YMCA Healthy Living Magazine, powered by n4 food and health (Summer 2016)

LEIGH REEVE, AdvAPD AT CEREAL4BREKKIE Leigh Reeve is an Advanced Accredited Practising Dietitian and Director of the Australian Breakfast Cereal Manufacturers Forum (ABCMF), home to cereal4brekkie. The ABCMF provides evidence-based, practical information so Australians can have a better understanding of the true value of breakfast cereals and breakfast as part of a healthy lifestyle. You can learn more about Leigh at n4foodandhealth.com MUMS AND BREAKFAST New research has revealed the impact of the morning school rush on the diets of Australian mums, with a third regularly skipping breakfast as they get their children ready for school. Nutrition expert Leigh Reeve from Cereal4Brekkie explains. G alaxy research shows 58 per cent of mums admit to preparing breakfast for their kids but not themselves and for one in three it is a regular habit.1 Research commissioned by the Australian Breakfast Cereal Manufacturers Forum (ABCMF) also found among parents that skip breakfast.2,3: • 2.2 million (67 per cent) Australian parents worry their children don’t eat enough breakfast to get them through a morning at primary school. • Two out of three parents (67 per cent) resort to strategies including bribes and/or bans to get their children to eat breakfast before primary school. Among these parents, almost half (46 per cent) agree that banning TV and access to technology is the most successful tactic. The morning rush may be chaotic, but it’s important for parents to take five minutes to look after themselves. Managing the day without breakfast can leave you moody, lethargic, battling to think straight and generally makes it tougher to manage tantrums and keep the family on track. A coffee may give you an instant pick up, but compared to a bowl of cereal, you miss out on important fibre, vitamins and minerals, and are more likely to overeat during the course of the morning. It takes just five minutes to grab a bowl of cereal. It’s an important investment in your wellbeing and it sets a great example – that’s important given the latest Census@School data shows one in seven Aussie kids skip breakfast. Here are a few more brekkie time tips and tricks: • Don’t turn on the TV or technology until breakfast is eaten and children are ready for school. • Find out what your children enjoy for breakfast, so you don’t waste time preparing options they won’t eat. • Take 15 minutes each night to prepare for the morning rush (e.g. have cereal out and ready or prepare porridge so it just needs warming). • Consider an on-the-go brekkie option ( e.g. a ‘nibbler box’ of dry breakfast cereal, sultanas and fresh fruit). • For kids with early sport, make a smoothie the night before. Use breakfast cereal, milk and other favourite fruits, and it will be ready to grab, shake and go in the morning. Or have a liquid breakfast product at the ready. • Lead by example. Ensure you take the time to have breakfast. It will give you the energy and patience you need to manage the morning rush and really does set the best example for the kids. REFERENCES 1. ABCMF Study, 2013, Galaxy Research. A representative sample of 1001 Australians aged 18 to 64 years. 2. Galaxy Research, September 2015, survey of n=510 Australian primary school children aged 6-12 years 3. Galaxy Research, May 2015, survey of n=1,000 Australian parents of primary school children aged 5 to 12 years Source: www.cereal4brekkie.org.au SUMMER 2016 YMCA HEALTHY LIVING MAGAZINE 7

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