grain cereal, 1/4 cup nuts,

1/4 cup dried fruit) and a half-pint carton of 1% milk.

Throw everything into a blender and give it a whirl. Pour into Dixie

Perfec-Touch To Go Cups, which have no-mess-sip-through lids

(available at supermarkets). Serve with a Puffins Cereal & Milk

Bar or one to two slices of whole wheat bread with trans fat-free

margarine.

* 1 cup 1% milk or low-fat vanilla yogurt, 1 small banana, 2 teaspoons

honey, 4 ice cubes.

* 1 cup orange juice, 1/2 cup frozen strawberries, 1 cup low-fat

vanilla yogurt

* 1 tablespoon peanut butter, 1 cup low-fat chocolate yogurt,

1/2 banana, 1 teaspoon cocoa powder, 4 ice cubes

* Dunkin' Donuts: half of a wheat bagel with light cream-cheese,

a small orange juice, and a half-pint carton of 1% milk.

* McDonald's: A Fruit'n Yogurt Parfait with Granola and an orange

juice (bring a single-serve box of whole grain cereal to add more

healthy fiber).

* Gas-station Convenience Store: A container of low-fat yogurt, a

banana or small orange juice, and a single-serve box of whole grain

cereal.

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Author: Susan Rutter -- Publisher, Nutritionist, and Instructor who assists

patients and the public make healthy choices and changes in their lives.

Web Site: Healthy YOUbbies.

Contact Email: sm.rutter@sympatico.ca

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