What do you give your child for breakfast?

Children are getting fatter and bad eating habits start early in the morning at the breakfast table.

An online survey by Nestlé South Africa, to probe South African families’ breakfast habits, has revealed some surprising results.

When parents were asked if they sent their children off to school with full tummies, the majority responded positively.

However, 95 percent worried that their children are leaving home with a less than nutritious breakfast, and were concerned that this would negatively impact their performance at school.

Astoundingly, only six percent of moms believed that their children were overweight. But when looking at the bigger picture, South Africa is on its way to overtaking America as the world’s fattest nation, with nearly half of South Africans over the age of 15 classified as overweight or obese.

Most think fruit and yoghurt healthiest

Most parents think they should be feeding their children fruit and yoghurt for breakfast, believing this to be the healthiest  option.

While yoghurt and fruit is a good choice, it’s a meal that contains 45 grams of sugar – more than three times the amount of sugar found in a bowl of sweetened cereal with milk.

Parents are aware of the health benefits of wholegrain cereals, according to the online survey.

Just under half the respondents in Nestlé’s survey said they felt happier when their children ate wholegrains for breakfast.

Oats were an especially popular choice. Wholegrains contain essential vitamins, minerals and fibre for good health.

Bacon and eggs have been taken off the South African family breakfast menu, at least as a before school meal: only  six percent of parents surveyed think it is most healthy for their kids.

Parents becoming savvier

Says Anne-Marié De Beer, nutritionist for Nestlé South Africa: “Parents are becoming savvier about what they feed their children for breakfast.

Gone are the days of sugary jams, white toast and greasy egg and bacon.

Parents want to give their kids a healthier breakfast so they can really perform well at school.

A quick and easy way to give children a healthy start is to choose breakfast cereals high in wholegrains.”

What do you think of this survey's results, and what do you feed your children before they go off to school? Let us know in the comments section below...