Help
your children get a good start to the day with these hearty breakfast ideas.
There
have been plenty of reports on the large amount of sugar in many children's
cereals. By giving your children a hearty, healthy breakfast instead, you will
not only be ensuring they get proper nutrition, but you will also be helping
them form good eating habits. Plus, research shows that feeding children
breakfast helps lower the risk of lead poisoning and boosts their brain power.
One
important thing to keep in mind is that children's needs are not that much
different than adults'. I feel that it's an advertisement-driven myth that
children need special breakfasts. Children and adults have been eating the same
breakfasts for hundreds of years, and there's no reason to stop that now just
because we have a large variety of super-sugared cold cereals available.
PHOTO
BREAK: 5 breakfast dishes to enjoy at dinner
However,
as a parent, concentrating on making a delicious and nutritious meal for my
children helps ensure that I eat a good breakfast as well. It's a win-win
situation!
Here are
10 great breakfast ideas to keep your kids healthy and happy in the morning.
1.
Scrambled Eggs, Stir-Fried Zucchini and Sausage: I find that we do better with
a plenty of protein and vegetables. This breakfast is one of our favorites and
it give everyone a good start to the day! My daughter has been eating this
breakfast since she was quite little. So you don't end up using three pans,
first stir-fry the zucchini in a little fat and salt until soft, remove from
pan. Cook the sausage in the pan (I use bulk sausage with no casings). Remove
from pan. Add more fat/oil to the pan and then scramble the eggs in the pan.
You can also add the zucchini and sausage to the scrambled eggs, but we like to
keep them separate.
2. Slow
Cooker Hot Cereal and Oatmeal: I love waking up to a hot breakfast already
made. These ideas are quite simple to throw together the night before. They're
also perfect when family members eat at staggered times.
jar of
homemade pumpkin butter
Pumpkin
butter is a tasty, healthy topping to rival peanut butter. (Photo: Arina P
Habich/Shutterstock)
3.
Pumpkin Butter on toast: This homemade butter is delicious on apple slices and
on toast. For a special treat, spread over whole-grain bread (I recommend
sprouted grain bread) and cover with sliced bananas. It's a nice change from
peanut butter, and makes a quick meal on the go.
4.
Pancakes with nut butter: You can also spread the pumpkin seed butter, or nut
butter of your choice on pancakes. I like to keep pancakes in the refrigerator
and freezer to toast them on-demand at breakfast. The whole grain pancakes
recipe soaks the flour overnight, which not only reduces anti-nutrients present
in whole grains, but also makes the end product fluffier and lighter.
Blueberry
Cinnamon and Strawberry Dark Chocolate overnight oats
Ready in
the morning: Blueberry Cinnamon and Strawberry Dark Chocolate overnight oats.
(Photo: Anna Norris)
5.
Overnight Oats: These healthy, tasty concoctions are filling and convenient.
Whip up any number of combinations the night before and have delicious
breakfast ready and waiting for the morning rush.
6.
Healthy baked goods: Another do-ahead breakfast is having pre-made, nutritious
muffins or biscuits on hand. You can serve with a quickly scrambled egg and a
piece of fruit. My favorites include this whole grain biscuit — which as above
is soaked the night before. Kids and adults alike should also enjoy moist
Carrot Oatmeal Muffins.
blueberry
smoothie with mint
A
blueberry smoothie is a colorful, healthy way to start the day. (Photo: Jaymi
Heimbuch)
7. Fruit
smoothies: We are a smoothie-loving family. Smoothies are popular with children
because they're sweet, and they make an easy medium for adding probiotic foods,
like yogurt or coconut kefir. You can also grind up chia seeds or pumpkin seeds
for more protein. Buy some paper straws, and your child can sip his smoothie on
the way to school, if needed. I don't add any sweetener; I simply add a
naturally sweet banana to the fruit mix.
8.
Yogurt and Fruit Topped with Granola: Chop up an apple and some walnuts and top
with plain live-culture yogurt and a drizzle of maple syrup. Sprinkle with
homemade or high quality store-bought granola. Serve. It’s like having a fruit
salad for breakfast.
9.
Italian Breakfast Skewers: We adore this recipe. It does take more time,
however, so do it on a less hectic morning. My 5-year-old loves them!
table of
avocados, tomatoes and fresh herbs
Avocados
and tomatoes lay the groundwork for an amazing breakfast burrito bowl. (Photo:
Arno Jenkins/Shutterstock)
10.
Breakfast Burrito Bowl: We love these for breakfast, lunch or dinner. They are
protein- and flavor-packed.
Parenting
can take a lot of creativity and patience, and getting your children to eat
well is no exception to that rule. Remember that it's a journey, especially if
your child is used to super-sweet cereal. But with persistence, good food and
kindness, you are sure to make headway in feeding your child nourishing food
for breakfast.