Breakfast, as you may have heard, is the most important meal of the day. That’s especially true for kids returning to school, who need fuel for energy and learning. But serving a healthy breakfast can feel like one more challenge for parents trying to get themselves and their kids out the door on time. Never fear. With a bit of planning, breakfast can be a great opportunity to get dairy, fiber, fruits and even vegetables into a child’s diet. And it doesn’t have to be complicated. It’s not like there’s one perfect breakfast. Just try to include a mix of proteins, complex carbs from whole grains and healthy fats, this helps stabilize blood sugar and appetite.
A few strategies for planning good breakfasts on school mornings:
Eggs Can Be Easy
Try make-ahead egg cups or breakfast burritos, which can be prepped on Sunday. Just scramble eggs with a variety of chopped add-ins (sausage with diced onion and peppers, or perhaps bacon and spinach), and then put the eggs in a tortilla with a bit of cold cheese and wrap it in plastic wrap heat in microwave or freeze it. Choose whole-grain tortillas or flatbread. Another make-ahead option: Fill the cups of a muffin tin with a mix of egg, veggies and meat, then bake. Once they’ve cooled, pop them out and freeze or refrigerate the individual egg cups. Then quickly microwave them at breakfast time, served with a piece of fresh fruit.
Grains can be quick
Try topping whole-grain toast or a whole-grain waffle with natural nut butter, sliced bananas or other fresh fruit on top, and perhaps a drizzle of honey. This breakfast hits the macro-nutrient goals of protein, whole grain and healthy fats, and the fruit adds vitamins. A hard-boiled egg made the night before can provide extra protein. Try adding avocado, which has healthy monounsaturated fat and is high in vitamins. Consider a quick avocado toast on whole-grain bread, served with a hard-boiled egg and piece of fruit. Another whole-grain option: overnight oats made in a Mason jar, or oatmeal set up the night before in a slow-cooker.
Cold Breakfast Can Be Cool
If you prefer a cold breakfast, try Greek yogurt with flaxseed, granola and fresh fruit mixed in, and perhaps a bit of honey. Hard-boiled eggs also go well with this. Maybe pack an entire breakfast into a blender to create smoothies. Fresh fruit, yogurt or milk, peanut butter and even greens can go in. Or bake healthy muffins in advance. Search for recipes with plenty of fruit or nuts and whole grains. Make a large batch and freeze them. Veggies can be hidden in many muffin recipes, and are front-and-center in recipes like carrot-raisin muffins. Or try to pack an entire breakfast into a blender to create smoothies. Blend up fresh fruit, yogurt, milk, peanut butter and even greens!
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