Breakfast Ideas

Smoothies - I've used these for breakfast or after school snacks. I add protein since my son seems to need more throughout the day and he's allergic to peanut butter. It takes only 2 minutes. The main ingredient is plain kefir, a cultured milk product similar to yogurt, but higher in protein, and lower in sugar. There are flavored versions, sweetened with cane juice, but then the sugar count goes up again. Kefir also has inulin, natural fiber with a bonus of helping the body absorb calcium.

Recipe:
Add the following in a blender.
4-6 oz. plain kefir (buy in quarts at Kroger, Sprouts, Central Market, Herb Mart, or Whole Foods)
1 scoop whey protein (optional, I use natural vanilla flavor)
handful of frozen fruit(any kind or favorite combo - strawberries, peaches, mango, raspberries, blackberries, cherries, pineapple)
1 packet stevia sweetener if needed (depends on the fruit)

Blend and serve. Sometimes I add banana which makes it thicker and I definitely don't need sweetener then. Buying the bags of frozen fruit means I always have the ingredients on hand. Stevia is a natural plant sweetener I found at Herb Mart, but I've been seeing it more often in other stores as well.

If you have several kids, make a larger batch. It won't go to waste!

My friend makes her kids some wonderful frozen breakfasts that they love! She layers yogurt, fruit or berries, and granola in a waffle cone, wraps it in foil and freezes it. The kids are getting a healthy breakfast and gobble it up as fast as a treat, they think its breakfast ice cream lol!

My kids are 16 and 21. All through school we had a rule that they didn't leave the house with out breakfast. Try bacon and cheese toast finger. Fry the the bacon(can be done the night before or on the weekend) the crumble it on bread add shredded cheese and toast under the broiler. Cut into fingers and serve. She will love it and it will stay with her until lunch. Try english muffin add sausage and cheese and spaghetti sauce put under broiler for a morning pizza, my kids loved it. Oatmeal is still fabulous for kids, serve it with sausage balls for a hardier breakfast. I have made sausage balls(go to bisquick's website if you don't have a recipe)on Saturday morning and stored then in the fridge to be used all week for breakfast. Apple slices with peanut butter and the sausage balls are great as well as a slice of melon or pineapple. I hope this helps and doesn't gross you out. My kids still eat breakfast and they will zap a cheese hot dog, wrap in a tortilla and add mango chutney for a quick out the door breakfast. They have been taught that any thing in the fridge is fair game.
A.

My son created PB-AB-Ws. Peanut butter and apple butter on waffles sandwhiches when he was 7. We eat on the go (in the car) a lot so this works well. We also cook turkey sausages (less fat) and have those with waffles and juice or milk. My kids love fruit. If I can get 3 food groups in them per meal, I am happy.

How about breakfast burritos. Can be made ahead of time and frozen. I make mine with scrambled eggs,hash browns,cheese, and either cooked bacon or crumbled cooked sausage. Roll up in flour tortillia and you have a quick and easy meal. Good for adults also, but made spicier with salsa, onions, jalapanos, etc. If frozen, place in microwave to defrost (or refrig overnight) and cook on medium power until level of warmness desired. Also, may try "pigs in a blanket" or cinnamon toast, home made egg McMuffin with sausage.

This is from the book "THE SNEAKY CHEF" By Missy Chase Lapine. A must have book.
Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins
1 cup Flour Blend
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt (I don't use the salt)
2 eggs
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
3/4 cup orange puree
3/4 cup peanut butter
8 heaping tsp. jam
Preheat oven 350 line muffin pan with paper liners. Mix dry ingredients then wet and add dry to wet. Scoop about 2 Tbs. of batter into cups then add the tsp. Jam and cover with 2 Tbs. batter. Bake 25-30 min.
Note: Jelly doesn't work must use jam.
Flour Blend: 1 cup flour, 1 cup whole wheat flour, and 1 cup wheat germ (unsweetened)
Orange Puree: 1 med. sweet potato peeled and rough chopped, 3 med. carrots sliced into thick chunks, and 3-4 Tbs. water. In pot cover potato and carrots with cold water and boil for 20 min. are until tender. Drain put in food processor with water puree.
You have good protein with the peanut butter and wheat germ and she gets some veggies. I get Raw Wheat Germ from Whole Foods and I use Organic Peanut Butter it was a little dry so you may want to add a little honey.

