Have you seen the billboards or heard the news? PepsiCo’s Mountain Dew has announced their new breakfast drink. It’s called Mountain Dew Kickstart. As if it weren’t bad enough that the main source of calories in the American diet is from soda. It’s no wonder our rate of obesity, diabetes and heart disease continue to skyrocket. Just one sugary drink per day increases a child’s obesity risk by 60%, and increases risk for type two diabetes by 25%. That being said, why on earth would PepsiCo come out with a new soda targeting breakfast of all meals? Well, the makers of Kickstart responded to this question by saying they needed to provided an option for non-coffee drinkers who “need” energy in the morning. Thank goodness they always know just what we need! (*sarcasm alert*)
My opinion as a Registered Dietitian, and someone who sees the detrimental effects of sugar in my patients on a day to day basis, is that this is the very last thing any of us need. What we actually need to “kickstart” our day with is a balanced breakfast high in quality protein, such as eggs cooked in healthy fat to keep us full, like butter, and some nutrient-dense carbohydrates to give us energy, such as spinach in the eggs. Or, a handful of berries on the side. What we don’t need is more sugar. The more research being done on the aftermath of our increased sugar consumption, the more harmful we realize it actually is. Sugar is playing a major role in our obesity epidemic, the higher than ever before occurrence of chronic diseases, and all the behavioral problems our children are having.
Want your kids to focus better at school, sleep better during the night and be more patient and behaved in the car? Try reducing the amount of sugar in their daily intake, and prepare to be amazed. Aim to give your kids balanced meals and snacks, and prepare ahead of time so you don’t find yourself in the drive-through lane as often. Bring lunchboxes full of hard boiled eggs, Greek yogurt, string cheese, fresh fruit and almonds or walnuts. Involve your kids in the preparation process by allowing them to spread the peanut butter and place their raisins on celery to make the classic “ants on a log” snack. Aim to include protein and healthy fat at meals and snacks instead of convenient, high-sugar, carbohydrate-based snacks like fruit snacks, crackers and granola bars. Don’t fall for marketing traps like the one we’re seeing with Mountain Dew’s new breakfast drink (and I don’t mean to just point my finger at Mountain Dew… all of the big food companies are targeting your children. We NEED to be on the defense.) Trust your instincts. Pause and ask yourself if it makes sense to be drinking pop for breakfast, and when it doesn’t, commit yourself to preparing a healthy meal to start your day instead of placing your money in a sugary trap. Real food will never be marketed, but it will also never go out of style.
For real food meal and snack ideas for kids, click here. And as always, contact me with your specific nutrition questions.
