Dinner for breakfast?

Is breakfast, or any meal for the matter, a struggle in your house?

I get it. Feeding kids is harder than it looks, and you have to do it multiple times a day, every single day. 

My friend and office mate walked into my office, slumped into my chair, and asked for my advice. She went on to describe how she was experiencing difficulty with her oldest child eating breakfast. It was a battle every morning, and she was sick of it. She felt frustrated, defeated, and exhausted. She asked if I had any tips for getting kids to eat breakfast or ideas of specific foods that are kid friendly. 

Before giving any advice, I asked a couple follow up questions.  

“Is the problem that he is not hungry or that he doesn’t like what you make?”

She replied that he is hungry, but he does not like breakfast food. She went on to explain that the other morning he actually requested to eat frozen hamburger sliders, and she was feeling so defeated that she just said yes. 

Does this story sound familiar?

After I heard the details of the situation, I paused and told my friend to let her child eat whatever he wants for breakfast.

Now, before you freak out, let me tell you why this was my answer. 

There is a cultural context to what foods we feel are appropriate for each meal. The foods that we view as “breakfast foods” are only considered breakfast foods because of the culture we live in. In other countries, different types of foods are considered breakfast, lunch, and dinner foods.  For example, in Asian countries breakfast often consists of rice and pork. In France, breakfast consists of cheese, sliced meats, and bread. These are breakfast foods in those countries. 

At the end of the day, it is more important that our children eat a balanced meal rather than worry about the specific types of food they are eating. In this situation, the frozen sliders are very comparable to a sausage biscuit. The frozen sliders are culturally a lunch or dinner food, while the sausage biscuit is perceived to be a breakfast food, but nutritionally the two foods are very similar. 

You hear all the time about the importance of breakfast, and I completely agree, but it could be any food eaten in the morning, not just “breakfast foods.” Breakfast is important, especially for this age group. Not only are their bodies rapidly developing, requiring large amounts of energy, they also need the fuel and energy for proper brain functioning. Skipping breakfast may cause fatigue, slowed cognitive functioning, and over eating later in the day. So, it is truly better for your child to eat anything rather than nothing.

Parents - you are off the hook. Your child, and you, will never be a perfect eater because perfect eating does not exist. Instead of striving for perfection,

strive for making mealtime less stressful for both you and your child. 

If you are interested in learning more about Casey’s nutritional approach please visit her website www.dallasnutritionalcounseling.comor her Instagram page @dallasnutritionalcounseling.