To be worried about my 5 year old’s lack of breakfast?

[Seventeenstars]

My son is 5 years old and in reception. He refuses to eat any sort of breakfast in the mornings.

For example today he had a piece of plain, dry bread , a handful of blueberries and an apple.

He’s very fussy with food in general, doesn’t eat sandwiches, cheese, yogurts, milk, eggs…so the usual ‘breakfast’ foods aren’t an option.

He went through a phase of eating dry cereal, then he’d have a chocolate crepe every morning before school (not ideal, but I knew he was eating something). He will occasionally eat a toasted currant teacake (no butter on it, just dry). I sometimes manage to get a cereal bar or half a pan au chocolat down him on the way to school if he’s eaten nothing at home, feels like a losing battle at times.
If it’s a school holiday or weekend he’ll graze throughout the morning until lunchtime, usually on fruit, crackers, cereal bars, biscuits 😳but obviously that’s not an option at school.

He’s the tallest in his class and although slim, he’s not underweight, so his growth isn’t an issue. It’s more about eating before school. We were sent home a letter the other day about the importance of eating breakfast and how it helps the children concentrate on their work.

Did he have bread & fruit for breakfast today? That sounds ok to me.

Yes one slice of dry bread and some blueberries and an apple.

My son is 5 years old and in reception. He refuses to eat any sort of breakfast in the mornings.

For example today he had a piece of plain, dry bread , a handful of blueberries and an apple.

But that's breakfast 🤔

My GD 7 never eats breakfast…just not worth the battle….takes a snack for break ….she’s fine …very dainty but so is her mum….this wouldn’t bother me

So he did have breakfast? Just not a bowl of cereal or whatever you wanted him to eat?

I think the issue is more kids NOT eating when they are hungry, rather than kids being forced to eat at a time when they don’t want to.

We have the opposite problem - both mine would happily eat a three course breakfast, but don’t really eat in the evenings. My daughter spends around 45 minutes before school eating.

Id probably encourage a small snack though - maybe something to eat en route like a small pot of prepared fruit?

I used to make my own breakfast bars - porridge oats mixed with sugar free almond milk (my daughter is allergic to dairy so you could use cows milk if preferred) a mashed banana, a handful of blue berries, and a prune pouch of baby food mixed together and then spooned into cake cases and baked.

My DD is the same. Some mornings she'll eat a yoghurt and maybe half a slice of bread and that's it.

That's fine for breakfast though, isn't it?

As others have said, he is eating breakfast!

But breakfast doesn't need or have to be 'breakfast' foods, so you could broaden the offerings.

I’d keep a supply of the things you know he will eat and tuck one in his bag for morning snack. My two will sometimes eat breakfast, sometimes not - it’s not worth fighting first thing in the morning.

I know plain bread, apple and blueberries is a sort of breakfast but there’s zero protein , calcium or fats in there. Doesn’t seem ideal. But maybe I’m being overly paranoid.

I’d be pleased if my 5 year old ate all that for breakfast. At best she’ll eat a banana or a quarter of a slice of toast and jam.
She will drink a large beaker of warm milk, so I think it could be worse. But she eats a snack at school break. And really I’ve never really been able to get her to eat breakfast. Even if it’s her favourite things.

Bread and fruit, no difference to toast and fruit. It’s fine. Make sure lunch, dinner and snacks are mostly nutritious if breakfast is sometimes a bit lacking.

Ideally he'd have some peanut butter or something on the bread but he's still eating. Better than the chocolate crepe.

It may not be ideal, but sometimes getting calories into them is more important than the form those calories take. Does he eat throughout the day - if he does there’s lots of opportunities to get nutrients into him.

How long is he up before breakfast? I have no appetite first thing and will often eat an hour or so after I get up. If I need to eat early I’ll have a smoothie as it’s easier to drink than eat! Could you try making him one with full fat milk, a banana, some cocao powder, peanut butter, oats etc in?

You're focusing too much on one meal rather than the overall diet.

I agree with others - you say he's not having breakfast. He is. Just not the breakfast you would choose.

Keep trying different breakfast options - but try not to get too caught up in what people 'should' have for breakfast. Look at what he does like eating (not just for breakfast) and experiment from there.

And if he's not having much protein first thing, don't worry if it's balanced out in other meals.

He picks at lunch. He normally has school dinners, if he has packed lunches they are usually dry bread (again), crisps, olives, cucumber, a little biscuit bar, some grapes.

Dinners are usually more reliable.

@AutumnLeaves5 he won’t drink milk or anything other than water.

His packed lunches are very low calorie

I stopped eating breakfast when I was about 9 and my mum used to give me a banana to eat on the way to school.

But your child does eat breakfast OP.

I wouldn't worry or make too much out of it. Some dry bread and an apple and blueberries sounds healthy. Probably more healthy than the sugary cereals a lot of kids have. Does he like peanut butter or cheese? You could add a little bit with the bread. I'm sure he will get there, don't worry just don't bring too much attention to it, keep it fun, praise small attempts at new food. If you get really concerned maybe a dietician might help.

If it makes you feel any better there is a little bit of protein in bread.
Can you switch to a seeded one / wholemeal or include some kind of seeded crackers or breadsticks. Tesco do bread sticks covered in sesame seeds.

Nothing wrong with that

I am not a nutritionist, so can't comment on the content. But I would suggest just going with the flow, don't show him that you are worried or try to force him to eat what he doesn't want to. Battles over food never end well. My friend's son only ate sausages for about six months. He is 30 now and perfectly OK, that phase passed, as most do.

If you have concerns about nutrition, could you get some kids supplements? I have never bought them, but I have seen them in the supermarket, usually fruit flavoured chews I think. Perhaps he would chew one of these on the way to school if his breakfast has been sparing.

But blueberries and an apple is better than a sugary cereal in my opinion.