Last time you read this I was discussing nipple stimulation (amongst other things….) as a method of stimulating labour. To be honest, that's a hard act to follow. So I'm sitting here writing my first column after maternity leave and finding it a bit tricky.

Also, my mother has only just forgiven me for the nipple article and as her next visit is imminent, I'm a little wary of pushing the boundaries. Although naturally a little rebellious, I'd have to be crazy to alienate the woman who waves a Martha Stewart wand in my home on a regular basis. On the other hand, chronic sleep deprivation has been known to drive a person crazy. Especially me.

When our first little girl Chloe arrived in the world, the exhaustion was an enormous shock. Sure people had told me I would be tired… but I thought they meant tired in an I-only-got-six-hours-sleep kind of way. Not in an I-didn't-get-ANY-sleep kind of way. By the time I went back to work I was on the slippery slope to insanity, putting the iron away in the fridge and arriving at work without shoes. I am not kidding. Just ask the sales assistant in Boyles who stared at me wide-eyed when I walked in bare-footed. I know bare feet are not entirely uncommon when you live on a sub-tropical island, but correct me if I am wrong, people wearing suits do usually wear shoes.

This time however, the lack of sleep has been less surprising. We knew what we were in for and the fact we have managed a few hours sleep every night has definitely been a positive rather than a negative. And perhaps because I am simply used to less rest these days, I haven't done anything totally daft just yet. The lovely husband did manage to put all the sippy cups away in the freezer, but that's because he'd had one too many beers, not because he was exhausted. Well maybe a little of both. Either way, it was very confusing.

Unsurprisingly, in these early days of life with a newborn, the nutrition in our household has faltered a little. I have never pretended to be a dietary angel (way too much chocolate in the cupboard for that) but I practice what I preach the majority of the time. Recently though, breakfast has been the worst time of day for me, reaching for anything that gives me a rapid burst of energy – no matter how short-lived. But a few weeks ago, as I drove the nursery school run eating chocolate chip cookies for breakfast, I reached a moment of clarity. It wasn't just a lack of sleep that was making me feel bad, but poor dietary choices too.

Following the cookies-in-the-car incident, I gave myself a slap on the wrist, forfeited a nap alongside Belle and actually put some thought into my shopping list. I stocked up on everything for healthy smoothies, bought some of the better boxes of granola and am now on the mend. My body is a temple and all that. It really was that easy to make a change.

If only cleaning up Chloe's breakfast habits was just as easy. Over the past 12 weeks, as little Belle's arrival coincided with Chloe starting nursery school, my first priority had been simply to get something into her, with the nutritional value coming a depressing second. In the early morning flurry, I was rarely having time to dish up porridge or scrambled eggs and she was rejecting the raisin toast or Cheerios staples. Other mummy friends were having the same problems, and I was being asked things like "is it bad to give them Nutella for breakfast?" and "does it matter if they don't have any protein?"

So having sorted my own breakfast digressions out and regained some of my energy, I have had Chloe in healthy breakfast boot camp for a few weeks.

For all the other frustrated parents out there, here are some tips for helping you ensure your kids get a healthy start to their day too. As concentration, behaviour and mood all improve significantly with a healthy breakfast, I promise this is worth the effort.

10 healthy breakfast tips for kids

1. In an ideal world: And by this I mean the REAL world (I once read a "healthy lunch box tips for kids" article that included a brown rice and tofu salad recipe. Ha!) If your child is ready, willing and able then any of these are fantastic: Porridge/Oatmeal with a little honey or fresh fruit, wholegrain toast with almond butter/marmite or fruit-only jam, wholegrain cereals from Nature's Path, Kashi or even basics like Shreddies or Wheatabix, natural yoghurt sweetened with agave and banana slices, scrambled/poached/boiled eggs and toast, or a smoothie made with plain yoghurt, a little juice and fresh fruit.

