Today’s question is from Carrie:
Our oldest daughter is starting kindergarten this year so it is going to be a real adjustment for us to get up and get 0ut the door in the morning. I was wondering if you had any suggestions for quick and easy breakfast ideas that kids will love? -Carrie
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Oh and I don’t have the recipe but you can make sausages wrapped in pancake batter on a stick. Kind of like a corn dog. You’d take a maple braeakfast sausage. Dip in thick pancake batter and fry or bake up. Then put in the freezer to reheat in the microwave later.
Oh and if you are a early riser and want to cook this ahead of time then just heat up. Tator tot breakfast casserole. Eggs cheese, browned sausage and onion poured over frozen tator tots and cooked in the oven at 350 till eggs are set and cheese is bubbly. 🙂 Then portion them out into reheating containers and reheat in the morning.
Oatmeal is good like said above. If you don’t have the time you AND if you can get them on a good sale with coupons or not. The frozen Krusteaz pancakes (not any other brand they are grosse) taste the closest to homemade pancakes as you can find already made. But making it yourself if super easy. I also make my own baking mix and save even more money that way. EGGS are awesome breakfast foods. Alot of times I will have the girls take an egg, a tiny tsp of water a pinch of salt (this is super important so that eggs don’t get crunchy in the microwave) and beat it. Put in the microwave and cook 1 minute stire, then 1 min stir, and so on till it is done. Stir in a little salsa and put in a tortilla. Yum yum yum! 🙂 You can also do crockpot oatmeal. There are tons of recipies online. They use the steel cut oats and you prepare it the night before and wake up to yummy oatmeal. Add in all your milk, sugar and dried fruits and nuts and it is really rather nutritious. 🙂
While we do eat in a healthy way sometimes, sometimes we don’t. That being said, we’ve had the following things offered for breakfast before:
1. pound cake
2. rice krispie treats
3. pear pie
4. pumpkin pie
The thought came to me one day that sugary cereal and pop tarts are probably no worse than standard dessert fare and they get national publicity as “good” breakfast fare. So, why not just have cake or pie?
This morning, though, I served Christmas Eggs from http://joyinmykitchen.blogspot.com/2010/01/christmas-eggs.html . They’re made the day before and baked while you dress in the morning.
Try these “sausage muffins”–make ahead & warm up in microwave or toaster oven.
1 can Grands biscuits (8 ct.)
1 pound breakfast sausage (Jimmy Dean, Owen’s etc.–whatever’s on sale!)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
6 eggs, slightly beaten
Brown, crumble & drain sausage.
Stir together sausage, eggs & cheese.
Split each biscuit into 2 layers; press one “layer” into each cup of muffin pan. Spoon equal portions of egg mixture into each cup.
Bake @350 for about 10-12 minutes. YUM!
My kids love molletes (pronounced mojetes) which I had growing up in Mexico. Basically take hamburger, hotdog buns or leftover french bread split and layed out on a cookie sheet. Spread homemade refried beans (cooked pinto beans mashed with a potato masher) on the bread, and top with shredded cheese (usually mexican blend or colby). Put under broiler until cheese is melted (less than five minutes).
I don’t use canned beans because you can taste the sodium. Home made beans are best.
These disappear in my house.
I myself usually end up eating breakfast in the car on my way to dropping the kids off to school, daycare, and going to work. Some things that work for me are
-whole wheat mini-bagels that I get at aldi’s with some peanut butter and honey. eat it like a sandwich. pair with a piece of fruit
– smoothies! blend desired ingredients in blender (love my magic bullet!) I usually add some protein powder to keep me full. pour into a take along cup with a straw. Walmart has them for about $5. I got a really nice insulated one @ target for $12. Sooo worth it.
-egg sandwich. fry an egg or two. (takes only a few min) put between
a slice or two of bread with a slice of ham and cheese if you like. piece of fruit.
-healthy muffins that I make ahead of time.
The kids have time to eat at home so I make them any of the above or oatmeal, yogurt and berries with granola (kids favorite). and of course there is always cereal.
Hope that helps
peanut butter and a drop of honey on banana slices
sausage egg and cheese biscuits
(I usually preheat oven about 25 degrees lower than the canned biscuit directions say. Tear each canned biscuit in half horizontally and in a sprayed muffin/cupcake tin, lay a biscuit in the bottom and partially up the sides. Meanwhile, brown 1 lb. sausage (we like mixing 1/2 spicy and 1/2 regular, drain. In bowl, mix 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, 3 eggs, and 1 lb cooked sausage (or ham, chopped) and a dash of salt. Spread the sausage mixture into each biscuit and bake for the amount of time on the canned biscuit pkg at 25 degrees less than stated. These freeze beautifully and make them so EASY to pull out one or two for your child to eat. Our 7 year old daughter LOVES these! ‘
peanut butter and honey waffles — nice protein w/ PB
I love these ideas! My family is dealing with breakfast burn-out so I just posted on this topic (http://writeonjana.com/2011/09/01/eating-the-most-important-meal-of-the-day/). With food allergies and very distinct preferences, we are always looking for suggestions!
I’ve seen posts about pancakes and some about sausage. However, my son’s favorite on the go breakfast is a sausage link wrapped in a pancake. We typically have big breakfasts on the weekends and I always make extra to eat throughout the week. I’ll pop the leftover pancakes and sausage in the microwave for about 30 seconds, spread the pancake with a tiny dab of butter and just a drop or two of syrup (adds the flavor without the mess). I then roll the sausage up in the pancake and secure with a toothpick….and out the door we go!
Since we are still having warm mornings – make brakfast popsicles! Yogurt, fruit, honey, anything you want. Pop it out of the mold and…done! Also – totally works to eat in the car if you’re running late:)
Scramble up a dozen eggs…add any veggies and cheese you want.
Fill muffin tins about 3/4 way. Bake at 350 for 12-18 mins or until golden brown on top
Once cooled you can freeze and then reheat whenever
My kids love Maple Bacon Breakfast Rolls, Cinnamon Swirl Bread, and Eggo frozen toaster waffles. I make a batch of the Maple Bacon Breakfast Rolls on Sundays, and they stay good in the refrigerator for a few days. Also, I make Crystal’s breakfast burritos and the cinnamon swirl bread in larger batches and freeze them so they’re ready for the mornings.
