Our expert dietitian Sarah Noone shares her top tips to get everyone’s morning off to a healthy start.

If you were lucky enough to get a family holiday this year, then long, leisurely breakfasts in the sun are by now,  just a distant memory. As every busy household will know, morning times can be particularly frazzled with lost shoes, bags and homework. However, it is possible to have a healthy breakfast in a hurry. Our expert dietitian Sarah Noone shares her tips for breakfast in a hurry.

Make breakfast part of the morning routine

While acknowledging that mornings can be hectic, and this may seem like an easy excuse to skip breakfast, Sarah said that taking 5-10 minutes to sit at the table with the kids in the morning makes breakfast a great way to plan the day ahead and catch up. “If the kids, see you sit down at the table to eat your breakfast in the morning they are more likely to do so too,” she said.

Be Cereal Savvy

Sarah advised that ready to eat breakfast cereals were a quick and convenient option for busy families in the mornings. “When people ask me, what should I be looking for on the nutrition label when choosing a breakfast cereal, my advice is to pick options that are lower in added sugar and salt and higher in fibre. Porridge, shredded wheat or wheat biscuits are all good options and adding in some chopped fruit is a great way to boost fruit intake and get more flavour.  Our handy IHF food shopping card is a great tool when choosing which breakfast cereal is right for your little ones.”

Keep it simple

Sarah said that wholemeal toast with some chopped banana or peanut butter was a quick and easy choice. She also suggested preparing wholemeal mini bagels with some cream cheese the night before, which the kids can grab on the go with a piece of fruit.

“Why not grab a yogurt, a handful of nuts or wholegrain crackers and a piece of fruit for when you are really tight for time and running out the door,” Sarah advised.

Plan the night before

Put out breakfast things with toppings, cereal, fruit, a sandwich, bowls and spoons you could even lay the table to save extra time.

What about cereal bars and drinks?

Sarah said that eating anything for breakfast can be better than eating nothing at all and can help establish a pattern of breakfast-eating. However, she warned that although breakfast bars, biscuits and milkshake drinks may have some healthy ingredients like wholegrain cereals and milk, they also often contain added sugar, sometimes in large amounts, can be expensive and little better than confectionery.

Therefore, she advised “where possible try and prepare something the night before that the kids can just grab from the fridge on the go.”