September is National Breakfast Month Sample Blog Post

If back to school means back to busy mornings at your house, don’t let the hectic rush force you to sacrifice breakfast. September is National Breakfast Month – a good time to commit to incorporating a smart morning meal into your family’s daily routine.

Make sure that breakfast is as healthy as it is tasty by including grains and protein as part of the meal. Grains are an important part of daily dietary needs; strive for two or three servings each morning to get a good start on the six servings you need each day. Protein means staying power: these foods will keep you and your kids feeling energized all morning long. Here are some tips to help ensure that your family gets a nutritious start to even the busiest of days:

Making a simple, healthy breakfast can be one of a young child’s first “I can do that!” moments in the kitchen. Set out two or three boxes of favorite cereals and teach your preschooler to pour it into a bowl. Use a small scoop or measuring cup to demonstrate portion size. Incorporate her participation into the morning routine, and before you know it, she really will be handling it by herself.

Teach kids the difference in the nutrition profile of cereal by using the “topping” method. Three-quarters of the bowl could be a whole grain, low-sugar cereal. Colored cereals or those with higher sugar content can be sprinkled lightly on top.

Use weekends wisely. If you’re whipping up pancakes or waffles one lazy Saturday morning, make an extra batch to be enjoyed during the week. Wrap in plastic, store in the refrigerator or freezer, and warm in the microwave or toaster when ready to eat.

For a fast, tasty start to the morning, nothing beats the simplicity of toast. Top with peanut, almond or cashew butter, or melted goat or feta cheese, for protein staying-power. A sprinkle of fresh herbs like chopped basil or sage, or a spice like ground ginger or cinnamon, adds important anti-oxidants.

Also easy: Toast an English muffin or bagel, and add a sliced hard-boiled egg, slice of ham, Swiss cheese or anything else you have on hand that appeals to your taste buds for a quick breakfast sandwich.

Absolutely no prep time? Open a box of whole wheat crackers, grab a banana or apple, and head out the door!

Kids will enjoy creating their own combinations of breakfast trail mix. Fill small plastic baggies with a mix of healthful, whole grain cereals, sunflower seeds, chopped almonds or walnuts and dried fruit. Keep a stash on hand to grab when eating in the car.

And finally: Get in the habit of taking 10 minutes before turning off the kitchen lights each night to set up for the next morning. Make sure that backpacks, homework and balls for after-school soccer practice are in place. Recharge your cell phone. Clear the kitchen counter. Little tasks like these take up valuable time on busy mornings; addressing them the night before will leave more time to focus on breakfast the next day

Sample Scripts for Store Public Address Systems

Make back-to-school a time for back-to-healthy eating. September is National Breakfast Month, a good time to be sure that your family is starting the day with a healthy meal. And remember, you need 6 servings of grains every day. Cereal, toast or waffles in the morning will help you meet that goal. ________ September is National Breakfast Month! Make it your family’s goal to eat a healthy breakfast every day this month and throughout the year. Did you know that the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that you eat 6 servings of grains every day? Eating a good breakfast will help you meet that goal. Start your family off with cereal, toast or English muffins, tomorrow and every day. ________ Did you have breakfast this morning? September is National Breakfast Month, and as we all look forward to back-to-school and fall’s cooler weather, this is a good time to make sure your family is starting the day off right. Breakfast not only helps refuel the body, but also helps improve memory and concentration. So even if mornings are a busy time at your house, make time for breakfast. ________ September is National Breakfast Month! Did you know that the word “breakfast” means to “break the fast,” after a long period of not eating? Experts agree that starting the day off with a healthy breakfast is one of the smartest, and tastiest, things you can do for your health. Everyone needs a good breakfast, especially children on their way to school and a busy day. So this month, make it a point to get your family going each morning, with breakfast. ________ It’s National Breakfast Month, a good time to recognize the importance of starting each day off with a nutritious meal. To get your family going each morning, serve a variety of whole grain cereals with fruit, and low-fat or skim milk. Or, if you need to eat while on the run, warm some toast, whole wheat tortilla or an English muffin, spread with nut butter or cheese, and enjoy a breakfast sandwich. Either way, it’s important to eat breakfast each morning! ________ What’s an important tip from people who successfully manage their weight? They know how important it is to eat a good breakfast every day. September is National Breakfast Month, a good time to make sure that a healthy morning meal is part of your family’s daily routine. Whole grains are key to a good breakfast – you need 6 grain servings every day, so make sure that cereals, toast, waffles or whole wheat muffins are part of your morning.

Media Story Pitch Ideas For September is National Breakfast Month 2012 Story Idea One: Breakfast on the Run If your household is like most in America, mornings are a busy time. You’re on the way to work, kids on the way to school, pets have to be fed, plans made for the day. It’s busy enough on standard mornings, but throw in a little hiccup – a missed alarm clock, a car that won’t start, a sick child – and the whole day can suffer. But even on the most rushed of mornings, you still need to eat a nutritious breakfast.