Here’s a link to the recipes:
http://myfavoritefinds.blogspot.com/p/our-familys-favorite-foods.html
A couple of weeks ago I (inspired by Crystal!) did a bunch of freezer cooking for breakfasts. And it has been wonderful!!! I cooked up the following:
2 batches Chocolate Chip Pancakes
2 batches Plain Pancakes
2 dozen Chocolate Chip Muffins
2 lbs Scrambled Eggs w/ Ground Sausage (some with peppers and some without)
While the kids will eat scrambled eggs and sausage they aren’t a big fan of eating it together. So next time I will do pancakes, muffins and french toast. We make french toast and then cut it into strips for easier dipping. It has been a huge time saver in the mornings!
My daughter LOVES a whole wheat waffle with Nutella…tastes like a treat, but still pretty healthy. It’s even better topped with some sliced strawberries!
My kids don’t need much variety, so we rotate the same things, waffles from freezer to toaster, cereal and milk, instant oatmeal. Sometimes we do scrambled eggs which don’t take a lot of time. If you cut up fruit the night before, it is quicker to get it on the table.
Peanut butter toast w/bananas and yogurt,Waffles with fresh blueberries over top,pancakes(premade and frozen) with a fresh fruit and juice,cereal with yogurt and bananas,oatmeal with raisins &brown sugar,and eggs with toast and a fruit.
We do peanut butter toast a lot around here. We love peanut butter, it’s simple and easy! It also has a good enough amount of protein to keep you full until a late morning snack or lunchtime!
I still think that a good old fashioned bowl of cereal or oatmeal is a great breakfast to get the kids started. They don’t take long to assemble and they taste great!
YAY for smoothies! And don’t forget to add a big handful of spinach, too. You can’t even taste it or see it and it’s so good for you! Brain power for the kids first thing in the morning. 🙂
We really enjoy bread around this household! My son is a fruit freak too so we just choose whatever fruit is on sale for the week and make that kind of bread to have for breakfast. It’s really easy to just cut off a slice each morning and add a little butter! Our favorites are banana, strawberry and blueberry bread. If you would rather make muffins that would work too. I always double the batch and freeze one of the loafs to have for back-up.
p.s. I am super excited for so many new ideas!
Funny, I just did a post with recipes for quick and easy back to school breakfast ideas. http://www.myopenfridge.com/2011/08/back-to-school-breakfast-ideas.html
This is great! So many brilliant ideas!
I’ve always struggled with this because I am not a morning person, and have unfortunately made my kids anti-morning people as well! We survive on granola bars in our house on school mornings. I’m going to try some of these! Thank you everyone!
my daughter is also starting kindergarten this year 😀
i’ll make up a loaf of bread into french toast, and freeze it. our kids can microwave a piece or two or pop it in the toaster in the morning. easy peasy 😀
I have been struggling with this question for the past 5 years. I have found that I keep a variety of items on hand, such as bagels with cream cheese, toast, breakfast burritios, sausage or bacon that I have precooked on the weekend when we had our family breakfasts, wafles and oatmeal, and yogurt are also hits especially with fruit. I try to balance the above with some protein, like an egg, Z-Bar, or kids portion of a protein shake. Sometime I do smoothies and add protein powder. I also keep about a dozen hard boiled eggs and a dozen fresh eggs. My daughter does not like her eggs to be brown, so I microwave two eggs (sometimes with one or two spoonfuls of cream cheese — adds creaminess, and some dairy to her diet), scramble in microwave safe bowl — microwave on high 45 to 60 seconds, and then mix (should be still liquid in the center), after mixing microwave 30 to 60 seconds (I set it for 60, when the eggs start puffing up out of the bowl, I stop it, and then mix it again), let it set for 20 to 30 seconds and serve.
Another idea for quick omelette — the night before have your child place items that he/she wants in their omelette in a gallon ziplock bag. Add no more than two eggs– seal, shake/ squish to mix, and refridgerate until morning. quickly cook in microwave or in skillet.
Having your child decide the night before is helpful, but unfortunately my daughter sometimes changes her mind. I try to have a preprinted list in the morning of her choices (written or typed once — small flag type post it by those not available)
We like to keep hard boiled eggs in the fridge for breakfast, also smoothies, pancakes and muffins and waffles in the freezer. My Daughter puts a hard boiled egg on a roll and has milk and fruit. Baked oatmeal is another favorite I make before the kids get up and they add warm milk and brown sugar.
My friend always makes oatmeal when it’s cold outside. She mixes in frozen blueberries to cool it down enough for her little girl so they can eat quickly. I thought this was a brilliant idea, especially since she can go to Cosco and get big bags of frozen blueberries very reasonably.
I have found setting a specific item for the day of the week has been extremely helpful both to my kids and myself as we all know what is happening in the morning. It allows us to plan our time better and the kids can even help get things set (getting out the correct type of dish, utensils, etc.)
Monday – Instant oatmeal (2 min) with raisins
Tuesday – Cereal
Weds – Egg McMuffis
Thurs – Cereal
Fri – Eggos (Toaster) with turkey sausage (Mircowave)
Kids seem to thrive on routine and it makes the morning go smoother when everyone is on the same game plan.
Did you come to my house and see what we do for breakfasts? I’m amazed at how nearly our menus are alike!
Mon. – Egg Sandwiches (egg, slice of cheese and/or meat on toast)
Tues. – Cereal
Wed. – Pancakes or French Toast or Baked Oatmeal
Thur. – Cereal
Fri. -Sunny-side up Eggs
We have a menu too for each day, it takes SOME of the guess work out of it!