Hi M.:
I have a 20 month old son. His favorite breakfasts usually include a banana, organic yogurt (a bit messy, I know - but I usually help with this one) and an organic fuit & cereal bar. I feel like he's getting a healthy start to his day. He also likes cinnamin/raisin bread with applesauce. I make a batch of whole grain pancakes and freeze them. You can pop a couple in the microwave and they are so non-messy, they can even be eaten in the car. The low sugar instant oatmeal is a favorite, too (and a bit messy). Hope this give you a few ideas!

What about plain whole fat yogurt? You could even mix in some fresh or frozen fruit or some sort of grain (oatmeal or a healthful cereal). Also, what about a really good smoothie? I make a variation of Dr. Sears' smoothies, and am very pleased with them. http://www.askdrsears.com/html/4/t040400.asp#T040402
is a link to the page where you can find recipes for smoothies. If it's for breakfast, make sure you include the tofu, and I always add a handful of fresh spinach to every smoothie I make. It's easy to hide the spinach flavor among the fruits and my daughter just slurps them up (an immersion blender has been so helpful with these as there's very little cleanup required)! That same Dr. Sears page has some other ideas for breakfast foods.
Also, I've found a copycat recipe for IHOP's Harvest Grain and Nut pancakes that I like http://www.joycesfinecooking.com/Copycats/ihops_harvest_g...
(Leave out the nuts if you don't want to give them to your daughter just yet). You could throw in some blueberries and include some yogurt to round out the meal. Also, I like LifeStream's frozen Flax Waffles (100% whole grain). Finally, I make pizza packed with veggies on 100% whole wheat pitas, and some leftover pizza would be most delicious and healthful for your daughter (just cut it into bites before you pack it for school)! Thanks for a good question. I look forward to reading all the responses!

Hi M.,

We love breakfast at our house. We are blessed with a 16 month old girl who loves to eat healthy foods, yeah! I make her french toast several mornings a week. I just scramble an egg, add cinnamon and use whole grain, whole wheat bread. Start to finish it takes about 5 minutes. She loves it. She also eats all fruits including grapefruit, which she loves. You could try grapefruit, blueberries, cut up strawberries any fruit is a great way to start the day. We also make blueberry whole grain pancakes (sometimes I even sneak in pureed sweet potatoes), which you could do the night before and store in the fridge, by the time she was ready to eat them they would be a good temp. Omlets are also great, with cheese and broccoli, tomatoes, zucchini, any veggie. Also, smoothies are big at our house. Hope this helps!

hi M. !!

yea for you for not giving in to a " poptart " breakfast !!i am the same way . and my two boys get tired , too, of eggs the same way . we need quick things on the go as well . have you tried the yogurt smoothies ? the " lite " kind have less suger but the protien is still high . i use a steak knife poke a hole through the lid put in a straw and off we go ! also , the instant carnation breakfast has ALOT of protien and is like drinking choc. milk but have to be careful w/ the sugar content . i also let my boys add a junk item to their brkfst. if they eat their eggs first ie , poptart ,waffle , cinn. /suagr toast, cereal and since they eat their eggs first they don't have alot of room for the junk . oh if you are having to keep this to an "on the go eat in the car" thing i buy the disposable hot beverage cups w/lids and use them for the boys inst. brkfst. drinks . you can wash and reuse them . but i guess at 18 months your little one still uses a sippy , well save that tid bit for when she's older !! i hope this helps have fun w/ your little one ! - K.

My little ones are bigger now but both enjoyed french toast with cream cheese on top - easy to make and, especially if you use whole wheat & light cream cheese, pretty nutritious. We still do waffles, pancakes and fruit or sometimes just PB&J when we're rushing!

My girls like Irish Oatmeal with some raisins and/or craisins added in the last 5 minutes of cooking. You can get Irish Oatmeal at Sprouts in the bulk section or at the grocery store under the brand name McCann's (but that's more expensive). It takes a bit longer to cook, but if you plan for that, it shouldn't be too hard. Also Old Fashioned Oats are hearty, cheap, and taste about the same. My girls don't like instant and quick cooking oats (but they are picky and spoiled). Oatmeal has lots of fiber and will keep her tummy full.

