The breakfast formula helping children avoid a mid-morning energy slump

A paediatrician recommends dividing children’s breakfast between fibre-rich foods, protein and complex carbohydrates, while avoiding sugary cereals and forcing disliked foods.

A balanced breakfast is the best way to help a child start the school day with steady energy and better concentration, according to Dmitry Kazakov, a paediatrician with SberZdorovye, who spoke to RIA Novosti. He said the morning meal should provide the nutrients needed to support attention and avoid the mid-morning slump that can follow a poor breakfast choice.

Kazakov suggested using a simple plate formula: half the meal should come from fibre-rich foods such as vegetables, fruit or berries; a quarter from protein, including eggs, cottage cheese or Greek yoghurt; and the remaining quarter from complex carbohydrates such as porridge, wholemeal bread or other whole grains. He said the aim is not only to fill a child up, but also to keep blood sugar and energy levels steady through the school day.

He singled out whole grains as especially important, recommending options such as oats, pearl barley, quinoa and unpolished rice. He also warned against sweetened ready-made cereals and instant porridges, saying they can cause sharp swings in blood sugar that may leave children feeling tired sooner. That advice matches guidance from health organisations in the United States, which also recommend pairing protein, fruit and whole grains while limiting sugary cereals and added sugar.

Among the examples he gave were long-cooked oats made with milk and served with berries and a hard-boiled egg, an omelette with vegetables and wholemeal bread, and buckwheat with milk alongside a fruit salad mixed with plain yoghurt. Other public health advice similarly encourages parents to build breakfast around balance and variety, and to prepare foods in advance when mornings are rushed.

Kazakov also said parents should not force children to eat foods they strongly dislike, even if they are considered healthy. The broader message, he said, is that a good breakfast should be nutritious, realistic and acceptable to the child, rather than an exercise in strict rules that makes the meal harder to maintain day after day.