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.

My DS is 10 and he doesn’t really like to eat in the mornings. My bare minimum is milk and fruit, including at least half a banana as I just feel like he needs something in his tummy.

He is equally fussy about lunches and his packed lunches are also mostly crap and the only sort of sandwich he will eat is fish finger or sausage so at the moment I’m doing him sausage sandwich, crisps, chocolate bar and a yoghurt 5 days a week.

Like you I try to make sure that dinners are more balanced and varied and he eats a ridiculous amount of fruit and likes his veg.

If he wants food after dinner then he has ‘breakfast’ for supper. Either cereal or toast.

Smoothie? The innocent or non brand ones?

If it helps I’m not keen on breakfast myself. Two cups of coffee and I’m good till lunch..
can you send an extra snack for break? Do they get fruit and milk at school?

Will he have a smoothie with oats in it etc

I know you're asking about breakfast but could you increase calories st lunch by sending in korma, meatballs etc? Would he eat mushrooms on toast for breakfast? With an occasional hotdog sausage?

My Ds (6) is a fabulous eater, super intuitive, will try anything, eats a balanced diet, adores fruit and veg. Literally a dream- people can't believe what a fabulous eater he is.

However I can not get him to eat a proper breakfast before school. Our compromise is that he eats a cocopops bar on the walk to school- it's literally the only thing he will eat before school. Even though its rubbish and pure sugar with very little nutritional value it's that or nothing.

At the weekend when he can choose when he actually feels hungry and wants breakfast he will have a 'proper' balanced breakfast (eggs, fruit, porridge etc) so it's not the actual food that he refuses it's that he just doesn't feel hungry before school (no matter what time we wake up)

As long as they eat ok for the rest of the day (and there not starving at school before break/lunch and as long as it's not detrimental to their learning) then I would pick your battles. My Ds is hungry by lunchtime so does well with his lunch and then has a fairly big snack when he gets home before his dinner.

He did have breakfast just not what you wanted him to eat... ridiculous

I hate breakfast, eating that early in the morning should be illegal 😵

If he’ll have a glass of milk and some fruit before school that’s fine. Are there any concerns from school?

Add a few nuts and your son is fine - fruit, dry bread and nuts is pretty ok really

I'd put some nut butter on the bread if possible and then it's a great breakfast.
Will he eat avocado?
How about salmon on a bagel?

Would he eat nuts in the morning before school? At that age DD had a handful of cashew nuts for breakfast plus some type of fruit.

Can you send oat biscuits for breaktime? They are usually filling and help children last until lunch.

Does he have a sensitivity to dairy and eggs as he seems to avoid them?

Use that as a starting point. Fruit and bread is fine.
Smoked salmon?

There's nothing wrong with eating other food for breakfast. Potatoes and salmon are often breakfast foods in the form of hash browns and smoked salmon.

All you can do is keep trying different foods. At that age my DS didn’t want bread or cereal but he loved piles of seeds and nuts with fruit and cucumber, carrots etc. Maybe your DS wants more natural foods?

3 toddlers and only one likes breakfast the other 2 hate and I don't try and force it anymore there perfectly happy without same as me and hubby lol

I used to love a slice of dry bread as a child.

dd2 is funny about breakfast but will have a banana or a yoghurt. Dd3 is usually fine but sometimes has a phase where she only has dry cereal. They eat well at lunch and dinner times.

You should am your nanny to whip up some croissants filled with cream cheese and blueberries. That should cover many food groups

I stopped eating breakfast around when I was 9 or so and never really eaten it regularly sense. I tried as an adult to force it every day but didn't really notice any difference in energy or alertness do I quit forcing myself. Some of us just don't need it. Your son may be the same.

I had weird food habits as a kid. Turned out fine. Try not to make it into a big deal

I never used to eat breakfast, I just never felt hungry first thing, but I’d have a mid morning snack and a good lunch and tea. My parents never worried about it and didn’t try and get me to eat thankfully as I honestly felt almost a bit sick if forced to eat at that time. My DD is the same- sometimes has a few bites of toast or fruit but often doesn’t have anything- but her weight is fine and she does well academically (so doesn’t seem to have issues concentrating is what I mean there). My DS is the opposite, absolutely starving from the second he wakes up and has a brilliant breakfast! I think if she had the opportunity to eat, and decent foods offered, then I wouldn’t worry if she doesn’t eat much, as long as her weight is stable and she eats at other times.

That should have said ‘He’ not she for that last bit sorry, I forgot you said DS not DD

Would he eat “dinner” food. I had a fussy, had tortellini for breakfast, easy quick to make. Ham/cheese tortellini with butter or various leftovers.

There's a tiny bit of protein in the bread (because it's made from grain, and seeds in general have protein), but you don't need to provide protein, calcium or fat every meal, or indeed, at a push, every day. Not every meal needs to be balanced, it's the overall picture that matters.

The bit that's giving them energy to concentrate on the school day is the carbs and sugars, and you're doing all right there.

So don't worry.

I didn't eat breakfast when I was a child. My mum used to try all sorts. I still don't eat breakfast and am reallt healthy.

I've just never felt hungry in the mornings. The day before's dinner will keep him going until he's ready. Just try and make sure his other meals are well balanced.

That’s not ‘no breakfast’!

If he’s having some protein at other meals this wouldn’t concern me at all.