Do your children eat a hearty breakfast in the mornings, or do they simply gulp down a glass of milk before dashing off to school?

The last meal your child had was the previous night, almost ten to twelve hours ago. Naturally his system will be crying out for food. And if all he has in the morning is a glass of milk, it's not going to be sufficient.

Research shows that children who eat a good breakfast in the mornings have higher levels of concentration and are able to focus better than children who don't eat a hearty enough breakfast.

Dentists too have started advocating the need for eating breakfast in the mornings, as they have found that younger children who skip breakfast are at greater risk for tooth decay than those who don't.

Sadly though children tend to give the lowest priority to breakfast. The reason for this is they do not generally factor in time spent consuming breakfast in the mornings. If you make sure your children sit down for breakfast at least fifteen minutes before they need to leave to catch the school bus, chances are they will be able to eat a hearty meal.

It is also possible that you are rushed as well, and don't have the time to prepare a full-scale meal early in the mornings. Thankfully there are plenty healthy and tasty breakfast choices that are ready in minutes.

Cereals

Cereals like cornflakes are often a favourite with kids. You don't need to purchase expensive cornflakes for your children to enjoy them. You can get some local brands at a quarter of the price of international brands, and these are just as tasty. However, eating a bowl of cereal in the mornings will take at least five to ten minutes, so you and your child will need to plan accordingly. Let your child have a glass of juice with her cereal.

Fruit

Quickly chop up a couple of fruits in little pieces and drop them into the cereal. Apples with peels, strawberries and bananas are good options.

Dried fruits

Purchasing cereal with added dried fruits works out to be more expensive than simply popping in a handful of dried fruits into the cereal every morning. Keep a mixture of nuts like almonds, raisins and walnuts in a glass bottle, and every day take out a handful and add them to the cereal.

Milkshake

A milkshake is not only ready in a jiffy, but your child can also gulp it down in an instant. This is a good way to give your child fruit and milk in the mornings, without sacrificing any of his time. Milkshakes are also tastier than regular milk, and your child is sure to enjoy them. Keep changing the fruit in the milkshake before your child gets sick of it! Some fruits that make delicious milkshakes include chikoo, bananas, strawberries, mangoes, apple and custard apple. You can also make a delicious shake with dates and milk.