So why should you even bother battling with your kids every morning to get them to eat their breakfast? It is easy to give them some money so they can buy their own stuff, or hand them a package of convenient and colourful packaged food that displays their favourite characters. And what about those crispy and crunchy morning treats that come in every imaginable colour and in all kinds of flavours. Open the package, pour some milk on it, and away they go! Or not?

This all sounds very easy and we get told from each and every side that is the way to go... the advertising is everywhere. And it is true, easy, and convenient, and one may think it is also healthy, but what happens if we dig deeper? Little packages filled with whole wheat items covered in sugary icing, food colour, artificial flavours, and additives that suggest fresh fruits. The bottom line in all this... kids high on sugar are unable to concentrate, have too much energy, and have some behaviour problems, and once the sugar wears off they become tired and exhausted and their brain is telling them to get more—a very similar reaction people have when they are addicted to cocaine and heroin!

Many behaviour problems are tied to nutrition and often can totally be turned around by changing diet and life style. But how?

Make the effort to prepare something healthy and attractive every morning, and… sit down with your kids to eat. We all live busy lives but our kids and our family are worth the extra effort. Healthy, nutritious food takes only a little bit of preparation but will make a whole lot of a difference! Colourful fruit, nut butters, whole grains, smoothies, all these things can be presented in an exciting way or even prepared together with your kids! And it’s all very yummy, too! Give it a try, clean out your pantry! Get help if needed, it will make a huge difference in the life of you and your children! Take time to eat and be a family, it is worth it!

Start the day with fruit! There are so many ways to enjoy the variety of fruit and vegetables, and they are all pure fuel for our cells, as our cells are made of and run on glucose. Smoothies are easy to take along to school or to work, or create a homemade cereal, put it into a container and have the kids take it with them! The same can be done with salads, and everything can be served in a colourful and fun way! In the evening, load up on veggies, steamed or raw; add a nutritious marinade of lemon juice, herbs, spices, celery (for salt and minerals), and serve on fluffy quinoa or brown rice.

Here are some inspirations for the morning:

This is my favourite morning smoothie! Something to give you high energy and fill you up.

In your blender put:
7 soft bananas – packed with dietary fibre, vitamin C, potassium, and manganese, and a very good source of vitamin B6.
6 fresh, pitted dates – lots of great carbs in the form of natural sugar, vitamin A, calcium, iron, and magnesium.
2 tbsp raw carob powder – loaded with fibre, calcium, and iron.
1 tbsp raw cocoa powder – fibre, calcium, and iron, as well as being loaded with antioxidants (flavonoids). Omit this, or substitute with carob if preparing it for a child, as cocoa is also a very strong stimulant. The high feeling we get on cocoa is actually the body’s reaction to a toxin. So even though it has some great benefits, go easy on cocoa!
2 tbsp hemp hearts – a great source of protein and iron.
2 tbsp whole flax seeds, freshly ground – very high in fibre, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, and thiamine, as well as omega-3 fatty acids (alphalinolenic acid).

Fill the blender up 3/4 with water and blend until smooth. I like to use warm water for that warm cocoa feeling. Enjoy!

Don’t have much time? Just eat a soft banana or combine it with a handful of dates to get you going! And no fear of too much sugar, please!

The sugar you eat in the form of fruit is not isolated but comes in the whole fruit package with a lot of other nutrients, as well as loads of fibre. The fibre slows down the sugar release in your body and it is not processed. So go ahead and enjoy! It does not make you fat! Rather cut out any refined sugars from your diet as well as most things white in colour, such as white flour, white rice, and white sugar.

If you are diabetic, concentrate on low glycemic fruit like berries and limit your intake of high sugar fruits. Buy the way... many people with diabetes have been able to cure or reduce their intake of insulin through a diet of fresh and raw fruits and vegetables! Below is a wholesome and fresh morning cereal, also great to take to school or work for a lunch! Have the smoothie in the morning and take this muesli along.

