Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, right?
For some it may well be, and eating breakfast has been associated with improved cognitive performance (1-4), with potential implications for children's attainment at school.
Over 75% of British children eat cereal at breakfast (5) and for many this is a key source of B vitamins and Iron. But over 50% are deemed to be unhealthy, with a lack of fibre and high levels of added sugar (6). The problem here is that children can feel hungry before lunch and/or experience a drop in blood sugar levels which may impact their concentration. Not every parent or carer is able or willing to make a nutritious breakfast each day (porridge, eggs etc) and breakfast cereals can be cheap, palatable and quick to serve.
With this in mind, this Nutty Granola recipe aims to provide the convenience and familiarity of a breakfast cereal, but with added extras to keep kids' hunger truly locked up until lunchtime alongside foods that the brain loves.
Nutty Granola (approximately 12 portions)
Ingredients
35g coconut oil
35g honey or maple syrup
200g oats
100-150g mixed nuts (unsalted)
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
50g pumpkin seeds
Method
Preheat the oven to 140°C
Gently melt the coconut oil in a small saucepan with the honey or maple syrup
In a large bowl mix all the other ingredients apart from the pumpkin seeds
Pour the warm coconut oil and honey or maple syrup into the bowl and mix well
Transfer the granola to a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper and place in the centre of the oven for 40 minutes, stirring once halfway through
Remove from the oven when dark golden brown and leave to cool on the baking sheet
Add the pumpkin seeds, mix thoroughly, and transfer to an airtight container
Serve with milk, natural yogurt and berries or chopped banana
References
Moore GF, Murphy S, Chaplin K, Lyons RA, Atkinson M, Moore L. Impacts of the Primary School Free Breakfast Initiative on socio-economic inequalities in breakfast consumption among 9-11-year-old schoolchildren in Wales. Public Health Nutr. 2014 Jun;17(6):1280-9
Hoyland A., Dye L., Lawton C.L. A systematic review of the effect of breakfast on the cognitive performance of children and adolescents. Nutr. Res. Rev. 2009;22:220–243
Benton D & Parker PY (1998) Breakfast, blood glucose,and cognition. Am J Clin Nutr 67, issue 4, 772S–778S.17.
Benton D & Sargent J (1992) Breakfast, blood-glucose and memory. Biol Psychol 33, 207–210
Hoyland A., Dye L., Lawton C.L. A systematic review of the effect of breakfast on the cognitive performance of children and adolescents. Nutr. Res. Rev. 2009;22:220–243
Chepulis L, Everson N, Ndanuko R, Mearns G. The nutritional content of children's breakfast cereals: a cross-sectional analysis of New Zealand, Australia, the UK, Canada and the USA. Public Health Nutr. 2020 Jun;23(9):1589-1598
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