EXCLUSIVE: Nutritionist Susie Burrell shares tips for getting a nutritional breakfast during the morning rush
Susie warns that when parents miss breakfast, it’s easy to become tempted by snacks and other nutritionally poor takeaway options like muffins and pastries.
By Practical Parenting Team
April 05 2023
As a busy mother of two, leading dietitian and nutritionist Susie Burrell knows how difficult it can be for parents to ensure they’re getting a nutritious breakfast for themselves amidst the madness of the morning rush.
“Breakfast is absolutely essential for growing children, but parents can often forget about eating their own breakfast when they’re busy getting the family ready for the day and out the door on time,” Susie says.
Susie warns that when parents miss breakfast, it’s easy to become tempted by snacks and other nutritionally poor takeaway options like muffins and pastries.
Susie Burrell is a qualified dietitian with a masters in coaching psychology. (Image: Supplied)
“When you miss breakfast your body can react in several ways, with blood glucose control, appetite management, energy levels and metabolism all potentially impacted when a nutrient rich breakfast is not part of your morning routine,” Susie says.
“It’s important for meals to include a healthy balance of food groups too, but unfortunately breakfast is one meal that gets frequently overlooked.
“The most common breakfasts found in Aussie’s homes typically include a couple of slices of toast or a bowl of cereal and while you might be ticking off your whole grain and dairy intake, fruit and vegetables are often forgotten about.”
Susie says that a balanced breakfast should always include a protein such as nuts, eggs, meats or dairy, carbohydrates such as oats, whole grain breads or cereals, beans and fruit or vegetables.
To achieve this balance, Susie recommends parents choose recipes that can be easily altered and act as a vessel for other flavours like protein pancakes, omelettes and wraps.
“It’s important for meals to include a healthy balance of food groups." (Image: Getty)
Susie’s top tips for getting a nutritional breakfast
Prepare a family breakfast meal
Depending on what breakfast option you choose, Susie says that one thing parents can do is to serve a meal that everyone in the family can enjoy. Pancakes and wraps are great options as the carbohydrate base is the same and everyone can add their own fruit and vegetable toppings. Allowing the children to get involved in the cooking process also encourages them to try more foods.
Wake up early
If sitting down at breakfast time together isn’t feasible, Susie recommends waking up early if you have the discipline, and prepare a nutritionally balanced breakfast for yourself while the house is still sleeping. In addition to eating something that’s going to set you up with the right levels of energy for the day, you also get to enjoy a moment of time for yourself.
Prepare breakfast the evening before
Meal prepping the evening before is another great way to reduce the amount of time you need to spend making breakfast for yourself in the morning. Susie recommends that pre-cutting ingredients for wraps, omelettes or even shakes so that they’re ready to go in the morning can go a long way.
"One thing parents can do is to serve a meal that everyone in the family can enjoy." (Image: Getty)
While these tips can be great in theory, Susie is all too familiar with the unpredictability that comes with getting kids ready in the morning, whether they’re not cooperating or you’re doing it on your own, time can simply get away from us and your carefully planned breakfast with it.
For these mornings, Susie says that instead of skipping breakfast it’s important to choose a convenient breakfast option that’s healthy too.
Knowing that there is a lack of nutritionally balanced and convenient breakfast options on the market, Susie teamed up with Lean Cuisine to make the industry’s first ever frozen food breakfast range in accordance with the Healthy Eating Pyramid.
“The beauty of Lean Cuisine’s breakfast meals is that you can keep them in the freezer either at home or at work, so when time isn’t on your side you don’t need to sacrifice your nutrition.”
Lean Cuisine’s full range of products are snap-frozen for freshness, contain absolutely no preservatives and can be found in the freezer section at Woolworths, Coles and IGA, Australia-wide.