Mon.- Cereal or Oatmeal
Tues.- Toast or English Muffin
Wed. – Muffins
Thurs. -Pancakes or Waffles (from the freezer)
Friday.- Eggs and Bacon
Rachel Ray’s “Instant” Oatmeal is a great easy breakfast–you make a huge batch Monday morning (or Sun. evening or whenever)–refrigerate it & just heat it up in the morning. We love to add cinnamon and blueberries–yum! Here’s the recipe: 3 C old-fashioned oats, 4 C water, 3 C milk, 3/4 C brown sugar or maple syrup, 1/2 tsp salt. Stir together in large pot. Heat to boiling, stirring often. Once it boils, turn to low & simmer 15-20 mins, stirring often. Add milk to thin if you prefer thinner oatmeal. Add diced, peeled apples or pears, cinnamon, raisins, craisins, bananas, nuts–anything you like in oatmeal. Store in fridge and eat throughout the week. You can store in individual, portion-size containers if you wish. (do not freeze)
this sounds awesome!
This post was meant for me!! My son is not a huge breakfast eater, but his kindergarten class doesn’t have a snack, so I’ve been wondering how I’m going to get his belly full and last over 3 hours! He’s picky, too, which doesn’t help. I’m going to try making some muffins and see if that helps. Anyone have good muffin suggestions? Thanks!
I use containers with dividers and fill with a few choices when we’re on the run. they’re easy for everyone to put on their lap in the car, and you can put different things in to mix it up.
This morning was
hard boiled egg
mini pumpkin chocolate chip muffin
peeled clementine orange
Other things I’ve put in: all kinds of fruit, french toast strips (no syrup), homemade clif bars, oatmeal squares, mini quiches.
A lot of it takes preparation, so I try to make big batches on the weekend and have the same things all week or freeze them.
Oh and I bet that Crystal’s corn dog muffin recipe would be great with breakfast sausage links instead of hot dogs for a filling and portable breakfast!
My favorite quick breakfast of all time is leftover corn bread drizzled in real maple syrup, microwaves for 30 seconds or til hot. Then pour half and half over it and eat with a spoon. I make southern corn bread though so it is not sweetened to begin with and corn syrup based syrupps don’t work, dh tried.it was gross. Anyway, I am so envisioning combining your sausage in the cornbread idea with the syrup and half and half for a blissful tastebud overload. Got some super lean wild boar sausage I’m going to have to try this with.
I end up commuting part of the way to work with my kiddos, and a lot of mornings we are really rushing out the door.
My favorite thing to do is to make big batches of granola bars on the weekend, great for a portable breakfast. My favorite new recipe is from the August All You. I can post my variation if someone wants it. Quick easy, filling, healthy, and reliable!
Sometimes I make extra waffles on the weekend and freeze those, sometimes I buy the boxed frozen ones if I can get them on sale (they were $0.99 this week so I bought 4 boxes).
We also do hardboiled eggs (my kids call them “cold eggs”), peanut butter or Nutella sandwiches, or a quick trail mix of nuts and raisins if I’m truly pinched for time.
If you could post your version that would be great. It’s nice to start with a recipe that is tried and true.
As a former teacher, I want to second all the moms who suggested PROTEIN. Many students “crashed” in the early afternoon because of their sugary, syrupy breakfast. Smoothies are great, especially with some protein powder. Eggs (scrambled, hard boiled, whatever!) with a whole grain (English muffin, toast, waffle) is a teacher’s dream breakfast. Yogurt is alright but really doesn’t have enough protein to last all morning. Think brain food! 🙂
We are vegetarians. Our protein is nuts. Oatmeal topped with walnuts and flax seeds. Soaked almonds in the breakfast. Bread and cheese.
My kids love banana bread in the morning – just slice it and eat
A poptart and a gummy vitamin. The breakfast of champions!
As long as all other meals and snacks are fairly healthy I figure it’s ok.
Sometimes we do instant oatmeal, and she gets to put sprinkles on it herself. My daughter is only 3 1/2 but maybe a 5 year old would be excited about sprinkles too.
My favorite on the go meal for busy mornings is Breakfast in a Muffin:
http://cuttingcouponsinkc.blogspot.com/2011/07/breakfast-in-muffin-recipe.html
These are easy to make and they freeze well.
I have been asking myself this exact question too! I’m out of the house by 6:15 every morning, so I have to leave something ready for her! I think the one thing that has really helped is asking her what she wants, so there are no surprises or arguments in the morning!
We’ve been trying options like homemade fresh fruit popsicles, homemade smoothie popsicles, 100% whole wheat cinnamon toast, a banana, hard boiled eggs, whole wheat pumpkin muffins and making scrambled cheesy eggs the night before. If all else fails, I have an emergency box of Trader Joes cereal bars hiding in the basement. I can “find” one for her to eat in the car if we’re running behind!
We love Eggs In A Bed. It’s a piece of bread with a heart cut out in the center (use a cookie cutter). Put it in a pan, then crack an egg into the heart hole, and cook. When the egg is cooked through, slide it onto a plate and top with the heart-shaped bread center and a bit of butter. See pics here: http://mykitchenmyvice.blogspot.com/2010/05/not-to-be-confused-with-breakfast-in.html
It doesn’t sound appetizing, but it tastes good and is filling. Wheat Mush. One serving would be 1/4 c cracked wheat to 3/4 c water. Salt it, either cook it on your stove, or microwave it. If you have smaller kids are are worried about the heat throw in some frozen fruits and stir. Some of my kids like milk in it with the fruit…others don’t. Growing up I also had rice mush and cornmeal mush…The corn meal is great with apricots.
I have a couple of faves my kids, who are now 20, 18 and 14 still ask for! The first is a breakfast “eggan burrito” as my son named it. All it is is tortillas, scrambled eggs, bacon or sausage, cheese and my youngest likes onions in hers. Put it together even for on the go! The other is called a toadstool, or something like that. Its just texas toast, you cut a circle in it with the rim of a glass, crack an egg and put it inside (I mix them up first), sprinkle crumbled bacon or sausage and cheese on it. Bake at 325 for about 7-10 minutes, kinda watch it and then voila! Its done. The trick for me was to spray the foil I put them on.
http://wp.me/P1LjCe-bp
Breakfast Cupcakes. My kids, including the biggest husband one loves them. I make 2 dozen at a time and they are gone in a week.
I mean my biggest kid, the husband.
Lol. gave me a chuckle… :o)
haha!
