Dal for Breakfast!

By Kelly Dorfman, MS, LDN

Everyone has heard the saying, “breakfast is the most important meal of the
day,” but why is this true? And more importantly, what is the best breakfast?
Breakfast literally means break the fast because it follows the longest period of
not eating within the day. What you choose to eat when breaking the fast will
provide fuel for the work ahead. If you are a student, your work is your classes,
many of which are in the morning.

Obviously, to feel and perform your best, you should have optimal
biochemical support from your morning meal. Every few years, somebody will do
a study to prove these self-evident facts. Yes, the conclusions will declare, eating
breakfast improves energy and performance. The only people who read these
boring studies own breakfast cereal companies. Everybody else generally agrees
that breakfast is important. The problem is there is little agreement on the
definition of a good breakfast. To complicate the situation, sweet rolls, rotis or a
piece of fruit are yummy and easy to grab on busy mornings. Who has time to
prepare and eat a proper meal?

And a proper meal is the best breakfast. You want enough food with sufficient
protein and fat to keep blood sugar levels consistent and steady. For protein,
that means at least 5gms (an egg) to 10gms (a little more than a cup of yogurt).
Protein is especially important for children with low muscle tone, as their muscles
require a more protein intensive diet. Add some toast or porridge and a piece of
fruit and you have the protein and calories you need to get through the morning.

If you are willing to stretch beyond traditional breakfast foods, the results could
be even better. The breakfast that will best support and sustain a person through
a busy day is dinner. Dahl and rice with a piece of fruit or leftover chicken curry
or paneer and a piece of fruit will provide slow burning fuel for many hours.

Why not dahl for breakfast? When you think about it, we tend to eat our
heaviest meal, providing the most concentrated energy at dinner. What lower
school student needs peak energy at 9:00 at night? A sweet or starchy meal like
noodles or pancakes would be best consumed at dinnertime. Starch and
carbohydrate heavy foods raise serotonin levels. Higher serotonin may improve
mood (which is why we love starches and sweets) but without protein there will
be no sustained energy or alertness. If you get sleepier after eating a starchy
meal at dinnertime, you can go to bed.

The introduction of a heartier breakfast will take time but should go smoothly
unless your child is slow to wake up. Youngsters who are not hungry in the
morning need more time to transition from sleep to an awakened state. After a
few hours they are ready to eat but by then school has started. Rather than
wake your child at 5:00 AM so they can eat breakfast at 7:00, try several minutes
of a sensory resettling activity first thing in the morning. Play a game where they
bunny or frog hop to the bathroom or for sleepier children snuggle time in a
rocking chair may help. If you have a strong bed and friendly neighbors, the child
could jump, jump, and flop on the mattress. That should wake him up.

Alternatively, a few bits of fruit or 50 mL of juice first thing might rouse your
child’s appetite. Then after getting dressed he may be ready for breakfast. If all
else fails, a drive in the car settles the vestibular system for some children and
helps eating. Your child may eat better in a moving car, if you do not mind and
the upholstery is easily cleaned. Or the movement of the vehicle could cause
nausea, depending on the individual sensory system. Every youngster is different
so if you cannot find a winning strategy, ask you occupational therapist for more
ideas.

Discovering an effective wake up routine and a variety of protein rich

breakfasts may take some time but will pay off in improved attention and energy.
Once you have worked out the details for your child, you can try it yourself.