Parental picks for their child’s breakfast

Melanie Carpenter, Australian, media relations director: “We try to keep food as natural and as organic as possible. My 5-year-old son likes to have sandwiches, so I usually fill wholemeal bread with cheese, fresh chicken or sweet corn. I also pack fruit like unpeeled bananas, apples, grapes and yoghurts with less sugar. My 3-year-old daughter likes bread with butter on the side, salads with spinach, cucumber, red peppers and tomatoes.

“Healthy eating habits are formed at a young age.”

Arwa Al Khatib, US-Jordanian, Associate director: “Until about three years ago, my 12-year-old son would have sandwiches, sliced cucumbers, carrots and yoghurt cereal bars in his lunchbox. Now he only likes sandwiches with Nutella or peanut butter, and chips, cookies and crackers for snacks. When I give him fruit, he won’t eat it at school because it might make him look ‘uncool’, so I serve him fruits at home.

“I think it is best to get children to eat healthy at a young age.”

Sara Al Ali, Emirati analyst: “My son is nearly three and a picky eater. If I pack something he does not like, he brings it back untouched and starving. Mostly, I give him milk bread sandwiches with cheese or labneh, some sliced cucumber. He also takes mangoes and bananas, a cereal bar, or a strawberry muffin. Once home, he has rice with yoghurt.”

Neena Varma, Indian homemaker: “My 13-year-old son knows he must eat healthy, but likes junk food. So I try to get him to drink some fresh orange juice in the morning and eat an egg. For school, I pack a paneer paratha (Indian bread with cheese), or homemade pasta, with sliced cucumbers. When he gets home though, he will demand a burger or some pizza.”

Shilpa Kapoor, homemaker: For her daughter Saesha, 5 years, the breakfast choices range from French toast with wholemeal bread, wholemeal vegetable sandwich, butter and jam sandwiches, chicken franks and paranthas or noodles, apples and grapes, strawberries and orange or some such combo.

Evelyn Jones: For her daughter Antonia Jones, Grade 1, the breakfast choices are granola with yoghurt, avocado on white toast, vanilla custard with jelly and fruits, cheese panini sandwich, small bottle of organic apple juice and water everyday.