Also, I like Quinoa (pronouned keen-nwa) for just about any meal. You can find that in the bulk section at Sprouts, too. Its a grain (or maybe a seed?). Here's a link to a recipe for Quinoa Pilaf, but I use chopped apples in lieu of the carrots and low sodium chicken broth instead of vegetable broth. And you can omit the nuts if you need to. It reheats really well in the microwave. Be sure to rinse the quinoa really well in a mesh strainer before you cook it, or it may taste bitter. http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Quinoa-Pilaf-2/Detail.aspx

Good luck. Feeding kids is always a challenge!

Oat meal with a little cinnamon, sugar and butter. They love it. Also malto meal it good.

What about warming up a thick piece of lunchmeat cut into piece. I find it convinient to give my kiddos a tortilla with lunchmeat and cheese, heated and rolled up.

Have you considered yogurt? What about oatmeal? If you make it the night before it will have a thicker consistency in the am. Fruit smoothies with yogurt and/or peanut butter is another drinkable option that you can control what is in it. Homemade muffins is another great protable option you can also control what is in. I sneak all kinds of good stuff in mine.

Good luck!

Have you ever tried Chocolate Malt-O-Meal? I have always loved it and when my neices were little and would come and spend the night, I would make it for breakfast. They even wanted it in the summer time, because they liked it so much. It is filling and very good.

While eggs are great, sometimes, there are other nutritionals foods for your little one. How about oatmeal, fresh fruit(apple slices, strawberries, melon, orange slices, kiwi,peach slices, pineapple, etc), yogurt, french toast sticks, peanut butter/honey on an english muffin, little smokie/cheese sticks(mozarelli), smoothies, and be creative! Just plan ahead, and don't wait until the last minute to decide the menue. You will be great, because you are already concerned about your child to even want to give choices for better nutritional values! You are a great Mom!~

Hi M., my son loves to eat a banana and a peice of whole grain toast with honey or jelly, no butter. He is 20 months old and has eaten this for months now. Sometimes I notice he is not eating his banana and I switch the fruit to blueberries and oatmeal. He love's it!

Hope this helps,

N.

On school days or when there is a math meet or such on the weekend, my kids were required to drink Low Glycemic Meal Shakes (vanilla or cocoa). You mix it with unsweetened almond milk (my favorite) or cow's milk and the nutrients of vitamins, minerals, fiber are all served up. The protein powers the brain and the fullness keeps them happy for hours.

-M

You can find meal shakes from a Shaklee representative (www.Shaklee.com) or contact me, ____@____.com Shakes specifics: http://www.shaklee.net/michelleedwards/product/MealShakes

Try oatmeal and yogurt with a little brown sugar and cinnamon. My kids love it. We use the yogurt in different flavors instead of milk.

I really recommend serving fruit for breakfast...the list is endless! Also, introduce healthy grains...oatmeal, but not that instant stuff with very little grain and lots of sugar & artificial things..There are some good natural cereals in the healthy food section & whole grain breads serve with either organic milk or even rice or almond milk. Think natural and it will pay off. It's so much easier to start them early on healthy choices rather than trying to fight the battles later. I applaud you for even asking! You must be a great Mom!

i am a working mom also and on top of that it is hard for me to get up in the mornings so my kids eat on the way to school. They have toasted waffles-blueberry and strawberry, pancake/sausage on a stick, taquitos that are in the freezer section and i put in a baggie and leave it open-put in in microwave for 45 sec or so and the baggie keeps them soft, pop-tart-every once in a while. My girls are 10 and 5 and we have been doing this for years. They are very healthy. Neither are over weight or under weight. I know all these other moms must be great moms and all with the fruit and organic stuff but fruit is also sugar and dos not last long.

My 2 yr old has loved Nutrigrain bars and sliced bananas for breakfast since he was that age. It's healthy and easy. He also likes waffles with strawberries or thick yogurt he can feed himself. Now that he's gotten older he looooooves just a plain old bowl of cheerios. He feeds this to himself well but not until about 22 months or so was it manageable. Hope that helps!

