At NACD, we emphasize the importance of brain health through nutrition. Research continues to show that high-sugar breakfasts lead to blood sugar spikes, crashes, and difficulties in learning and behavior. While this affects everyone, children with ADHD, autism, and other neurodevelopmental challenges often experience these effects more severely.

Many parents unknowingly fall into the trap of feeding their kids what they assume is a healthy breakfast. But much of what is marketed as a “balanced meal” is anything but.

Why the Standard American Breakfast Fails Kids

Most traditional breakfast foods are built around sugar and refined carbohydrates. Cereal, toast, bagels, waffles, pancakes, and flavored yogurts may seem like normal morning staples, but they spike blood sugar quickly.

When blood sugar rises too fast, kids may seem energetic at first, but soon after, their levels crash. This can lead to:

• Fatigue and sluggishness
• Difficulty focusing in school
• Emotional outbursts and irritability
• Strong cravings for more sugar

For children with special needs, these crashes can be especially problematic. Unstable blood sugar can contribute to hyperactivity, increased anxiety, aggression, and difficulties with emotional regulation.

Beyond the immediate impact, long-term exposure to high blood sugar contributes to inflammation, cognitive decline, and metabolic issues like insulin resistance. A morning blood sugar spike can also make children more prone to cravings throughout the day, setting them up for poor eating habits.

Read more: The Science of a Smart Breakfast

The Best Type of Breakfast for Brain Function and Stability

A well-balanced breakfast should be built around protein, healthy fats, and fiber. This combination helps stabilize blood sugar, sustain energy levels, and improve focus and behavior.

Rethinking Breakfast: It’s Just Another Meal

What we consider “breakfast food” is largely shaped by marketing and cultural history, not nutrition. There is no scientific reason why breakfast needs to include cereal, toast, or pancakes. In fact, many cultures around the world start their day with meals that resemble lunch or dinner—often including meats, vegetables, and healthy fats.

A child could just as easily eat chicken and roasted vegetables in the morning as they would in the evening. What matters most is the nutrient content, not the label of “breakfast food.”

Smart Breakfast Choices

Instead of relying on processed foods, focus on whole, nutrient-dense options.

Great choices include:

• Eggs, which provide high-quality protein and choline to support brain development
• Meat such as chicken, turkey, or beef, offering amino acids essential for neurotransmitter production
• Avocados, rich in healthy fats that support brain health
• Nuts and seeds, a great source of protein, fiber, and minerals
• Leafy greens and other vegetables packed with essential vitamins

For those who want a little sweetness, organic dates are a great alternative. Unlike refined sugars, dates contain fiber, vitamins, and minerals that slow down sugar absorption. They provide a natural sweetness without causing extreme spikes in blood sugar.

Fruit can also be part of a healthy breakfast when eaten alongside protein and fat to help balance blood sugar. A few berries with nuts, or apple slices paired with almond butter, can add flavor and nutrients without the negative effects of a sugar-heavy meal.

The Cereal Myth: How We Got It So Wrong

Many parents grew up believing that breakfast should include grains. That belief wasn’t shaped by science but by decades of cereal industry marketing. Companies spent millions convincing families that cereals, granola bars, and other processed grains were the best way to start the day.

The reality is that most of these products are ultra-processed, stripped of nutrients, and packed with sugar. Even those claiming to be “whole grain” often cause the same rapid spikes and crashes as refined sugar.

Making the Switch to a Healthier Breakfast

Changing a child’s breakfast routine doesn’t have to be difficult. Gradual adjustments help make the transition smoother.

• Start small by replacing one processed item at a time. Swap out cereal for eggs or replace toast with avocado and nuts.
• Focus on protein first. Ensuring kids get high-quality protein at breakfast helps stabilize blood sugar and keep them full longer.
• Reduce sugar gradually. If your child is used to sweet flavors, introduce healthier alternatives like organic dates or berries alongside protein and fats.
• Get kids involved. Let them help with planning and preparing breakfast. Giving them choices—within healthy options—makes them more likely to enjoy their meal and feel empowered.

Some simple meal ideas kids can help prepare:

• Scrambled eggs with spinach and chicken sausage
• Turkey and avocado roll-ups
• Roasted vegetables with shredded chicken
• Hard-boiled eggs with cucumber slices and hummus
• Sautéed greens with beef and olive oil

The Bigger Picture: A Healthier Future for Kids

At NACD, we work with families to develop customized programs that optimize brain function, learning, and development. The right nutrition is a key piece of that puzzle. By shifting away from sugar-heavy, processed breakfasts and embracing whole, nutrient-dense foods, parents can help their children improve focus, energy, and emotional stability—especially those with special needs.

A small change at breakfast can have a huge impact on a child’s ability to learn, regulate emotions, and thrive.

 Learn more about NACD’s approach and how we help families build healthier, stronger futures.

Reprinted by permission of The NACD Foundation, Volume 39 No. 1 , 2025 ©NACD

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• Potato peelings—cut into the potato about a half inch and discard the center
• Apple peelings
• Carrots, including tops
• Celery, including leaves
• Okra
• Beets, including tops
• Italian parsley
• Green pepper
• Parsnip
• Zucchini
• Cucumber
• Green cabbage
• Broccoli
• Kale
• Onion
• Ginger
• Garlic
• Spinach
• Dandelion greens
• Asparagus

Chop or grate vegetables and greens. Bring to a slow boil and simmer 20 minutes. Strain off broth and drink at least 2 cups each day—more when healing acute conditions. Add 1 tbs. of Rice Bran Syrup after straining to enrich it with B vitamins and silicon. You may also add 2-3 tbs. of Dr. Jensen’s Vegetable Seasoning.

