Breakfast for children over 2 years old

Breakfast for children over 2 years old

Dairy products in children’s breakfast

Milk and dairy products are the best source of calcium. They are essential from the first years of your child to the end of his adolescence, a period during which he constitutes his bone capital. And then dairy products provide proteins that allow cells to build and repair themselves.

Baby food 2 years old: what types of milk to give the child?

Up to 3 years, it is better to give him growth milk to avoid any deficiency, especially if he eats little. It is a milk enriched with iron, vitamins and essential fatty acids, micronutrients necessary for motor and brain development. If, however, you do not want to opt for growth milk, take whole milk, the fats of which contain liposoluble vitamins (especially A, D and K), or even yogurt, petit-suisse or cottage cheese at 40% fat (skimmed or semi-skimmed products should be reserved for later).

To avoid : sugar, powdered chocolate or sweeteners (not before 3 years!) which unnecessarily stimulate the appetite for sweetness.

How much dairy products for the meal?

Your child needs 500 ml of milk a day, regardless of whether he drinks it from a bottle or from a bowl. The important thing is to balance your calcium intake over the day.

How to make him like dairy products? Innovate when it comes to containers. It doesn’t matter if he takes his milk from a bottle, a tall glass or a bowl! Another idea: offer him a straw or a cup with the effigy of his favorite character and alternate dairy products.

What cereals to give on the breakfast menu?

Cereals provide your child with carbohydrates, that is to say more or less slow sugars that provide their muscles and organs with fuel for the whole morning.

In what forms? Grain bread is long to chew and provides long-lasting energy. But classic sandwiches can also do the trick if they are not swallowed too quickly. Cereals, if they are supplemented with milk, promote good calcium intake… However, their labels must be peeled.

To avoid : preferably cereals which contain more than 25 g of sugar per 100 g. As for industrial sandwich breads, rusks, cookies, toast rolls and pastries, most contain too much sugar and saturated fat. These are pleasure foods that have their place at breakfast, but not necessarily every morning.

What quantity of cereals should be preferred?

One to two small slices of bread topped with two teaspoons of jam, honey or 5 to 10 grams of butter is sufficient. If he prefers cereals, count 30 grams (the equivalent of a bowl three-quarters full) without adding any cocoa powder or honey. Wheats and other puffed rice are already sweet!

How to make him like cereals? Play with diversity. Let your child choose between several jams or honey, offer him toast and various cereals …

Fruit for breakfast

Fruits provide mineral salts (potassium, magnesium…), fibers (which stimulate transit) and even calcium. But they are especially full of vitamin C, known for its anti-fatigue action, its effects on the immune system and its role in the assimilation of iron.

Fruits in what forms? Try fresh fruits, juices pressed by yourself, or even bought in stores (100% fruit without added sugar and without sweetener) and low-sugar compotes (or without added sugar).

Fruit in what quantities?

Offer a compote or 100 ml of juice, especially if one morning your child prefers yogurt to milk (he needs liquid).

To avoid : adding sugar to compotes or juices.

How to make him like fruit? If he is reluctant to eat fruit, present it to him peeled, cut into small pieces and nicely presented on a plate with a mini plastic fork. He should quickly crack! You can also invite him to squeeze his orange with you, just to arouse his curiosity, or vary the flavors of compotes.

4 examples of balanced breakfasts

• 1 bowl of milk (150 ml) + 30 g of chocolate cereal + 1 medium-sized fruit (or 2 small)

• 1 yogurt + 1 nice slice of plain brioche + 1 slightly sweet compote

• 5 small Swiss (30g) + 1 small croissant (55g) + a glass of squeezed juice

• 150 g of fromage blanc + 4 rusks + 1 glass of squeezed juice