Most of us don't have the time in the morning to grill a string of sausages or halve a load of grapefruits, re-enacting that famous Morecambe and Wise sketch. Nutritionists agree that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but a fifth of adults and one in six kids skip it. If we're lucky we might throw a couple of slices of bread into the toaster, but for the majority of the population, we're lacking creativity and time to do justice to that all important first meal of the day.

Nutritionist Sara Collie is hosting a webchat in which she'll be offering recipe ideas and advice on turning a simple morning meal into a breakfast treat. She'll be able to show you how adding a dollop of yoghurt, a squirt of honey or a few pieces of fruit can bolster your brekkie in only a few minutes. As well as being a valuable source of nutritional facts, Sara's web chat for Kellogg's National Breakfast Week is there to answer all your questions, and to present a plethora of mouth-watering suggestions. Log on to the chat and start making the most of your mornings.

For more information visit www.kelloggs.co.uk

H: Lis Speight, host
S: Sara Collie, nutritionist

H: Hello and welcome to the Parenting Show, I'm Lis Speight. Now breakfast time is the most important meal of the day, so say the experts, and this fact is even more true for children. Kids need the energy they get from a good breakfast if they're going to perform well throughout the day, but as we all know children are fussy creatures, and getting a good breakfast inside them can be a real trial, so I'm joined in the studio by nutritionist Sara Collie, welcome along Sara

S: Thank you

H: Who's going to be giving us some ideas on how to make breakfast more exciting for our little ones. But let's start by asking Sara – why is breakfast such an important meal?

S: Breakfast is really important because as the name says you are actually breaking the fast

H: Of not eating overnight?

S: Of not eating overnight, and especially if we're talking about children, now a lot of them – you know it could have been 10, 12 hours since they last ate, so you're waking up, your energy stores are low, and you've got a whole day ahead so it's really good to kick-start your body I guess and top up those fuel stores with the things that you need. And we have seen that people who eat breakfast tend to perform better in the morning so if they're going to school, if they're going to be out and about and active – I mean performing better means in the physical tasks they may be doing or in the mental tasks, they're sort of on task more in class and more inclined to concentrate more

H: So for children then having a good breakfast you can actually see a knock-on effect during the day can you?

S: Yes definitely, definitely throughout the morning. We've seen lots of research testing of a myriad of different things from tension, alertness, concentration and I'm sure if there's any teachers in these school holidays out there that are listening to this, I'm sure they'll all agree they can tell the children that have had breakfast on task, so it's definitely really good for the performance side of things, as well as the really important vitamins and minerals and nutrients that you get from breakfast that you don't otherwise get if you don't have -

H: So cereals are good for that actually aren't they?

S: Cereals are really good for that because what we've seen in the UK population that children aren't actually getting enough calcium and iron

H: Right

S: So calcium of course we all know that it's really important for bone and bone growth, iron's really important for brain development and also for carrying oxygen around your body so you can imagine what happens to a person when they don't have enough so especially children, so your bones won't be growing strong, and your concentration, your brain won't be developing properly and you're sort of tired and lethargic, so be3casue we've seen that kids in the UK aren't getting enough iron, breakfast cereals are actually fortified with iron, so there's iron in them, so having a bowl of breakfast cereal you're getting iron, and then of course you pour the milk on and there's a good way of getting milk into your child as well, so sort of an easy way – I mean I know my nieces and nephews hate drinking a glass of milk, there's no way you could get them to do that

H: Yes

S: But as soon as you put it on the Coco Pops or the Rice Krispies then they don't even notice it

H: They scoff it without really noticing. But some children do actually have allergies don't they, we have had a question in on that actually – Lisa Griffiths James says "what about dairy-free breakfast ideas?" 