It has been my experience that younger kids do not want change. As a matter of fact, they seem to almost crave "sameness" (not sure what the right word is). If she likes eggs, I wouldn't worry about her getting bored. My oldest son went through a time when all he wanted was beans, for breakfast, lunch and dinner. But if she does want something different, my kids like fruit, yogurt, toast. My six-year-old likes only hot cereals (oatmeal, cream of wheat).

Maybe some cut up organic fruit, yogurt (or make a yogurt parfait with granola)or oatmeal. Look online under Kraft.com or do a serach on the internet for healthy morning options for 18 mo. child.

We buy the generic brand of Quaker Minute Oats. We add bananas, cinnamon, allspice, and peanut butter. We make them w/milk so it is creamier; make enough for left overs. We also make pancakes w/the same ingredients and make enough for left overs. I have tried french toast but the left overs get soggy. I do like the brand waffles in the frozen section of WalMart-I get the O'Lean brand as it is lower in fat and sodium. Our usual is generic honey nut cherrios w/banana's and Sam's blueberries in it. Hope this helps:) God Speed

We usually do a combination of two of the following when we can't do eggs, oatmeal, pancakes, etc., at home - we've done pancake on a stick (which is like a corn dog only with a pancake wrapped around a breakfast sausage), my son loves all kinds of berries so we'll do a bowl of berries (black, blue or strawberries usually), and/or a bowl of Quaker Oat Squares, Life, Kix, honey nut cheerios or some other dry cereal, and/or a banana and/or a yogurt, and always 8 oz of milk. We've even done a turkey and/or American cheese on whole wheat sandwich when we've been out of "breakfast" food. It's just carbs and protein just like a biscuit and sausage would be, only probably healthier. Kids are not usually tied to "breakfast" food for breakfast so as long as it has protein, carbs, and a little bit of fat, it can be a good breakfast.

I know it may sound boring but a PB&J on toast with maybe some raisins,bananas, or craisins thrown in the PB. If done on whole wheat (fiber), PB (protein and healthy fat), raisins or other fruit sliced up provide a good carb. If PB is an allergy issue you could try lowfat cream cheese or almond butter/soy butter. You can get the almond butter and soy butter at health food stores but I have seem them at larger Walmarts and Super target. You can make the sandwhiches night before and cut into small squares ir rectangles. A quesidilla is good too. Whole wheat or reg tortilla with cheese/ham cut up (I sneak in cut up fresh spinach). Heat in pan (or microwave) till chese melts then cut into "pizza slices" or whatever child can handle. We do these for lunche sbut they are quick enough you could do them fo rbreakfsat or the night before. Hope that helps!
L. (also tired of eggs and cheerios:) )

Hi M.,

Why not serve your daughter, Cream of Wheat or Cream of Rice with 1/2 milk, 1/2 water. For variety, you can use chocolate milk. Add some kind of fruit, juice (real juice, not flavored water). With that meal, you have your bread/cereal group, your dairy and fruit. Oatmeal is also a very good food, especially if you add raisins and pecans with brown sugar. You can also put real honey (check with your physician on the honey). Another idea is fruit yogurt, a piece of fruit, a slice of whole wheat toast, bagel, or English muffin.

I hope that helps you.

T.

A little about me: I have a B.S. degree in Community Health, which included Nutrition. I'm a step-mom and a grandmother of 6.

we have the normal oatmeal, whole grain cereals, and waffles ( instead of syrup I sprinkle cinnamon) whatever I have that is somewhat healthy and then with their breakfast they drink ensure which has all the vitamins and protein they need to get a good start for breakfast plus a flinstone vitamin. You may want to check out the carnation breakfast with protein in luei of ensure I am not sure if babies can have ensure.

Hi,
I'm a full time working single mom and I have had to make breakfast in the morning as less stressful as possible because I still have to get them ready for school and me ready for work.

I buy frozen pancakes, frozen toaster waffles and frozen french toast sticks. They are really easy to prepare and quick and they like them. When serving eggs, try to prepare them differently...fried, scrambled, and even hard boiled. My 9 year old loves them hard boiled with a little seasoned salt. Let's see...they also like instant grits with a little cheese stirred in or butter and they also like instant oatmeal. Sometimes I scramble and cook the eggs ahead of time and re-heat them a little in the microwave and roll them up in a flour tortilla. Sometimes they just want some yogurt or fruit.

Good luck.

