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UK Children Consume Half Of Daily Sugar Quota Even Before School Starts: What To Prepare For Breakfast

By Angela Laguipo | Update Date: Jan 04, 2017 08:13 AM EST

Children in the United Kingdom (UK) consume half of their daily sugar allowance just at breakfast, a new study says. What will parents prepare for breakfast that would slash off the sugar consumption of kids, especially today that the world is battling childhood obesity?

The new study, based on the annual National Diet and Nutrition Survey, found that on average, children have the equivalent of three cubes or 11 grams of sugar even before they go to school. The researchers found that the sugar intake includes sugary cereals, drinks like fruit juice and spreads during breakfast.

However, according to the researchers, about eight out of 10 parents believe that what their kids are eating for breakfast are healthy. Thus, health officials want to launch a campaign to disseminate knowledge and awareness on health problems associated with excessive sugar intake.

"Children have far too much sugar, and a lot of it is before their first lesson of the day," Alison Tedstone, Public Health England (PHE)'s chief nutritionist, told the Guardian.

"It's crucial for children to have a healthy breakfast, but we know the mornings in a busy household can be fraught. That's why we've developed our Be Food Smart app, taking some of the pressure off parents and helping them to choose healthier food and drink options for their children," she added.

What To Prepare For Breakfast?

Parents should prepare healthy breakfasts for their children which include porridge, wholewheat biscuits or shredded wholewheat, fruits, berries, low-fast lower sugar yogurt and whole-grain toast with low-fat spread.

"It does obviously take a bit longer to make than pouring a bowl of cereal, but it's so good to send kids off to school with a great breakfast. Other good breakfasts are things like toast and peanut butter or porridge with a spoonful raisins," Jo Travers, author of The Low-Fad Diet, told Telegraph.

Moreover, Nutrition Action recommends giving children healthier breakfasts that they would actually like. Fresh fruits add a blast of colors to their plates with the right amount of sweetness. Fresh fruit smoothies can also be great additions to their breakfasts.

Since fresh fruit is 85 percent water, it fills the kids up and it could help them get through their morning in school.

Unsweetened oatmeal is easy to make and it could be mixed with fresh fruits, low-fat milk, sliced almonds, flax seeds, dried cranberries, fresh fruits and sunflower seeds.

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