Danone and the Breakfast Club of Canada – Nourishing Children’s Potential One Breakfast at a Time
Tuesday, April 11, 2017
A couple of years ago, I took on a challenge to experience what it would be like to go without breakfast for four days. It would be so easy, I thought. I can totally do this! But by the fourth day, I was miserable, grumpy and just plain hangry. Yet, a part of me was relieved to know that I would have a nice, hearty breakfast to enjoy once the challenge was over. Unfortunately, 1 in 5 children in Canada go hungry every morning. In fact, according to the Breakfast Club of Canada 1 in 5 children is at risk of starting the school day on an empty stomach due to a lack of access to nutritious food. As a teacher, this is incredibly disheartening. It is no surprise that kids who enjoy a balanced breakfast generally have more energy and perform better in school. I see it all the time. Conversely, I have also noticed how much a student can struggle to maintain focus or grasp a new concept when all they can think about is how much their little tummy is grumbling.
The good news is that, for the past 20 years, Danone Canada has partnered with the Breakfast Club of Canada to help ensure that a healthy breakfast is accessible to the ones who need it the most. Thanks to this all-important breakfast program, children are given access to balanced meals, with healthy essential foods such as yogurt, in an environment that allows their self-esteem to flourish. In a recent survey by Leger and Danone Canada, 83% of Quebecers eat breakfast in the morning but 77% of Quebec families identified toast, coffee and cereals or oatmeal as the most popular breakfast items. I can definitely relate because these popular breakfast foods are easy to prepare during the morning rush before driving the kids to school and heading off to work. However, these foods are missing the essential protein that gives our body an energy boost while helping us to feel fuller, longer. This is why I love having yogurt on hand. Not only does it add a protein boost, it is a good source of calcium, vitamin B-2, B-12, potassium, and magnesium.
Another reason I love having yogurt readily available is that it is easy to prepare a balanced breakfast based on yogurt. One of my go-to recipes is the yogurt parfait. It is super simple to prepare and, with my favourite Activia vanilla yogurt, it is incredibly tasty, too.
Make Your Own Yogurt Parfait
Ingredients
- Activia vanilla yogurt
- granola
- fresh berries
- sliced banana
- chocolate chips (optional)
Directions
Wash and dry the berries. Peel and slice the banana. Place the yogurt, fruit, granola and any additional toppings in the middle of the table with some bowls or dessert cups and spoons, and let your kids create their own layered yogurt parfait.
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. Any opinions expressed in this post are my own.
10 COMMENTS
I am glad that Danone has partnered with the Breakfast Club. A healthy breakfast is so important.
ReplyDeleteI like to support companies that give back to charities and I will be purchasing more Danone products after reading your review about their contributions to the Breakfast Club of Canada, thanks!
ReplyDeleteThis looks like a very healthy breakfast!
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine going without breakfast; so great that Danone Canada has partnered with Breakfast Club of Canada to provide breakfast to kids who need it most.
ReplyDeleteThis is one healthy dish that I would totally love, yummmm sounds so good!!
ReplyDeleteDANON Activia is my favourite yogurt, so good for you.
ReplyDeleteI love Danone Activia yogurt and I have one every morning with some fruit.I should try adding some chia seeds or some flax or granola.It's also awesome to learn that they have partnered with the Breakfast Club.That's great!
ReplyDeleteDanone Activia is my favorite yogurt that I have every morning with some fruit.I should try it with some flax seed, chia seeds or granola.It's also awesome to learn that they have partnered with the Breakfast Club.That's great!
ReplyDeleteThere are some great ideas here! Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI would totally love this thanks for sharing
ReplyDeleteThanks for taking the time to leave a comment here on Toronto Teacher Mom. Hope you have a great day!