I make these mini-crustless quiche for my hubby. Re-warm in the microwave or toaster oven. They are great for using up leftovers!
http://growingupgabel.com/2011/08/mini-crustless-quiche/
We are gluten-free, and rice cakes have been a lifesaver for us. My kids know they have to eat protein before they leave the house, so on a harried morning we slather a rice cake in some kind of nut butter (or sunbutter) with a dab of nutella.
If I plan ahead,mini crustless quiches are a fave. They freeze well and reheat beautifully.
My son has two favorite breakfasts, he loves hard boiled egg sliced with mayo on bread. He also loves waffle sandwiches. We toast 2 waffles, spread a thick layer of yogurt on one waffle, sprinkle with cereal or granola and top with the second waffle and when I have fresh fruit I will slice it and layer it under the yogurt. Both of these a quick and convenient for school mornings.
My kids love Egg Mugs – the recipes come from Hungry Girl. The Egg McMuggin’ is our favorite. Here’s a link:
http://www.hungry-girl.com/newsletters/raw/1256
Don’t forget lunch foods too. I know it may sound weird but a light deli turkey , peanut butter, egg salad etc. sandwiches on whole wheat are super healthy. Pair with some grapes and she’s ready to go. A lot of people nix lunch style foods for breakfast but they are actually healthy for you. If she eats lettuce, you can put some on the sandwich. If it sounds too weird, you can do things like peanut butter toast, cut up hard boiled eggs, paired with fruit. Also, if she likes things like carrot sticks and easy grab veggies…those can be eaten for breakfast too.
My son and I both love mini bean burritos for breakfast: a fajita-sized tortilla topped with a dollop of refried beans, salsa, guacamole, and a sprinkling of cheese. For some reason, this is the only breakfast that really “sticks” with me.
We also like fruit and cheese plates, hardboiled eggs on toast, homemade muffins or granola bars with milk, smoothies, and leftover waffles reheated in the toaster. Also, my mom really loves Snack Well’s Protein Bars, and I’ve been known to steal one every now and then. 🙂
I think the key is to include some form of protein (yogurt, cheese, milk, eggs, nuts or nut butter) in every meal. It helps keep you full all morning!
I love that your breakfast burritos are filled with real burrito stuff! My kind of breakfast!
Mine started college this summer and I STILL do this, lol. I make “brown bag” B-Fasts (labelled as such so as not to be confused with his lunch bag) ahead the night before and leave in fridge if made from scratch or on the table if pulled from the extras from the freezer. OPTIONS: mini choc-chip pancakes with a spoonful of powdered sugar & shook up, chocolate chuck stuffed pillsbury crescents, egg, chz, & bacon/ham/sausage sandwhichs made on bagels, biscuits, english muffines, etc.
Putting in the brown bag works out great also on the many mornings he’s running late and can just grab it and take out the door and eat on the train.
My kids love “Banana Roll-Ups.” Tortillas spread with a mixture of melted chocolate and peanut butter (or you could use Nutella) with a banana and then just roll it up. It surprises me how filling it is, and it’s super easy. You can also do variations of it – different nut butters, no chocolate, honey or jam instead of chocolate, etc. AND you can ADD things to it like finely shredded coconut, ground flax for added nutritional value, etc.
http://onlypenniesaplate.blogspot.com/2011/07/banana-roll-ups.html
That sounds yummy! One son used to like to eat a peanut butter-apple wrap for lunch. I would sprinkle the apple slices with a bit of cinnamon sugar to hide any brown-ness that might occur.
You can make homemade granola bars with dried fruits, nuts (given she isn’t allergic to them or anyone else at home), peanut butter, oats, honey and chocolate chips. It’s really easy to make and it’s portable when you’re super busy. The other ideas of freezing breakfast items is a good idea as well. Mornings are always super hectic in my home so I’m always trying to figure out new ways and ideas to make our mornings run much smoother :o)
The favorite choice of a quick breakfast with my daycare kids are PB on wheat toast with sliced bananas!
I have six kids going in four different directions (high school, middle school, elementary school and preschool). I make up a huge batch of scrambled eggs with real bacon bits (or cooked, crumbled sausage) and let the kids make breakfast burritos. We add shredded cheese and salsa after it’s reheated. You can also add veggies, if your kids like veggies in their eggs. Mine don’t. (I also have hens and look for ways to use up the gazillion eggs we have in our fridge.)
We love Eggs in a Nest. In fact we have them occasionally for a quick lunch.
Simply butter one side of a slice of bread. Place butter side down in a skillet. Cut approx. 1 1/2 in. wide circle out of the center of the bread. Crack an egg into that circle and fry until brown. Then flip and finish browning the other side.
It’s so simple but really yummy and we love them.
Our 5 children love Green Smoothies and really miss them if they don’t start the day with one. Greensmoothiegirl.com says that it’s the best 10 minutes you can invest in your family’s health (but you must have a Vitamix or Blendtec blender to do them). Instructions and recipes are at her website and we her Green Smoothie book is in our local library.
Basically it’s 3 c. cold water, some greens like collards, kale, chard plus lots of spinach and maybe some sprouts (up to the 6 c. line). You blend that very well and then add a bunch of frozen fruit (up to the 9 c. line). Delicious and nutritious! Ours aren’t really green, they’re more purple or orange depending on if it’s heavy in berries or mango/papaya/cantaloupe.
The Vitamix is the best health investment and money saver–being able to quickly and easily make all our own sauces, dips, hummus, pesto, dressings, salsas, soups, batters, smoothies, ice cream, popsicles, etc. has saved so much money and time over buying processed ones in the store.
So I just looked up the cost of the Vitamix….HOLY COW!! The cheapest I saw was around $350?! Is that for real, or am I missing something?
No, that is for real. I have made “green” smoothies with my regular old Oster $40 blender, and it was just fine. My idea of a green smoothie is to toss some spinach in with the fruit and yogurt, though. If your blender will do ice and frozen fruit, it probably can handle spinach and kale!
Ditto on this! We have a Black & Decker and have no trouble with green smoothies!
I killed two blenders doing that…
They are expensive but SO worth the investment. We LOVE our Blentec! We used to go through blender after cheap blender because they couldn’t handle the ice and different things. It was hard to spend that much but I’m so glad we did! You don’t know what you are missing until you have one!