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Recommended especially for arthritis, rheumatism, and osteoporosis. Keep in mind these conditions are symptoms, not the disease.

Note: Although you might think using a veal joint is using meat, it is not. A real meat broth is high in uric acid. Meat contains the uric acid, which can be harmful in many cases of arthritis, rheumatism, and osteoporosis as well as kidney problems. But there is no uric acid in veal joint broth. It is made strictly from the joint material, and it acts like a protomorphogen, which means we get life from life. And since we are using a material that is already organized by the animal, to be used by our body, our digestion doesn’t have to sort it out, reassemble and digest the food, and make it into what the blood can use. Thus it will finally become our joints.Buy a fresh, uncut veal joint and wash it in cold water. Put it in a large cooking pot with distilled water and add the following:

• Potato peelings—cut into the potato about a half inch and discard the center
• Apple peelings
• Carrots, including tops
• Celery, including leaves
• Okra
• Beets, including tops
• Italian parsley
• Green pepper
• Parsnip
• Zucchini
• Cucumber
• Green cabbage
• Broccoli
• Kale
• Onion
• Ginger
• Garlic
• Spinach
• Dandelion greens
• Asparagus

Chop or grate vegetables and greens. Bring to a slow boil and simmer 20 minutes. Strain off broth and drink 2 cups each day. Add 1 tbs. of Rice Bran Syrup after straining to enrich broth with B vitamins and silicon. You may also add 2-3 tbs. of Dr. Jensen’s Broth or Vegetable Seasoning.

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1. A short wide-mouthed thermos.
2. Five organic whole grains (no grains that are rolled, processed, or flaked): millet, barley, rye, amaranth, and flaxseeds. (Even though this is a seed we will treat it like a grain.)
3. Organic raw sunflower, sesame, hemp and pumpkin seeds.
4. Black Strap Molasses.
5. Dr. Bernard Jensen’s Black Cherry Juice Concentrate. (Jensen’s Grape or Apple Concentrate may be substituted.)
6. Nutritional yeast
7. Two organic fruits. (No citrus except kiwi.) You may use organic dried fruit with no nitrates or sulfides.

DIRECTIONS:

1. Grind 7 tbsp. of each grain (barley, millet, rye, amaranth, and flaxseed).
2. Grind 2 tbsp. of each of the seeds (sesame and sunflower).
3. Mix ground grains and seeds together well.
4. At night, place about 3 tbsp. of ground mixture in wide-mouthed thermos for each child.
5. Add boiling water to mixture in thermos while stirring with spoon. Mixture should be soupy in consistency, as the grains and seeds will absorb the water.
6. Seal thermos and let stand overnight.
7. In the morning remove cereal from thermos and add*:
   a. 2 fruits of your choice. (No citrus except kiwi.) If you use dried fruits you will need to use more water, as they will reconstitute in the mixture.
   b. 1 tbsp. of Black Strap Molasses.
   c. 1 tbsp. of nutritional yeast.
   d. 1 tbsp. of black cherry juice concentrate.
   e. Add cinnamon or spice to taste. No sugar or honey. If you need the cereal to be sweeter, please use more syrup.
8. Cereal should be eaten every morning. The nutrition will be cumulative in balancing the hormones, rebuilding bowel function, strengthening the nervous system, and purifying the blood.

* If you need the cereal to be warmer, use a double boiler to heat it. Do not use a microwave.

Thermos Cooked Cereal – Ages 3 months to 2 years*

ITEMS NEEDED:

1. A short wide-mouthed thermos and a coffee/nut grinder.
2. Four organic whole grains (no grains that are rolled, processed, or flaked): millet, brown rice, rye, and flaxseeds. (Even though this is a seed, we will treat it like a grain.) – *Note: Add the grains one at a time, per week to make sure there is no reaction.
3. Organic raw sunflower, sesame, hemp and pumpkin seeds.
4. Black Strap Molasses.
5. Dr. Bernard Jensen’s Black Cherry Juice Concentrate. (Jensen’s Grape or Apple Concentrate may be substituted.)
6. Nutritional yeast
7. Two or three organic fruits.** (No citrus except kiwi.) You may use organic dried fruit with no nitrates or sulfides.
8. Raw goat yogurt. (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Mixture to last seven to ten days and to be stored in the refrigerator.

1. Grind 7 tbsp. of each grain (millet, rye, brown rice, and flaxseed).
2. Grind 4 tbsp. of each of the seeds (sesame, hemp, and sunflower).
3. Mix and grind grains and ground seeds together well.
4. At night, place 1-2 tbsp. of ground mixture in wide-mouthed thermos for each child.
5. Add boiling water to mixture in thermos while stirring with spoon. Mixture should be soupy in consistency, as the grains and seeds will absorb the water.
6. Seal thermos and let stand overnight.
7. In the morning remove cereal from thermos and add***:
   a. 2 fruits of your choice (no citrus except kiwi). If you use dried fruits you will need to use more water, as they will reconstitute in the mixture.
   b. 1 tbsp. of Black Strap Molasses.
   c. 1 tbsp. of nutritional yeast.
   d. 1 tbsp. of black cherry juice concentrate.
   e. Add cinnamon or spice to taste. No sugar or honey. If you need the cereal to be sweeter, please use more syrup.
   f. Add raw goat yogurt. (optional)
   g. Add additional ground flax and hemp seeds if needed for healing.
   h. See specific supplementation guide for other additions.
8. Cereal should be eaten every morning. The nutrition will be cumulative in balancing the hormones, rebuilding bowel function, strengthening nervous system, and purifying the blood.

* Recommended especially for special needs

** See acid-alkalinechart.pdf

*** If you need the cereal to be warmer, use a double boiler to heat it. Do not use a microwave.

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