hot cocoa for breakfast

duffysfarm

my wife is normally very good with our kids diet but this morning i noticed the kids drinking hot cocoa before school with their breakfast. i asked why were they getting this and she told me this was to give the kids energy for the day at school. the kids are 6 & 8. I dont believe that they need this in the morning and i also think to get this in the morning is very unhealthy and would affect the kids concentration and behavior during the day. my wife doesnt agree with me - what would other peoples opinion be?

bee06

Sorry to be pedantic but hot cocoa or hot chocolate? There is a big difference in the sugar content of both.

Is your wife European by any chance. It’s a common breakfast drink in a lot of European countries.

As said, are we talking hot chocolate or hot cocoa? What would they normally drink at breakfast time and what do they usually eat for breakfast?

duffysfarm

Hot Cocoa and not hot chocolate and yes she is not from Ireland. They would normally drink milk or water with breakfast. It's rare we would give them juice and we very rarely have fizzy drinks in the house. Don't get me wrong they do get sweets and chocolates, it's not as if they never get a treat during the day.

duffysfarm

For breakfast one would have porridge during the week and maybe sasauge sandwich and weekend and they other would have rice crosbies or cherrios

bee06

Cocoa has very little sugar so I don’t really see what the issue is unless she’s adding loads of extra sugar to make it taste nicer.

maxsmum

duffysfarm wrote: »

For breakfast one would have porridge during the week and maybe sasauge sandwich and weekend and they other would have rice crosbies or cherrios

Sausage sandwich would worry me more tbh!

Max Prophet

bee06 wrote: »

Sorry to be pedantic but hot cocoa or hot chocolate? There is a big difference in the sugar content of both.

Is your wife European by any chance. It’s a common breakfast drink in a lot of European countries.

If you’re irish you’re European last time I checked

bee06

Max Prophet wrote: »

If you’re irish you’re European last time I checked

And I thought I was being pedantic.

bee06

maxsmum wrote: »

Sausage sandwich would worry me more tbh!

The Rice Krispies and the Cheerios also probably have a higher sugar content than unsweetened hot cocoa.

Sesame

My opinion is lay off and stop being so critical. In France, Nutella on toast is a very normal breakfast. A drink of milk with cocoa is a good start. Some protein and fat.


I'd avoid processed meat too. An egg or cheese is a good protein alternative. Add some fruit for fibre and you have a fairly rounded breakfast

Also, maybe not too relevant, but if I treat my kids, I would choose choice chocolate over sweets everytime. Yes, there's the sugar content in both, but sweets tend to stick around in teeth much longer. Lollypops the worst.
Chocolate has fat and milk which is good for kids,particulary mine, who are both very skinny and active. I'd avoid if weight is an issue.
.

DunnoKidz

I read this: "Because of its antioxidant properties, cocoa offers neuron protection and enhances cognition and positive mood."
Here: 7 health benefits of of drinking hot cocoa ....Doubt that refers to some of the commercially produced hot cocoa mixes though.

Might find some healthy recipes here: 5 Healthy Hot Cocoa Recipes
(might try some myself)



.

skallywag

Sesame wrote: »

In France, Nutella on toast is a very normal breakfast.

+1

It's also very common to have lots of high sugary content jam too as part of the typical continental breakfast.

I see no issue with it to be honest with you.

farmchoice

my 4 year old daughter has taken to drinking black coffee,turn your back and your fancy nespresso is gone. its alright in the mornings but i have come to realize that if she has more than one cup after 5.00pm she is a nightmare to get to bed.



she is a right little strap, but is bright as a button, i came down the other day and she had pulled up a chair to the kitchen counter and was making herself a cup, she seems to favor the Ethiopian blend.

what can you do though? i suppose its better than drugs.

chocfan

farmchoice wrote: »

my 4 year old daughter has taken to drinking black coffee,turn your back and your fancy nespresso is gone. its alright in the mornings but i have come to realize that if she has more than one cup after 5.00pm she is a nightmare to get to bed.



she is a right little strap, but is bright as a button, i came down the other day and she had pulled up a chair to the kitchen counter and was making herself a cup, she seems to favor the Ethiopian blend.

what can you do though? i suppose its better than drugs.

I actually literally laughed out lout at this-she sounds like a gas ticket!
Mine is 2 but I think will become a little divil like yours-showing all the signs of it already. They just get more and more entertaining!

cbyrd

farmchoice wrote:

my 4 year old daughter has taken to drinking black coffee,turn your back and your fancy nespresso is gone. its alright in the mornings but i have come to realize that if she has more than one cup after 5.00pm she is a nightmare to get to bed.

That's hilarious, my 3 year old loves nespresso too. I thought it was funny when she wanted to make mine but now she'll rob it too. She also loves the green smoothies her daddy makes. The other day in my mams house she asked for some beard, took a while to work out why she meant.. beer, daddy's beer. I don't drink, my oh every other weekend might have a can or 2 of cider.. Lol. She made us sound like alcos.

On the cocoa .. No, I wouldn't worry at all about this. Unless there's ten spoons of sugar going into it.. you'll find many 'healthy' breakfasts are very high in sugar.
Wait til they're 15 and you're trying the nuttella wrap/sandwich before school because you want the peace of mind that they've at least gotten something in their belly and the sugar will sweeten the sour teenage grump for ten minutes..

Chocolate fiend

Well if your wife is "normally" very good then that is it really isn't it? She is allowed to make decisions for her children as well and if she thinks they like or need it then that's her prerogative. You sound a bit controlling to be honest.

Subcomandante Marcos

duffysfarm wrote: »

my wife is normally very good with our kids diet but this morning i noticed the kids drinking hot cocoa before school with their breakfast. i asked why were they getting this and she told me this was to give the kids energy for the day at school. the kids are 6 & 8. I dont believe that they need this in the morning and i also think to get this in the morning is very unhealthy and would affect the kids concentration and behavior during the day. my wife doesnt agree with me - what would other peoples opinion be?

Across the world cocoa and cocoa-like drinks are very normal breakfast foods.

In France they regularly have Banania, in Asia, Oceania, Africa, and South america Milo is common, in Sweden they have O'boy, and so on.

iguana

Chocolate fiend wrote: »

Well if your wife is "normally" very good then that is it really isn't it? She is allowed to make decisions for her children as well and if she thinks they like or need it then that's her prerogative. You sound a bit controlling to be honest.

Well of course a poster called Chocolate fiend would see no problem with cocoa for breakfast!:)

I see no problem with it either btw.