Also toast w/ peanut butter and honey (protein there..) and a piece of fruit. Simple!
Have you tried scrambled eggs in the micro.? Very easy…scramble 1 or 2 eggs and cook in a mug for about 1 min. (depends on the micro.) The texture is a bit different but my kids like them. Hard boiled eggs are a hit at our house too.
I just made Crystal’s Whole Wheat Chocolate chip pancakes. https://moneysavingmom.com/2011/05/whole-wheat-chocolate-chip-oatmeal-pancakes.html
I was able to make about 60 4″ pancakes. They freeze and reheat so well. I just take one out for my son in the morning and reheat it in the microwave. I was even able to adapt it to be dairy free for my son’s food allergies.
I made these for dinner last night, the kids had them for breakfast this morning, and my son took some to school for lunch. Plus, I have 3 breakfasts-worth for all three kids in the freezer. Definately worth the time investment! It’s a great change from the usual cold cereal and oatmeal the kids usually eat for breakast… and CHOCOLATE for BREAKFAST… they feel like they’re getting something over on Mom!
I am also a fan of the freezer pancakes and muffins. We have the Fruity Breakfast Burritos from http://www.onceamonthmom.com in the freezer, too.
To cut down on complaints and my pet-peeve of being the “short order cook,” I sit with the kids on Sunday night and we decide what our breakfast plan will be for the week. I inform them of what 4-6 items we have available and then they work together to decide what day we’ll have each item. Cold cereal w/ milk only happens once a week, and then they only get one bowl. If they’re still hungry they have string cheese, or fruit or yogurt- something like that.
I find toast to take a long time at our house for some reason. I end up being the short order cook as one wants PB & Nutella, the other only PB, the other butter, then everyone wants a SECOND piece with different stuff than the first! I’m doing something wrong, I know, b/c it shouldn’t be that difficult!
Some other favorites:
– the Cheesy Ham Biscuit Lunch Muffins also from http://www.onceamonthmom.com
– oatmeal – either instant or prebaked and frozen
– scrambled eggs in the microwave either plain or on bread w/ a slice of cheese
– french toast sticks frozen and pre-bagged
– smoothies with yogurt and fruit
Maybe save the toast for a weekend day (or vacation days) when you’re not as rushed? Bring the toaster, bread and spreads to the table and chat with them about their week while you’re doing the prep work. They’re only little for a short period of time and soon they’ll be able to make toast for themselves!
I try to balance carb-heavy breakfasts with some protein…hard-boiled eggs, cheese sticks, yogurt, etc. Eating a serving of protein in the morning helps breakfast stick by us longer.
Thanks for this. I’ve been in a breakfast rut. I’m planning to bake ahead some things tomorrow.
My kids love toast with Nutella and a glass of milk. Doesn’t get much quicker than that!
I have three boys 5, 9 and 11. We do a lot of granola bars and string cheese in the car on the way. We also do frozen waffles a lot! Mornings are the worst as far as trying to get everyone something helathy and filling so they can last until lunch 4 hours later. I am going to try egg/cheese english muffins and raspebrry muffins this year for variety!
My son commutes to college so I make him health, portable breakfasts. Smoothies, Clif bars, sliced apples plain or with some peanut butter on them, frozen grapes, chocolate milk, coffee drinks. I am also thinking of doing cheese sticks sometime.
COFFEE DRINKS RECIPE
instant coffee with only a small amount of water added instead of the normal amount, add some sugar, vanilla, and fill the glass up with milk.
I know different people have different names for this.
You cut a circle in the middle of your bread, put it in the pan and crack an egg into the hole of the bread. Toast the bread/egg combo and circle in the pan for them to eat.
my kids call it “eggy in a hole”!
My kids think this is hilarious. We use whole grain bread and they love eating the ‘hole’ too. Protein, fiber, done! With a banana on the side and a glass of milk, it’s a really filling breakfast.
Hmm…wonder if you could freeze this and pop it in the toaster??
eggs in a nest! 🙂
birds in the hole
Marly, how do you flash freeze oatmeal?
Here are some of my son’s favorites:
http://www.momsplans.com/2009/05/breakfast-mueseli/
http://www.momsplans.com/2011/01/a-simple-tasty-healthier-version-of-a-mcdonalds-breakfast-sandwich/
http://www.momsplans.com/2010/02/oamc-breakfast-burritos/
I freeze up a batch of these (except the muesli) ever few weeks and then we just pull them from the freezer on busy days.
I post quick, easy, and cheap breakfast/lunch/dinner ideas on my site – http://www.facebook.com/whataremykidseating.
We eat out of the freezer almost every morning. I make big batches at a time-usually one every weekend. Anything can be heated frozen: muffins, burritos, waffles, pancakes, french toast. I also always shop the sales and can usually stock up on toaster strudels and PopTarts for really cheap (like at Target this week).
I have four kids in school and our mornings are hectic. I like to have breakfast in the freezer. My kids aren’t satisfied with just cereal, though they do like oatmeal. I make big batches of french toast and freeze them to be popped in the toaster. I also do my own variation of the freezer breakfast burritos that Money Saving Mom posted. When I have more time, I make egg, cheese and english muffin sandwiches and freeze those. They reheat in just a couple of minutes. I also make muffins for the freezer. I put them in lunchboxes, but I’m sure they’d be great for breakfast too.
I love baked oatmeal with fruit. You can make a big batch sunday evening and then just heat it in the mornings, in either the over on microwave. It’s healthy, inexpensive, and delicious. I love it when something is great for both your health and budget!
*oven
Ugh, that’s supposed to be “oven or”, not “over on” 🙂
Well, we buy the bulk waffles, it makes our life easier if we don’t change the menu. Everyone is happy eating waffles in the morning and we pop them in the toaster (I had NEVER had a toaster before, and now, it’s all we use in the morning). I personally like variety but the kids have been happier without having to choose….