September is National Breakfast Month and (name of grocery store) and the Wheat Foods Council want to make it easier for all of us to get a healthy start to the day, especially those mornings when breakfast is really on the run. Here are eight ideas:

Cereal bars and a go-cup of low-fat milk Toasted English muffin or bagel Pita bread or tortilla, spread with nut butter and sliced fruit A cup of non-fat Greek yogurt topped with granola or trail mix Muffins, from the freezer Warmed tortilla wrapped around peanut butter and jelly or a scrambled egg A small serving box of cereal, with non-fat yogurt or milk

Story Idea Two: Healthy, Tasty Breakfast Recipes

Most people love breakfast, but don’t often enough have the time to enjoy a proper meal in the morning. But for those occasions when you do have a little time to spend preparing breakfast, how best to make it memorable? From (name of store) and the Wheat Foods Council, in honor of September is National Breakfast Month, here are some recipes for a delicious, healthy morning meal.

Twenty Tweets About Breakfast (September is National Breakfast Month) For your background information, where studies are mentioned, we’ve included the reference information. September is National Breakfast Month! Dig into cereals, breads, pancakes 2 start day with grains. This is one meal u can’t skip. Not good: 93% of Americans think breakfast is the most important meal, but only 44% eat breakfast every day. Be a breakfast eater! ( International Food Information Council, 2009 Consumer Attitudes Torward Food, Nutrition and Health survey)

79% of parents say they eat breakfast with their kids. Now that’s a good example to set! (Kix cereal survey by Opinion Research Corporation, 2010)

80% of school kids eat breakfast every day. Start the school year off right by making sure breakfast is eaten. (Temple University Center for Obesity Research and Education. Foster. 2011 study; presented to Obesity Society.)

It’s not just little kids who do better with breakfast. College students who ate breakfast did better on memory tests, says British study. (Am J Clin Nutr 1998. Benton and Parker.)

School-age girls need a larger breakfast than same-age boys do in order to do well in school, says Univ of Ulster report. (Univ of Ulster, Northern Ireland, study. Stewart. 2003 study.)

Are you a breakfast eater? No?! Best to be one. Breakfast-skipping often leads to overall bad eating, study says. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2010 Feb: 50 (2): 97-9. Giovannini.

Men who skip breakfast are 21% more likely to develop type 2 diabetes, says a Harvard study. (Am J Clin Nutr 2012 May; 95(5):1182-9. Mekary.)

Eat breakfast daily & you’re 43% less likely to become obese & 40% less likely to develop fat around your belly. (University of Minnesota School of Public Health. Odegaard. 2012 study; preliminary results presented at American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions)

Eating whole grain breakfast cereal lowers your risk of high blood pressure by 20%, says Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. (Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Kochar. 2011 study; presented to American Heart Association meeting)

Skipping breakfast can raise cholesterol levels in healthy, lean women, according to a UK study. (Am J Clin Nutr, 2005 Feb; 81(2):388-396. Farshchi) Eating a healthy breakfast that includes whole grains lowers risk of heart disease, says the Harvard Heart Letter. (Harvard Heart Letter. May 2008.)

What did you have for breakfast today? September is National Breakfast Month. Help us spread the word! You need at least 6 servings of grains daily. How many did u get at breakfast? Try: toast, cereal, pita, tortillas, whole wheat waffles.

Start your school year off right. Make back-to-school mean back-to-breakfast. September is National Breakfast Month! Did u oversleep? Spread nut butter on toast or pita bread, add ground ginger or cinnamon & you have a fast breakfast sandwich. How do you make sure breakfast is part of your kid’s morning, every day? Share your tips with other shoppers! People who skip breakfast eat 40% more sweets, 55% more sodas, 45% fewer veggies and 30% less fruit than people who do eat breakfast. (Dairy Research Institute, Auestad, June 28, 2012 presentation to IFT)

In a hurry? Grab a whole grain cereal and sweeten it with fruit or low-fat yogurt. Kids who eat breakfast do better on math tests, studies show. Make sure your family starts the day right with a healthy breakfast! (Physiol Behav. 2012 Jun 25;106(4):548-55. Epub 2012 Apr 4. Pivik.)

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Directions: In a small saucepan, bring water and salt to a boil. Quickly stir in the cracked wheat and continue to stir to prevent lumps. Reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook about 15 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Serve with a variety of condiments such as chopped apples, raisins or other dried fruit, brown sugar, honey, cinnamon sugar, coconut, fresh berries or bananas.

Servings: 4, 4-ounce

Nutrition: One 4-ounce serving provides approximately: 76 calories, 3 g protein, 16 g carbohydrates, 3 g fiber, 0 g fat, 0 mg choles-terol, 10 mcg folate, 1 mg iron, 76 mg sodium.

Source: Wheat Foods Council

Cracked Wheat Cereal

Ingredients:1 1/2 cups water1/8 teaspoon salt3/4 cup cracked wheat

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Directions:Preheat oven to 425°F. In large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, salt and soda. Mix well. In a separate bowl, combine pumpkin, egg, milk and oil; add to dry ingredients and stir only until ingredients are combined. Stir in oats and kernels. Fill muffin cups 3/4 full.

