It’s Breakfast Time

EAT… OATS

Start the day off with the right meal and half your battle is won. Try serving oats with milk, and sprinkle some sunflower seeds over it. Not your usual combination, this bowl of healthy ingredients helps to stabilise your tot’s mood from the beginning. “Serotonin is known as the happy hormone, and it helps nerves communicate with one another. It is also strongly linked to mood, sleep patterns and circadian rhythms, cognition, appetite, neurodevelopment and hormone development. Tryptophan, an amino acid found in food, is essential for serotonin production. It is especially important to take in the correct amount of tryptophan compared to other amino acids,” says Nutripaeds paediatric dietician Amanda Rusch. “The most potent way to increase tryptophan, and therefore serotonin, in the brain is via alpha-lactalbumin, which can be found in whey in products such as milk, yoghurt and soft cheeses like cottage or ricotta cheese. Ensuring an adequate intake of carbohydrates is another

important way to help little brains manufacture serotonin from tryptophan – stick to slow release carbs such as oats, brown rice and wholewheat bread.”

“Oats have a low to intermediate GI. This means that the type of carbohydrate that oats contain has a favourable effect on blood sugar levels, keeping them constant and preventing any peaks and troughs. Low blood glucose levels can lead to symptoms of hunger, tiredness and feeling faint and if these are ignored it can then lead to your child feeling irritable and moody (which could ultimately result in a tantrum),” adds dietician Laura Berry.

DRINK… MILK OR WATER

Hydration throughout the day is key for all these reactions between foods and mood to work better. Juice and fizzy drinks are not the way to go as they affect blood sugar levels, so it’s best to stick to water or milk for your tot. Coconut water (not the milk) is also a good option that is high in calcium.