When I was a freshman in college I had to leave my house by 5:30 every morning. The week before school started I made a big batch of granola bars, energy bars, and chocolate granola bars. When the bars had all cooled, I wrapped them in saran wrap, labeled them, and stuck them in the freezer. I ate one on the way to cheer practice/work (depending on the day). They were great! Lasted me the whole semester. 🙂
Unfortunately, I don’t have those recipes anymore (freshman year was 4 years ago!), but you can easily make a big batch of your favorite bars and do this. I really wish I had the recipe for that chocolate one….
We love granola bars at our house, although ours are usually snack food. We do the same as you and cut and wrap them in plastic wrap. They all get thrown in a plastic container in the freezer.
I have two granola recipes we like, but neither has chocolate, althought I don’t see why you couldn’t add choc chips instead of the raisins in the first one.
a chewy substainal one….
http://fromchapelhilltochickenville.blogspot.com/2011/04/easter-raisin-nests.html
and a sweet orange flavored one….
http://fromchapelhilltochickenville.blogspot.com/2010/04/promised-land-granola-bars.html
My favorite muffin recipes these days are ham and cheese, banana chocolate chip (a real kid pleaser)…
http://fromchapelhilltochickenville.blogspot.com/2010/07/banana-chocolate-chip-muffins.html
a great fall one with fresh apples chopped up in it….
http://fromchapelhilltochickenville.blogspot.com/2010/10/fresh-apple-maple-muffins.html
if you want to keep the batter in your fridge and bake them fresh in the morning, this is the recipe for you, raisin bran muffins….
http://fromchapelhilltochickenville.blogspot.com/2010/05/raisin-bran-muffins.html
Our girls love Bagels and boiled eggs with either milk or juice. The eggs take some time, but she does her morning chores while I’m cooking them. Both are very filling and last until snack time later that morning. Certainly nothing fancy, but good nonetheless!
Preboiling eggs makes them quick to use in the morning. If your kids will eat cold eggs, boil a dozen and then put them back in the carton in the fridge, clearly labelled of course. I keep a carton labelled “Hard boiled eggs” in the fridge, and husband and kids can have them for a quick breakfast or snack.
When you hard boil the eggs, throw in some onion skins and the eggs will be dyed brown, easy to recognize which are hard boiled then.
In the morning I heat water in the kettle for tea, then I pour some of it in a small pot and throw the cold pre-cooked eggs in. In just a couple minutes, we have nice warm boiled eggs. Saves time and you still get that yummy warm egg. Figured this one out cause I love hard-boiled eggs but not when they’re cold. 🙂
Try “pancake muffins”…bisquick pancakes , fill muffin cup halfway then add your favorite pie filling or other fruit filling, then cover with more pancake, bake. They are easily frozen and thawed in the microwave. Eat one with a glass of milk and some fresh fruit or just by themselves…good luck.
This sounded so good that I just made them for dinner (and I have some left for breakfast :D). Filled them with blueberries and raspberries.
This sounds good, I think I will make some of these this weekend and freeze them. Typically how long do you pop it in the microwave?
about 45 to 60 seconds per muffin.
how long and at what temp do you bake these?
350 degrees for about 20 to 30 minutes. (depending on your stove)
Scrambled eggs and toast – (sometimes a little cheese or sausage in the eggs).
baked Amish oatmeal
Make ahead and freeze:
healthy muffins
whole wheat waffles
whole wheat pancakes
Serve fruit with all of the above.
I’m not a big fan of making separate kid food. Whatever the adults eat should be what the kids eat, ideally. I have some picky eaters, so I know it’s not easy. There was a time where if a child didn’t like what I made, then she would get cereal instead. Big mistake! Caused lots of headaches, and took a long time to retrain everyone that Mommy is not a short-order cook.
I am a firm believer that mom is not a short-order cook! 🙂
I agree! I wish my daughter could understand this though 🙂
I happily make separate breakfasts and lunches for each of my kids and plan enough variety into dinner so that everyone has a balanced meal.
I think the same way you do. I was never a short order cook for either of my kids and I have had a lot of friends not ‘understand’ my way of thinking.
I do not want to be a short order cook, but I have one child that just despises dairy. He is 10 and hasn’t drank milk in 7 years and he gags if i try to sneak yogurt into something. I wish I could serve all 3 fruit and yogurt in the morning, but realistically, It’s not gonna happen. He usually gets cereal if the girls are having yogurt.
My 12 yr. old doesn’t care for dairy either (although he will drink smoothies, thank goodness). He likes peanut butter and banana sandwiches for breakfast. Not really my taste, but it’s healthy enough and he makes his own so I’m fine with it. For a while there he was on a baked potato kick. Yes, for breakfast. He would top it with cheese and sour cream. (I’m okay with the higher calories because he’s under weight). I can’t imagine eating a baked potato for breakfast but whatever. He makes it himself in the microwave and it’s tons healthier than a sugary cereal so I’m okay with it. Fortunately my other 3 kids are much easier to feed breakfast to. They like french toast, fruit and yogurt with granola, muffins, smoothies, and oatmeal. All of my kids love scrambled eggs and will gladly eat those on the mornings I have time to make them.
I have never liked milk and my youngest is allergic to milk protein so we have a variety of “milk” in our house. He loves rice milk, I find it a little bland. I have fallen in love with So Delicious coconut milk (unsweetened) though! I really like cereal, but never ate it since I couldn’t stand milk, but the coconut milk is awesome. Try it out, you may open up a new area of possibilities. Almond milk is good too, but on the sweet side.
One of my son’s favorites is a slice of whole grain toast or a bagel thin with peanut butter and honey.
I love peanut butter and syrup toast. You mix syrup into peanutbutter until it is really smooth and then spread on toast. It sounds really odd but it tastes so good.
It’s not odd! We always ate peanut butter and syrup growing up and sometimes still do. I prefer it to jelly. Absolutely yum-o!
My son loves to eat crackers and cheese for breakfast. He’ll have it with a banana and either juice or milk. Sometimes we add turkey pepperoni too. It may not be tradional breakfast food, but it’s quick and my picky son will eat it.
I agree. If all they have is a cheese sandwich or crackers and cheese I feel that counts. It’s not like I’m giving him donuts or some other empty calorie item.
