Usually rice or bread is a favorite choice for parents to serve at the dinner table every morning. In addition to serving it quickly, rice and bread are easy to create into various dishes. So if you want to compare the two nutrients, which one is better used as a breakfast menu for children - rice or bread?
Ideal nutritional intake in one portion of a child's breakfast menu
Breakfast provides the energy needed by the child to get through a tiring day. The reason is, breakfast contributes up to 20-25% of the total energy needs per day (the standard calorie needs of school children aged 7-12 years are 1,600-2,000 calories). Breakfast can also help the body to be more efficient in processing food as energy, so children are less hungry.
To be able to achieve this benefit, a healthy breakfast menu for children must consist of 300 grams of carbohydrates, 65 grams of protein, 50 grams of fat, 25 grams of fiber, and intake of various vitamins and minerals. Do not be surprised to see the amount of carbohydrates needed by children. Children's glucose needs are twice as large as adults. Carbohydrates are important for improving the growth and development of a child's brain. Glucose which is broken down from carbohydrates is the main energy for the brain. In addition, glucose is also used by the brain to regulate and run the nervous system.
That's why many studies show that a high-calorie breakfast menu can help children learn better at school. This means that children can concentrate more on remembering and solving problems in each subject. But of course the selected carbohydrate sources may not be arbitrary. Rice and bread are high carbohydrate food sources. Then, which is better for children?
Healthy breakfast menu for children, better to use rice or bread?
Before deciding which is better for a child's breakfast menu, it's a good idea to first understand the concept of the glycemic index in food. Glycemic Index (IG) measures how fast carbohydrates contained in food are converted into sugar by the body. The higher the glycemic value of a food, the higher the increase in body blood sugar levels.
This level of glycemic index can affect the work of the child's brain. As described above, glucose is the brain's main energy source. Therefore, the higher the IG score of a food, the higher the blood sugar level produced, the better the child's brain works. Reporting from Harvard School that the glycemic index in white rice (72) is lower than the white bread IG score (75). So, does this mean that automatic white bread is better than rice for a child's breakfast menu? Not necessarily.
Rice or bread is actually the same
Rice and bread are actually both classified as high glycemic index foods. Foods with a high glycemic index are more quickly digested by the body so that they increase blood sugar faster. But on the other hand, the blood sugar produced will fall back so fast that those who eat high glycemic index foods will feel hungry faster.
This feeling of hunger also influences concentration while working or studying. Hunger children during teaching and learning activities tend to be more difficult to concentrate compared to those who still feel full. Conversely, foods containing a low glycemic index will make glucose levels in the blood last longer and more stable than the high glycemic index level.
A healthy breakfast menu for children is balanced
Regardless of what choices your child's carbohydrate source has for breakfast, a healthy breakfast requires a balanced portion of carbohydrates, proteins and fats to keep energy levels steady throughout the day.
An easy way to determine the ideal portion of breakfast is to divide your dinner plate into four parts. Each part must be filled with each of the nutrients your body needs in the morning.
Fill the first part with complex carbohydrates, such as whole wheat bread, brown rice, or oatmeal. The second part you can fill with unsaturated fats like nuts. The third part should be filled with protein, whether from eggs or lean meat. Finally, complete your healthy breakfast menu with fiber sources such as vegetables and fruits.