AIBU to think a tomato is not a sufficient breakfast?

[TomatoBrain]

DD 10 is not one for eating much when she's just woken up. Being back at school is a slight issue as she needs to leave at 710. To have a chance of eating something she needs to be up at 630. This morning she took a tomato for breakfast. I've just noticed she put toast in the toaster but didn't take it out.

That means for breakfast today she has had one tomato and 100ml of energy milk. She's taken a cereal bar (20g) and water (which she probably won't drink) for break time. Do you think this enough food to power a 10 year old through 5 lessons this morning at school?

I think is isn't enough (YANBU) but at am a loss to know how to get her to eat more. As you can see, I let her have free choice in the mornings just so that she eats something. YABU what she ate is fine.

Probably don’t worry too much as some people are naturally not hungry then. As long as she is healthy and eats well later on I wouldn’t stress too much.

Try making her a smoothie and she if she can drink that before she goes and concentrate more on making sure she has a good lunch and tea.

I think you're overthinking it. Some people just aren't morning eaters, personally I can't function until I've had my breakfast, but I know loads of people who don't eat anything until lunch time. If she's eating lunch and a good meal in the evening, I wouldn't be at all worried. But if it's really concerning you, maybe a smoothie? Some people are better with liquids instead of solids in the morning.

Unless you are noticing a blanket change in her eating habits which coincide with weight loss, or very picky eating, I’d leave it.

My eldest son (85kg now) has never been a breakfast eater and won’t touch food until 11:10 am.

Some people can’t face grub in the morning.

Bacon is a carcinogen.

Also don't really see why a banana is particularly better than a tomato. Tomatoes are brilliant 😂

She's had a
Milk energy drink
A tomato
Taken a breakfast cereal bar

You're good to go OP as that's fine. It's food, maybe the tomatoes is a bit bizzare.
You know she's not a sit down and eat breakfast type of child so stick up on some able to grab breakfasts she can eat on the way or at break when she is hungry at different times so that she has a variety over the weeks

More cereal bars
Bananas
Apples - you can cut up and put with a dip in little packed lunch box
Individually wrapped Pain au chocolates or brioches she can grab on way out
Make up a ham croissant (in clingfilm) that she can grab from fridge
Little pots of snacks (cashews, etc if school allows them)
More of those energy milk drinks
Little bottles or cartons of smoothies - you can make these yourself and decant ready into bottle as ' good to go'

Banana about 90 calories, tomato about 20? But other than that, both are good foods.

That really is an early start for school
Do all the primary children get sent home for lunch??

It's more about having a good well balanced diet throughout the day. I do find with our DS if he doesn't eat alot for breakfast that tends to follow throughout the day, but if we give him a good breakfast, e.g porridge then fruit, he eats better throughout the day, but I know it's an individual thing.

Could you make your own breakfast cookies, no sugar, fruit, oats, and peanut butter ? They only take 20 mins the night before, cook a batch for the week, A more filling start to the day maybe.

Bagels are good too
For my "don't like breakfast" girls, I make up ham or cheese bagels or croissants the night before left in fridge or they take cereal bar or pain au chocolate, banana etc
Sometimes they take a £1 large smoothie bottle I've bought. I do different options it every 3-4 days so they have variety.

Why does your 10 year old start school so early? And why not get them up earlier if they need more time?
Thats how it's timetabled. Because 630 is unpleasant enough

Well if you want to help your daughter then you need to adapt your day to the schedule that works best for everyone (including your children having enough time to get sorted in the mornings ) Think of it as organising your day around what you all actually need rather than the what you want.

So is toast.

Give over!
Not it’s not.

What I think you mean is that the nitrites used to cure it, aren’t considered good for you, indeed not good for you beyond certain doses.

That doesn’t make bacon a carcinogen.

Starchy carbs and more slow release energy.
Tomatoes are great but have very few calories.

My teens don't eat anything at all before lunch - haven't done since they were about 11.

Why is the milk called 'energy milk'?. Whey protein doesn't give energy and actually isn't recommended for children.

So she is home before 12 for lunch?

I also see no issue with milk, fruit and a cereal bar.

Of course whey protein provides energy.

Protein provides 4kcal/g.

So a drink providing 20g of this (before accounting for other nutrients) would give you 800kcal.

Is or necessary? That’s another question of course, but it’s not energy free is it.

I think all the evidence is that kids need to eat breakfast to concentrate.

I’m not surprised she isn’t hungry at that hour. I think you need to organise a packed breakfast like a bagel, even if you have to help her get it ready.

what on earth is energy milk?!

80 not 800

Well if you want to help your daughter then you need to adapt your day to the schedule that works best for everyone (including your children having enough time to get sorted in the mornings ) Think of it as organising your day around what you all actually need rather than the what you want.
Who says I'm organising my day around what I want? My DD absolutely doesn't want to get up any earlier and frankly, needs the sleep. She definitely prioritises sleep over breakfast!

She does get grouchy short tempered and irritable which I have been putting down to basically not eating enough

knowing children this age I would say it sounds like fairly typical 10 year old behaviour and probably has very little do do with what she is eating.

shes reaching that age I'm afraid where you are going to have less and less control over the choices she makes. Starting with tomatoes for breakfast.

If something is known to cause cancer, it is classified as a carcinogen.

news.cancerresearchuk.org/2021/03/17/bacon-salami-and-sausages-how-does-processed-meat-cause-cancer-and-how-much-matters/

in 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) – a group of experts that review and report on research evidence – classified processed meat as a ‘definite’ cause of cancer (or Group 1 carcinogen) – the same group that includes smoking and alcohol. And red meat is a ‘probable’ cause of cancer (or a Group 2a carcinogen) – the same group as night shift work.

But of course it is not necessary to stop eating it if you like it, but I did not feed it to my children to avoid it becoming something they ate a lot - the article simply concludes: although this evidence doesn’t suggest we need to ditch processed and red meat altogether, it does serve as a reminder to think about how much we’re eating, and how often.

Well obviously everything gives you energy in some way but it's not really an energy drink is it. Typical energy drinks have caffeine and other legal stimulants in.

My son is not a great eater in the morning. We have an early start, so I appreciate that it feels too early for food. I don't want to eat then. I make no sugar banana muffins, sometimes with blueberries which are easy to grab and eat on the way. Our other go tos are Frubes and pancakes. If you mix the wet things together and dry things together the night before, you can have fresh pancakes ready in 5 minutes. With banana, and maybe a bit of nut butter or Nutella that is reasonably nutritious and very child friendly!

What time does her school open if she’s leaving the house at 7.10am and it’s a one minute walk to school?! Are you living outside the UK?