My son loves peanut butter & jelly for breakfast. I buy the healthiest ingredients I can and it’s quick easy so I’m happy. It’s also really neat for a 3 yr old. I cut it in strips. Yogurt or syrup is a disaster in my house and a clothing change throws off any schedule.
Yes, I often make my son eat pancakes or yogurt in his underwear. If it’s winter I’ll wrap a towel around him.
We do peanut butter crackers or cheese crackers quite often with my three. They aren’t into traditional breakfast foods. This way, they get a good mix of protein, fat, and carbs to last the morning.
Oh, also sunflower seeds, cashews, almonds or peanuts have to good fats and protein.
During the school year, I make big batches of muffins on the weekend (blueberry, banana, pumpkin, etc.) and freeze them. Pop one in the microwave for 20-30 seconds, and it’s warm and ready to go! My kids love them, and after a few weeks, we’ve usually got a pretty good variety going. I use an oatmeal-based recipe, low on sugar, so they’re hearty and usually full of fruit and nuts.
Bonus – when my oldest is running late (ahem… always) he can always wrap one in a napkin and eat it on the bus 🙂
I second this idea. I started doing that near the end of last school year, and this past weekend before school, I made several batches of muffins (half whole wheat and half white flour) and froze them. Serve with some fresh fruit, milk and/or juice, and it should keep her full until lunch.
Some of my kids balk at having to eat a regular sized muffin, but they will happily eat several mini sized ones, so I usually make some of each size to make the mornings go smoother!
Cam you post that recipe? Sounds great!
Gotta try Crystal’s pumpkin chocolate chip – they are to die for! We make them on a regular basis around here.
I’m w/a lot of you on the freezing pancakes & waffles. I like to make homemade cinnamon blueberry banana of each and freeze. Also, I make a double batch of oatmeal “cookies” packed full of cinnamon & flax seeds. Throw baby foods like prunes, bananas, applesauce or blueberries… She’s not old enough for raisins or dried cranberries yet, but I’m sure they’d be yummy additions. They freeze well & she digs “cookies” for breakfast! 🙂
do you have a recipe for your breakfast “cookies”
here’s a recipe for breakfast cookies that we enjoy:
1/3 c butter, softened
1 c peanut butter
1 c brown sugar
2 bananas
2 t vanilla
2 eggs
1/3 c buttermilk
1/2 c white flour
1 1/2 c whole wheat flour
2 c quick cooking oats
1/2 c wheat germ
1 t salt
1 t cinnamon
2 t baking soda
1 c crasins
beat butter, p. butter, brown sugar, bananas, vanilla; add eggs and buttermilk
mix flours, oats, wheat germ, salt, cinn, baking soda
mix wet and dry ingredients; add crasins
350 for 18-20 min.
Can u use regular milk instead of buttermilk? Do u have to use wheat germ and crasins? Also do u just scoop these out on a pan like u do cookies ? thanks
To make a buttermilk substitute, add a Tbsp of lemon juice to a cup of milk and let sit a few minutes. This recipe calls for 1/3 c. buttermilk, so add one tsp of lemon juice to milk.
I use Pioneer Woman’s “Oatmeal Crispies” as a base & go from there. I omit the regular sugar, just sticking w/a c of brown sugar, add a tbsp of maple syrup, a splash of orange juice, 2 tbsp flax seeds (they toast up during baking), about a 1/2 c. toasted coconut & 2 tsp. cinnamon. In addition to the 3 c. of quick oats the recipe calls for, I add a c. of baby oatmeal for the added benefits. I’m sure you could play w/the shortening as well, using a 1/2 c. applesauce or bananas & 1/2 shortening… I will do that in the future. I just made 4 batches. My & my hubby’s batch contains chocolate chips and walnuts. Yummo!
If you don’t freeze the rolls first, cut the baking time down to 8 mins or the bottoms will overcook…
Here’s the link to PW… http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/09/marlboro_mans_favorite_cookies_oatmeal_crispies/
Oh and check out my blog – I love talking recipes! 🙂
http://ava-n-isla.blogspot.com
We like yogurt and fruit. Otherwise, we’ve made trail mix and had the oldest eat it in the car on late mornings. Muffins (I make them while I’m making supper the night before) are also pretty popular and quick.
My grandson is in Kindergarten this year so I completely understand where you are coming from!! So far, he has only eaten breakfast twice at home because the cafeteria is just so fascinating to him at school that he wants to eat breakfast there!! I think to him it’s like going out to eat every day and he loves it!! 🙂
I often buy the Jimmy Dean pre cooked sausage and you just have to throw it in a pan and warm it up and brown it and it’s done…he loves his with syrup 🙂 I usually also buy some of those little prepackaged “fruit packs” from the veggie aisle at Wal Mart (they have grapes, apples etc) in them…it’s idk….6 packs for about $3 bucks…I usually give him one of those as well…
I wrote a blog on back to school breakfasts…go take a look…maybe she will like one of them!! 🙂 Sending my best wishes to the both of you for a Happy year of Kindergarten!!
Carol
http://thebesttexasmimi.blogspot.com/2011/08/yummy-breakfast-recipes.html
http://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Funny-Thing-Called-Life/215255155193437
I like to premake smoothies that they just have to add juice or milk to. Cut up about 1/2 cup of soft fruit like bananas and strawberries, etc. Add 1/2 cup of yogurt, place in a snack bag and put all of the bags into a larger freezer bag and freeze. All you have to do is add 1/2 cup of juice to the blender along with the premade mixture and blend! It makes about 2 large cups of smoothie. Serve with whole grain toast or waffle! P.S. When you make waffles or pancakes, just double your batch and freeze the extra pancakes or waffles for later breakfasts!
We are very “into” smoothies these days at our house. Thanks for the tip! I may also get to work on pancakes tonight too. School starts next week here 🙂
my suggestions:
–overnight oatmeal in crockpot
–biscuit or english muffin breakfast sandwiches, these can be made ahead and frozen or set in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
–breakfast burritos
–pancakes or waffles or french toast, I make these ahead of time and stick in the freezer and the kids can take out 2 or 3 and heat up in the toaster and serve. 🙂
–variety of muffins done ahead serve with fruit or yogurt
–fruit & yogurt parfaits
–cold cereal, I don’t do this one that much but when I do the kids only get one bowl and then have a bagel, muffin, toast as a side along with fruit or yogurt.
