The National Institute of Nutrition has published five findings regarding the state of breakfast habits among Vietnamese children.

Following the Southeast Asian Nutrition Survey (SEANUTS II), the National Institute of Nutrition published findings on many common nutritional issues among Vietnamese children, highlighting significant concerns regarding breakfast. Based on this, experts are sharing, for the first time, five key breakfast practices, encouraging parents to change their habits to build a stronger nutritional foundation for their children.

The story begins with the 90:50 paradox, highlighting common breakfast habits that mothers often overlook, and reveals a happy ending with a solution from an expert.

The 90:50 situation from an expert's perspective.

After years of preparing breakfast for their children, mothers will be surprised to learn about the 90:50 paradox, wondering if their child falls into the group where "over 90% of children eat breakfast but 50% do not meet their essential micronutrient needs." This situation is the first to be addressed by experts because it leads to many disadvantages in children's physical, psychological, and academic development.

According to Dr. Nguyen Thu Ha from the Department of Micronutrients (National Institute of Nutrition), a nutritious breakfast offers four major benefits: energy to kickstart a cheerful and happy mood, nutrition for better brain function and learning, physical health, and long-term immunity. However, in reality, up to 50% of children do not fully enjoy these four benefits. The main reasons stem from mothers' preference for starchy breakfast foods, as well as the poor eating habits of picky children.

Despite accounting for up to 25% of a child's daily energy intake, breakfast is often prepared more carelessly than lunch and dinner, leading to 50% of children not getting enough micronutrients.

Solutions for a nutritious breakfast

Besides the difficulty in fully enjoying the four benefits of breakfast, a nutritionally deficient breakfast also causes many disadvantages. The most obvious is fatigue and a lack of energy in children during the first half of the day. Dr. Nguyen Thu Ha also points out a more worrying issue: lethargic children tend to be less active, compensate by overeating at dinner, silently leading to weight gain, obesity, and cardiovascular disorders.

To prevent this situation, the National Institute of Nutrition suggests that mothers skillfully balance nutritious meals with their limited time each morning. Mothers can prepare simple dishes, but ensure children eat a variety of foods to supplement all four food groups, especially protein (meat, fish, eggs, milk...). Children need twice as much protein as adults to build cells, muscles, bones, brain, and immunity during the fastest growth period of their lives.

Four hours of morning study opens up a world of knowledge, but children may not have enough energy and lack the "growth hormone" protein to fully unlock their potential.

Milk - A child's close little friend

Among protein-rich foods, milk is a valuable and easily absorbed source of protein, yet over 40% of children drink less than 4 small servings of milk per week. This amount is very low compared to the recommended 2-3 servings of milk per day, depending on age, as recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the National Institute of Nutrition (NIN), etc. This situation suggests a practical solution: giving children moderate amounts of food and an additional glass of fresh milk.

Breakfast should include 15% protein, with easily absorbed protein found in milk being a priority, yet many mothers overlook this food in their breakfast.

Contributing to changing this situation, Cô Gái Hà Lan (Dutch Lady) has improved its fresh milk, optimizing the content of natural, healthy proteins and fats to provide practical support for parents every breakfast. While still maintaining the flavor that pleases young consumers, the nutritional value has been increased to 5.8g of protein in each small carton, meeting 23% of a child's daily protein needs.

The high nutritional value inside each carton of Cô Gái Hà Lan milk helps children improve their learning performance and physical development.

Dutch Lady milk, with its refreshing taste and easy-to-drink liquid form, has always been a favorite food for young children. Not only is it a close friend to children, but milk also helps mothers reduce the stress of preparing elaborate meals every morning.

With just a simple breakfast to please your child, you can still rest assured knowing that Cô Gái Hà Lan fresh milk will provide all the necessary micronutrients.

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