S: Well I think, especially for children, children don't like to be different to their peers,

H: No I know

S: And even with your siblings, kids – I was talking about my nieces and nephews before, they always want to have what the other one's having so it's really important to address that need of the allergy but yet try and – don't make them different to all the other kids, so if you can use things like rice milk or soya milk and they can still have their cereal for breakfast and maybe if they have a slice of toast and you don't have any issues there, some fruit as well so – I think it's trying to think of those ways of making them feel like they're just – just the same as other children

H: Yes. And those sorts of milks do sometimes taste a little bit different don't they, but if you're having it all the time you would get used to it

S: Absolutely

H: And I suppose if you were having cereal with it as well you might not notice the taste so much

S: Definitely, and things are improving. I remember trying the soya milk a few years ago and it did have quite a distinctive taste, but they are coming in line with other things and sometimes being that different, it may be starting off by putting that milk into a bottle that's the same as other milks

H: Right so they don't notice

S: So they don't notice, yes

H: Good tricks there to fool your kids

S: Yes or if you can maybe the whole family could have the rice milk or the soya milk just to make sure you're not having something different and the taste is vast when you think -

H: Yes exactly well Lisa I hope that helps you. It's worth a go isn't it? So talking about getting good nutrition in the mornings then, it's not just about cereal and milk, you can add other things in as well can't you? 

S: Absolutely as I'm sure you're well aware of the 5 a day message, and breakfast is a really good opportunity to try and get the 5 a day and get one serving of fruit – and so whether that be chopping up fruit and putting it in cereal, or slicing banana and having it on toast

H: Oh that's a good idea

S: I saw some great little kids the other days had this really creative way of – they didn't like fruit and they didn't like it in their cereal but their trick was to dip their banana into the yogurt and then into the cereal, and then into the mouth and they had no issues with that at all as opposed to chopping it up and putting it in -

H: Yes. We've got a question in on that actually from Jimmy G, he says "any hints to get my kids to eat fruit in their cereal – they always avoid it." So he's probably putting strawberries and bananas on their cereal and they're just eating round it

S: Yes

H: So that's quite a good idea then isn't it

S: Yes and we've also found kids- they don't really like dried fruit, they sort of dig that out and pick around – and also lumps, kids don't really seem to like things that are lumps, so making a smoothie is sometimes a good way of blending it all in

H: Right

S: And making it all mixed up and putting yogurt and milk in there, and then they don't see the lumps of fruit and they really enjoy the taste of smoothies -

H: Those are very in at the moment aren't they so -

S: Absolutely.

H: They're just like a big milkshake aren't they -

S: Yes

H: They're delicious and they're actually really, really healthy

S: Yes

H: But it's all very well talking about all this isn't it, but we all know getting your kids up in the morning, getting them to the breakfast table, getting them to sit there before you actually have this scramble out of the house to get to school and everything. How do you do that?

S: I know, I just admire mums so much, I sort of have my life of rolling out of bed and going and then I go and see the people with the families and it is a hectic time in the morning

H: Yes

S: I mean especially when you've got five different lives to organise

H: Yes

S: So I think trying to keep the chaos to a minimum is always key and then maybe, I mean – keeping – before you even think about breakfast, let's think about the night before

H: Yes

S: And really getting organised the night before, you know – what is going to be needed for school, are they going to need change for lunch, for any other activities, and using that evening time as let's get really prepared and so in the morning you try and cut at least a bit of the chaos down

H: So ten minutes spent at night sorting everything out, we all know this but some of us don't quite get round to it – sorting out at night means that in the morning you're a bit less stressed

S: Absolutely and with the New Year, the new school year starting

H: Yes

S: See if we can start with a good start and be organised wit the year and put that in practice now

H: Yes. We've got a question in from Leanne actually and she's obviously got quite a hectic lifestyle. She said "how do you deal with kids? I've got 3 who all have different likes and dislikes. I can never find one thing that satisfies them all, making breakfast drawn out and stressful." I want this, I want that, mum I don't want that, she's got this, he's got that – how do you tackle that?