–toast and fruit
–bagel and fruit
We do the crockpot oatmeal overnight. We use
1 part steel-cut oats
1 part heavy cream
4 parts water
any dried fruit
cook overnight on low.
You can subsitute soy, almond or any other less fatty milk for the cream but beware you will have a burn ring to scrub off the crockpot for cleanup. We used soy when my son had a milk allergy.
Also my kids eat flavored waffles with out syrup just fine in the car on non-oatmeal days.
I love whole grain waffles with penut butter. You get the good carbs and protein. I add seom chocolate chips for special occassions.
My daughter’s favorites are whole wheat toast with grape jelly or peanut butter and honey. Throw in a glass of milk and whatever fresh fruit they may like, and it’s quick, tasty, healthy, and filling.
I always make a whole loaf of french toast and keep it in the fridge. My kids grab a couple of slices, microwave them, add syrup and eat on their own (they are 9 and 6).
Hi Ryanne — I always freeze my homemade French toast but you are saying it can just be refrigerated? For how many days? That would be quicker than heating homemade French toast
Katht
Smoothies are a great, healthy way to send kids off in the morning!
I make big batches of old fashioned oatmeal. I put scoops of oatmeal on a cookie sheet, flash freeze them, then dump in a gallon bag. They reheat in minutes and you can add fresh berries, dried berries, brown sugar, milk, whatever you like.
*Forehead smack* I can’t believe I never thought of this! Brilliant!
Brilliant!
Is flash freeze any different than putting them in the freezer?
nope. just freezing them seperately on the cookie sheet so they are individual size.
“flash freeze” could be termed “freeze individually” so as not to have them stick together. If you threw all the oatmeal into a bag, you would have a giant lump of frozen oatmeal. If you freeze scoops individually on a cookie sheet and then throw them in a bag after they are frozen, you would get the desired effect.
Seriously I can’t believe I have never thought of that either. Thank You.
Hi, when you make the big batch of oatmeal, do you make it with milk or water? I make old fashioned oatmeal (with milk) every morning for my kids and it takes forever. This is a great idea! Thanks so much!
Either would probably work. I cook ours with water because we top ours with blueberries and milk.
It only takes 5 minutes to make “old-fashioned” oatmeal in the microwave… (as long as you’re only doing it for one person).
And some of the new microwaves are even faster.i can do a batch for the while family in 3 minutes. 1/3 cup per adult, 1/4 per small child, double the water. Use a large bowl, it likes to over flow. Then stir and add the fun stuff which will absorb any excess moisture.
My kids LOVE breakfast burritos, and I know there are recipes on here for freezer breakfast burritos. I haven’t tried it yet, mostly because I homeschool and I am here to make them breakfast in the mornings, but it sounds like such an AWESOME idea. Also we don’t own/use a microwave oven, so it would be difficult to heat up for us.
you can heat breakfast burritos up in the oven too! 🙂 When I make them I wrap them up individually in foil to freeze so I just take out how many I need and stick on a cookie sheet still in the foil…heat at 375° for 10-15 minutes or until heated through. 🙂
I didn’t know this! Awesome! Thanks a bunch!
PB Toast, Homemade muffins….make them ahead, a couple kinds and pop them in the freezer…..defrost them in the microwave for a minute and serve with PB or some fruit.
Egg in a frame
I usually make up big batches of french toast and pancakes. I freeze them in 2’s or 3’s. The kids just pull them out of the freezer and into the toaster. Voila, instant gourmet breakfast in less than 2 minutes.
How do you reheat the Pancakes? I used the microwave before but I dont like how they come out!
try to make them toaster sized!
Great idea! Toast size! Thanks
I never thought of toasting pancakes! Interesting!
I re-heat mine in a toaster oven. It took my husband 6 years to talk me in to getting a toaster oven and now it’s my go-to appliance!
Toaster.
We simply pop the pancakes in the toaster and the kids eat them up…same for waffles!
Do you put syrup on them if you’re “on the go”. How does that work?
you can either mix the syrup into the batter for maple-flavored ones, or you could bring a small container to roll and dip the pancakes into if your kids are bigger and not too messy.
Thanks!
Try jam, jelly, or preserves instead of syrup for a little fruit and it stays-put a lot better!
Peanut butter and bananas on leftover pancakes! Yum!
My boys love berry pancakes or banana/walnut pancakes with no syrup. They have never had syrup on their pancakes–they used to have unsweetened applesauce but now prefer to eat them plain.
for on the go waffles we add cheese and cooked bacon or sausage with grated potatoes to the batter! It is like a sandwich in a waffle!
I love homemade frozen waffles toasted in the toaster and then spread with peanut butter. Filling, easy, and quick!
I do that too! My 5 year old loves whole wheat oatmeal pancakes with peanut butter. I freeze a bunch then heat in the toaster. I just roll it up and off we go. He can eat it in the car.
http://www.livingonadime.com/breakfast-snack-ideas-picky-eaters/
We have a huge list above. Here is one idea:
Stir any of the following into oatmeal:
sugar
cinnamon and sugar
brown sugar
butter or margarine
molasses
maple syrup
applesauce
chopped apples
dried apples
raisins
berries
bananas
chopped peaches
jam or jelly
plain or fruit yogurt
wheat germ
dark brown sugar and 1 drop of maple extract makes oatmeal taste just like the store bought instant oatmeal
Yes, oatmeal, oatmeal, oatmeal! You don’t have to buy instant for it to be quick prep. Just put some regular oats in a pot in the evening, pour in water, cover and let stand overnight on your counter or in your fridge. Set it on the stove in the morning and with a little stirring it should cook to creamy perfection in about five minutes. My kids like it so much that all they need is milk poured over it. I sneak sugar into mine because so far they devour it without sugar and I don’t want to get them started on that, but I can’t stand it without brown sugar myself.
It’s extra creamy and nutritious if prepared with milk instead of water.
make up somethings you can freeze and pop in the microwave in the morning…. like english muffin sandwiches or breakfast burritos.