Topping: Combine all of the ingredients, stir until crumbly and sprinkle over muffins.

Bake 18 to 20 minutes.Servings: 12 muffins Calories/Serving: 230Nutrition: One serving provides approximately: 230 calories, 5 g protein, 31 g carbohydrates, 10 g fat (2 g saturated), 2 g fiber, 18 mg cholesterol, 41 mcg folate, 2 mg iron, 269 mg sodium.

Source: National Sunflower Association

Sunflower Pumpkin Muffin

Ingredients:

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar1 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice1/4 teaspoon baking soda3/4 cup canned pumpkin1 large egg, slightly beaten1/4 cup milk1/4 cup sunflower oil1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats1/2 cup roasted sunflower kernels

Topping:1 tablespoon margarine, melted1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar3 tablespoons roasted sunflower kernels1 tablespoon flour1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

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Directions: Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease a 13 x 9x 2-inch pan.In medium bowl, combine cereal, bran, wheat germ, orange peel, orange juice, dried fruit, egg, oil, apple-sauce, honey, and dry milk powder; blend well. Let set 5 minutes.

In large bowl, stir together whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour and soda. Stir in the first mixture and mix until all ingredients are combined.

Spread batter evenly in pan. Bake 15 to 17 minutes or until golden. Cool.

Servings: 20 Bars Calories/Serving: 117Nutrition: One serving (bar) provides approximately: 117 calories; 2 g protein; 21 g carbohydrates; 3 g fat (1 g saturated); 11 mg cholesterol; 2 g fiber; 12 mcg folate; 1 mg iron; 32 mg sodium.

Source: Wheat Foods Council

Energy Bar

Ingredients:1 cup bran flakes cereal1/4 cup wheat bran1/4 cup wheat germ1 1/2 teaspoons grated orange peel1/4 cup orange juice1 cup mixed dried fruit, chopped1 egg, beaten1/4 cup vegetable oil1/2 cup applesauce1/2 cup honey1/3 cup dry milk powder3/4 cup whole wheat flour3/4 cup all-purpose flour1/4 teaspoon baking soda

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Directions:Preheat oven to 400°F. Have ingredients at room temperature.Line the muffin tin using paper baking cups or use cooking spray to coat the bottom of the muffin tin.

With electric mixer; cream margarine, granulated sugar, brown sugar and baking soda together, scraping bowl with spatula.In a small bowl, using a fork, beat together the egg and vanilla; add to creamed mixture. Beat until light and fluffy. Add the milk to the creamed mixture. Gradually add the whole wheat flour and lightly stir the ingredients together so dry ingredients are barely moistened. Over mixing will make the muffins tough with tunnels.

Fill muffin tins 2/3 full and bake 15 to 17 minutes or until browned and done. Remove from muffin tin and cool on wire rack.Safety Tip: Do not lick the spoon or eat the batter, because the recipe contains raw egg and can make us ill — especially young children. Wait until the batter is baked and then enjoy!

*White whole wheat flour. Regular whole wheat flour may be substituted.

Servings: 12 muffins Nutrition: One muffin provides approximately: 231 calories; 5 g protein; 34 g carbohydrates; 9 g fat (1 g saturated); 19 mg cholesterol; 3 g fiber; 14 mcg folate; 1 mg iron; 120 mg sodium.

Source: Wheat Foods Council

White Whole Wheat Muffin

Ingredients:1/2 cup margarine or butter1/2 cup granulated sugar1/2 cup light brown sugar1 teaspoon baking soda1 egg1/4 teaspoon vanilla1 cup milk, 2%2 cups whole wheat flour *

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Directions:Cut the waffles in half crosswise. Lay 6 halves in the bottom of an 8x8-inch baking dish, arranging them so they lay flat. Sprinkle with half the pears and half the bacon. Cover with the remaining 6 waffle halves and sprinkle with the remaining pears and bacon.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, maple syrup, vanilla, salt and nutmeg. Pour over the waffles. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and press all over the surface with your fingers to submerge the waffles in the liquid. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and as long as overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix together the sugar and cinnamon, and sprinkle it over the waffles. Bake in the middle of the oven, 50-55 minutes, until lightly puffed and firm. Let sit 5 minutes before cutting into squares.

Serves 6Serve warm, with maple syrup if desired.

Approximate nutritional value per serving:320 calories; 17 g protein; 37 g carbohydrates; 12 g total fat (4 saturated fat); 3 g dietary fiber; 305 mg cholesterol; 1 mcg DFE (folate); 700 mg sodium.

Pear and Bacon Waffle Bake

Ingredients:6 4-inch round frozen waffles, wholegrain, thawed1 15-ounce can sliced pears in 100% pear juice, well-drained, diced12 slices precooked, thin sliced, maple bacon, diced8 large eggs1 1/2 cups 1% milk2 tablespoons maple syrup1 teaspoon vanilla¼ teaspoon salt1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg