The Breakfast Basic and How To Avoid the Battle

I have to admit, Andrew woke up a lot earlier than I do and my Mom is the one preparing breakfast for him. It’s listed on the house rules that no one can leave through the front door before eating breakfast. That’s how my mom raising her three children and, now, her grandson as well.

When the invitation arrived on my inbox from The Urban Mama, Andrew was sold right away and half-begging me to go. So, on behalf of this Koko Krunch fan, I was set to arrive early on Sunday at Pipiltin Cocoa Senopati. He bailed on me last minute with a message: “Don’t forget to bring home Koko Krunch, Mom!”

Dudu and Koko Krunch

Ninit Yunita, the co-Founder of The Urban mama started with a question: are you a breakfast person? Sharing how breakfast is an inheritance from her mom (just like my mom), serving breakfast for her two sons is simply passing on the tradition. The thing is, we know that weekday morning is always a rush. But with today’s typical hectic morning, how can we avoid breakfast battles?

Nestle Breakfast Cereal Collection

The answer is breakfast cereal. Fried rice takes too much time for preparation and you probably should forget instant noodle for the first meal of the day. Andrew’s preference for cereals over fried rice often drew comments that it’s due to his American genes. But well if it’s healthy then I don’t mind. Ece Durukan, the Regional Nutrition and External Affairs Manager of Nestle Asia, Middle East and Africa, pointed out that recent study showed how kids who had breakfast performed 4,5 times better than those who skipped it. 

Ece Durukan, the Regional Nutrition and External Affairs Manager
of Nestle Asia, Middle East and Africa

Ece, who is a dietitian, fell in love with children nutrition while working for the UNICEF. This proud mom, whose son just received a certification for the healthiest lunchbox at school, believes that the small change can lead to big difference later in life. Healthy breakfast habit in children may help them prevent cardiovascular disease, diabetes and other illnesses later in life. “Get children to start the habit early in life because it’s hard to change a habit when you’re older,” says Ece.

The key is consuming whole grain. And here are the basic:

• Whole grain is rich in nutrients, from carbohydrates and fiber to B vitamins and minerals.
• Serve a bowl of whole grain cereal with milk. This will help children drink more milk which is good for their bone and teeth.
• A bowl of Koko Krunch has less than 2 teaspoons of sugar. That’s less than banana and low-fat yogurt.
• How do you know there’s whole grain? You can spot it on the top of the ingredients list of your cereal. 
• Study confirms that frequent cereal consumption on kids 4-12 years old lower obesity risk by 20%.

When is the best time for breakfast? “When you serve breakfast keep in mind that in 2 to 3 hours the blood glucose level is going down. So pack a fruit for snack in between breakfast and lunch to keep the blood glucose level stable,” Ece suggested, adding that as much as Koko Krunch is delicious and packed many daily nutrients needed, children still need variety of food throughout the day. “That’s why breakfast cereals are made for breakfast.”

As I got home, I passed the bag to the Andrew.
Mama: Why Koko Krunch?
Dudu: I don’t know. Because of the chocolate maybe?
Mama: But you don’t like chocolate.
He smiled and shrugged. Apparently, you don’t need reason to love.

This is the kiddo who eats the breakfast cereal at least once a day. We bring the Combo everywhere. Andrew can mix it himself, pouring the water to his preference which is a good way to get him involved in breakfast preparation. We even packed some during our trip to Ujung Kulon for breakfast on the boat. We also recycle the containers to store food, pudding and toys. 

Eating Cereal on the boat

I’d say, breakfast is worth the battle, but who would refuse a smooth start in the morning?