S: I've seen the opposite where one child will always have what the older one's having

H: Right

S: So if the younger one – child – had their breakfast first then it's chaos if they have something different, so she's got the opposite problem of them all wanting something different which I guess could be turned into a positive light of at least they want breakfast

H: Yes true

S: And at least they're not fighting over that cereal box, so I think the key there is making sure that you always have cereal that each person wants

H: Yes

S: So they can be satisfied individually one at a time, and also there's a bit of chaos stop there when everyone's grabbing for the same one

H: Yes

S: So maybe it's getting at shopping time, making the kids make the decision of which cereal would you like -

H: Yes

S: And they can then have the ownership of it, and it's their decision and it's what they get to have for the week

H: Tough luck, you're having this for the week

S: Yes

H: And no arguments!  But it's also good to have a bit of variety isn't it?

S: Absolutely. And especially – especially you don't want people to get bored and have the same thing, and even you know one child – I've seen this all the time, oh I don't like this, I don't like that, but when they've been introduced to it another time then they do come around and I mean that could be putting the fun back into it, is having variety and making people not be bored of what they're having

H: Going to someone else's house and having something for the first time that they'd never have at home

S: Absolutely or – my niece, she, with the Rice Krispies actually – she hates rice, I don't eat rice, I'm not eating rice, but if they're white Coco Pops she'll eat them
 
H: She'll eat them.

S: Yes

H: They're a bit fussy these children aren't they, we all know that. But it's just important to get them at the table and get them eating something isn't it?

S: Absolutely. 

H: On that subject actually, John sent a question in and he said "is it ok to give my kids a cooked breakfast every now and again?"

S: A cooked breakfast, I mean England – and is it the English breakfast -

H: We like our fry-ups don't we? Not every day though

S: But not every day, that's the thing, I mean even nutritionists have a full English breakfast and that's sort of like a weekend treat and I think that's how it should be looked at, as a treat, it's something we all enjoy, and it's a good family occasion to have together, but our waistlines and our hearts probably wouldn't appreciate having it every day, and I don't actually think people have the luxury of having the time to have it every day, so there's a time and a place for it just as long as he said, occasionally and as a treat

H: Yes and do you think the way that it's cooked might make a difference as well?

S: Absolutely, you need to – I mean the original fry-up was literally in a pan

H: With a lot of lard strapped -

S: With a load of lard, yes, pulling it up, dripping indeed, so I think people just take time to make those few changes like making sure the bacon's lean and grilling it rather than frying, opt for the grainy bread rather than white bread so all those little things actually do, individually seem not much, but do all add up and helping you out at breakfast

H: Yes. But there is quite a lot of nutrition in a fried breakfast actually, if you have baked beans and an egg

S: Yes

H: It's actually quite – I think you know, if you were going out on a long day for example it would keep you going for a while wouldn't it?

S: Absolutely, definitely – the element of fruit that's missing there but I'm sure a glass of orange juice would go down well with it, but yes you're getting your protein from your meat, you know baked beans is another good source of protein, eggs and toast – you're getting some carbohydrate so there - I mean the biggest risk with it, you know the warning bells are the fat content, saturated fat

H: ~Yes

S: But as we said if it's once a week and if you're trimming that fat off and not frying it with lard, it's sort of trying to eliminate -

H: And the rest of the week have cereals and your fruit and you're going to be doing alright. I think we're almost out of time actually, we've got a chance for just one last question. Hope has said "my kids have cereal every weekday before school. Can you think of something healthy but different to vary their diets at weekends when I have a bit more time to prepare it?"

S: Oh we can do – great opportunity with kids to go and do things together, so let them think of some ideas like pancakes, it's great because there's a lot of fun to be had in the kitchen with pancakes, and all the different toppings you can have.  Different sorts of bread, so like bagels and doing different things with bagels and breads or things like that.  Or making up your own muesli and giving them ingredients to make different things with – bottles of dried fruit and then chopped up fruit, and yogurt and nuts and getting people to put things together, so just – I guess it's a bit of play time as well as meal time to have some craft time with the kids

H: That sounds lovely, I can't wait to get cracking! Well thanks very much Sara for coming in and talking to us -

S: Pleasure

H: About – and if you want any more information about how to make your breakfast a bit more fabulous, then you can go to the website which is www.kelloggs.co.uk and just remember that breakfast is worth getting up for and tell that to your kids as well! Thanks for watching the Parenting Show and we'll see you next time. Bye bye!

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