2. Something is better than nothing: Sending a child to nursery or big school with an empty stomach is asking for trouble. Hungry kids can't concentrate, behave badly and perform poorly academically. In this respect, something is always better than nothing. If to establish eating breakfast as a routine you have to compromise what you give them, then so be it. Nobody died because they had Nutella on toast or some hideous toaster waffle for breakfast for a few weeks as a child. View it as a work in progress, and make breakfast healthier in increments as the weeks go by. Do be careful to keep the momentum going with the improvements however as helping your child to temper their sweet tooth will make healthy eating much easier in the long run.

3. If you must do sugar, avoid artificial colours/sweeteners: Building on the above, if you are resorting to sugary options, then at least try and avoid artificial colours and sweeteners. For example, Nature's Path Gorilla Munch cereal is much better than Lucky Charms. Another way to help offset a sugar rush is to make choices that include a decent amount of fibre or protein – both of which help to slow down the release of sugar into the bloodstream resulting in a more sustained release of energy. So wholegrain sweet cereals always win over their refined counterparts (due to the fibre) and offering a slice of turkey or boiled egg alongside something sugary could be an effective compromise.

4. Compromise: As with the above, compromising may help you get results long term. Allowing one sweet sandwich with one savoury can get things going, or allow them to choose breakfast one day and you the next.

5. Keep trying. Be creative: Just keep trying. Keep offering new foods and encourage your child to try things without the pressure of being told they have to finish them. I know it's hard as a child that refuses to eat is amongst the world's most infuriating things, but try and keep the atmosphere surrounding food light hearted and fun. Re the latter, there's nothing wrong with using cookie cutters for sandwiches or using ZooPal plates to help make breakfast a happy event.

6. Try not to rush: I don't know about you but rushing my little one in the morning, especially over breakfast, equals disaster. I have learnt that it's better to let Chloe eat breakfast in the car than to nag her about the next bite before she's barely swallowed the first. There's absolutely nothing wrong with allowing them to eat dry Cheerios and drink milk in the backseat as you meander through the rush hour traffic. (Having said that, I have suffered two ant-invasions in my car due to this philosophy which were not funny – at the time anyway – so make sure you clean up wayward Cheerios quickly.)

7. Tap into their world: What is your child into at the moment? Look for inspiration in their world. Chloe is a big fan of Curious George and following the episode where George gets a blender and makes juice, she became a huge fan of smoothies. If your child loves Sesame Street then Miles stock some great Elmo wholegrain mini-waffles in the freezer section.

8. Kids love to eat what they make: If you have an aspiring chef in your family, start cooking healthy breakfast muffins or toasting your own granola with your child. Kids love to eat what they have made themselves, so get them involved.

9. They don't have to eat "breakfast" for breakfast: Breakfast doesn't always have to be cereal or toast. If they would like a ham and cucumber sandwich, hummus and carrot sticks, or pasta, then fair enough. To avoid having to say "no" to requests for ice cream or Smarties (I have made this mistake!) you may not want to ask "What would you like for breakfast?" but simply incorporate some of their favourite – but reasonable – foods into a choice i.e. "Would you like a smoothie or a turkey sandwich for breakfast?"

10. Lie: Before you start tutting, let's face it, we lie to our kids ALL THE TIME. Santa exists and so does the tooth fairy. In the same vein, there is absolutely nothing wrong with hiding healthy ingredients in your child's food to help you feel better. Consider adding the Dr Sears kids strawberry and lemon fish oil (Down to Earth) to smoothies/yoghurt, or even hiding it in porridge (start with a very small amount until you get more confident). I have recently been mixing ground pumpkin seeds into the apricot jam in Chloe's sandwiches and feel positively brilliant as she runs off through the school gates.

The advice given in this article is not intended to replace medical advice, but to complement it. Always consult your GP if you have any health concerns. Catherine Burns BA Hons, Dip ION is a fully qualified Nutritional Therapist trained by the Institute for Optimum Nutrition in the U.K. Please note that she is not a Registered Dietitian. She can be contacted at nourishbda[AT]gmail.com