Soak overnight: Raw Buckwheat Groats – contain no sugar, are high in phosphorus, some iron. Buckwheat is not actually a grain but a grass (no gluten here), easy to substitute if you have problems with grains. Great raw or cooked! Soak overnight, use what you need and let the rest sprout for another day. Great to use in sweet or savoury dishes (salads)!

The night before: Soak some of your favourite raw nuts. Soaking them releases the dormant enzymes and makes them easier to digest.

In the morning: Assemble raw, soaked buckwheat groats with the soaked, roughly chopped nuts, a handful of raisins (organic please, as grapes are one of the most sprayed and chemically-treated fruits as well as berries), a few spoons of hemp hearts, dried, unsweetened coconut, lemon juice, and some soaked and cut up dates.

Mix well and add fresh fruit like chopped apples, bananas, and berries! If you like it a bit more creamy or “milky,” do this: Mix 1 banana with 2 tbsp of raw, unhulled sesame seeds (100 g = 90% calcium, 110% iron, and 46% fibre), 2 dates, and water to create a creamy, frothy “milk.” Pour over your cereal and enjoy. This is easy to do in a matter of minutes.

Raisins: lots of carbs in here, and a good portion of calcium, vitamin C, and iron.

Almonds: a good source of calcium, iron, riboflavin, magnesium, and manganese, and a very good source of vitamin E (alpha tocopherol).

Hazelnuts: also a good source of vitamin E (alpha tocopherol) and copper, vitamin C, calcium, iron, and a very good source of manganese.

Dried, natural coconut: high in energy and good source of manganese.

Lemon juice: is a good source of folate and potassium, and a very good source of vitamin C.

Strawberries: are a good source of folate and potassium, and a very good source of dietary fibre, vitamin C, and manganese.

To sweeten, make your own date syrup by soaking dates and then blending them with water. Dates can be used in so many ways and are a powerhouse of nutrition!

Want to make your own crunchy strawberry cereal? Easy task, yummy result!

Soak raw buckwheat groats (500 g package, I like Inari), overnight, drain and wash, then spread out in your colander, put into a pot to drain, cover with a lid and let sprout for a day and night. Be sure to wash through once a day and before night.

In the morning, wash and drain buckwheat sprouts, put into a big bowl and mix with 1-1/2 cups of unsweetened, dried coconut, a good handful of cut-up and soaked dates, and a few handfuls of strawberries, cut into small pieces. Mix well and spread on dehydrating sheets, put in the dehydrator for a few hours until dry at 105ºF.

If you don’t have a dehydrator, spread on baking sheets (baking paper), turn your oven on the lowest heat possible and leave the door open (a wooden spoon is helpful here).

Voila, the end result is a crunchy, sweet, strawberry-coconut cereal! Pour some nut milk over it, chop bananas into it, and enjoy! Or just crunch on it as it is or make a delicious trifle! Not only kids will love this one!

The important thing is to keep it easy and exciting! It won’t take you much longer than to prepare a different meal, but it will add more value and quality to your family life and to your family’s health!

Another easy one is to buy those wonderful wholesome sprouted grain wraps made by Ezekiel, mix some nut butter (plain and preferably raw) with soaked dates to create a yummy spread (if you want, you can add some raw carob powder to make it a chocolate spread). Spread it on the wrap, place a ripe banana in the middle and wrap it up! Voila, a quick and nutritious snack! You can come up with many more spreads... blend ripe fruit with chia seeds, let the mixture soak, it will set to a thick and creamy texture and when ready you have your own fresh fruit spread without added sugar!

Creating healthy options does not have to be difficult! And don’t forget to get out, soak up some fresh air, take in the sun, and have fun being active with your family!

Beate Epp is a holistic therapist who lives near Saskatoon. She has several Reiki Master Degrees (Usui, Seichim, Karuna) and several diplomas in Nutrition, Flower Essence Therapy, and Regression Therapy. She also has extensive experience in Raw Food. For more information please visit her website at www.beate-epp.com or call 306-492-4996 or email: freehorse64@yahoo.com.