Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so no matter how busy we are, we shouldn’t skip it. Last Saturday was World Day for Cultural Diversity, we thought it was a great time to take a closer look at what parents from all over the world feed their children in the morning.
Vietnam
Before going to school, many Vietnamese children have a warm bowl of congee, a watery rice porridge. It can be sweet or savoury, and it can include a variety of herbs, meats and vegetables. While it can be made with two simple ingredients, it is believed to be extremely good for your children’s health and digestion. Milled congee is another version made with blended rice, kids may even prefer this one better due to its dense texture.
Turkey
Turkish pancakes (gozleme) is a popular Turkish kids breakfast. To make gozleme, Yufka (flour and water dough) is rolled into thin rounds and cooked on a circular hot plate. It is traditionally savoury, filled with herbs and mild white cheese, mincemeat and onion, or mashed potato and yellow cheese. Gozleme is a light and flavourful dish served with salad and a glass of ayran (a salty yoghurt drink).
Netherlands
Kids in the Netherlands have milk and buttered bread with “hagelslag,” or “sugary sprinkles”, for breakfast. The hagelslag comes in chocolate, vanilla and fruit flavours. It’s quite sugary and should be enjoyed in moderation, but this breakfast (similar to Australia’s “fairy bread”) is what childhood dreams are made of.
Colombia
In Colombia, “Changua” is a common breakfast item for kids, a warm soup made with water, milk, and potatoes that is usually served with an egg on top. It may be served with fried scallions or coriander, as well as bread and perhaps even some pieces of cheese melted into it.
South Africa
Breakfast in South Africa is traditionally a steaming bowl of “pap”. Pap is a cornmeal porridge often served with milk and sugar. It can be a soft pap, a very thick consistency pap that can be held in hand or a more dry crumbly pap. In populated areas, it is also common for children to eat cereal or toast with tea for breakfast.
This is just a snapshot of some of the more popular breakfasts from different countries around the world. We fully understand that breakfasts are diverse and everyone has their own preferences. Breakfasts can be sweet or savoury, a nutritious and balanced meal with energy for the whole day or a fun sugary treat – every breakfast is unique. But most of all, breakfast tastes best when enjoyed with the whole family.
This blog was written by Valerie, Parents’ Voice’s Digital Content Intern.