If she's even halfway decent with a spoon you can feed her oatmeal. I buy the Quaker old-fashioned oats, put a little less water than required in (so it's not runny) and microwave it for 3 min. Then I cut up a fresh banana or something, add some cinnamon and maybe a little honey and my daughter loves it. If I do apples I just cook them with the oatmeal so they're soft. She's been eating that most mornings since she was about 18 mo. old. Eggs tend to be a weekend treat for us. Or, if you're in a real hurry you can always make a protein shake out of her morning milk and give her some fresh fruit with it. You may have to try a couple of different brands to find one she likes. Good luck!

I have found that if I make food fun, my boys are more apt to try something different...and healthy. Try making yogurt parfaits. You could layer a glass with yogurt/berries/granola for a healthy and festive breakfast. Try different combinations to bring variety to each parfait. Hope this helps!

My two young girls love boiled eggs (which I realize doesn't get you away from eggs, but at least they can be prepared in advance!). We also use Nestle's Carnation Instant Breakfast as a fast, nutritious meal in a drink. My 3 year old loves the Gerber breakfast or granola bars (don't remember what they're called but in the baby food section), and my 6 year old sometimes loves the South Beach Diet breakfast bars. Also, biscuits with ham, honey, or jelly can be good (we get a can of 5 biscuits, or buy the Pillsbury biscuits that you can bake one at a time).

Well, I don't know if she likes yogurt, but my son is not a huge egg fan, so he doesn't eat them often, therefore he gets a full fruit 6 oz yogurt daily. I get the Horizon organic blended style yogurts. There's real fruit chunks in there (the early you get them used to it, the better). My son has always had a gagging problem, so I've used the chunky yogurt as "practice" to teach him not to gag. Anyway, I am not a morning person, myself, therefore I don't like to "make" breakfast. So, he gets his yogurt and usually a piece of toast, but I'll ask him if he'd like a waffle or croissant or cereal with it and his juice. I think it's a pretty hardy breakfast- yogurt is very filling and healthy- so good for your digestive system and all. You might try those, if she likes them. I just don't like to have to think up what to make and I don't think it's bad for him to have the same breakfast daily- toast and yogurt, that's it for him. Sometimes we have different things on the weekend, but that's when Daddy's around. I know, I'm lazy. He gets different stuff for lunch and dinner every day. It works for us. 'Course if he could have bacon everyday, he'd be all over it.

Breakfast foods don't have to just be eggs. Try left over pizza or mac and cheese. My kids are now teen agers and always look for a good left over, because thats what I always feed them. There's also a toaster pastry that has eggs, cheese and bacon that you could cut up in pieces. Good luck!!

I have 5 kids ranging from 21 to 11yrs. They all love to eat. I never catered to them. But always made sure there was at least one thing on the table that they liked. Enjoy---they grow up so fast !!! M. C

Some mornings I give my son a waffle with cinnamon and some fruit. He ends up eating more of the fruit than the waffle so I don't feel guilty giving him the waffle. Of course I'm sure there are worse things I could be feeding him.

I would continue with the wide variety of eggs you are serving her. You are absolutely right that she needs a hearty breakfast--in other words, protein. It helps her brain function properly and is needed for her body to build muscles.

You could truly serve her any kind of meat you like in the morning. She doesn't have to eat "breakfast food" for breakfast. She could eat chicken soup.

Keep up the good work!

Good Morning M.,

I fix breakfast for my two kids every day and every now and then they want to buy breakfast. They have oatmeal and toast some mornings, turkey sausage and egg tacos, we do french toast sticks, whole grain waffles and sugar free syrup, toaster pancakes, they really like the lean breakfast pockets which are low in calories and actually made with real egg. I didn't think they would be good but they are very tasty. Hope this helps out a little.

I make pancakes on the weekends. I make some with chocolate chips in them, bluberries, bananas, strawberries, plain, ect. I make a ton while I am cooking and then I freeze them. During the week I pull the frozen ones out and defrost them for a minute and they have a great hot breakfast. Much cheaper than buying the frozen kind and taste much better. I also make pigs in a blanket. They keep in the fridge and reheat for a great breakfast.

Hi M.,
Have you tried french toast. You can cut it into strips and she can eat it herself. If you choose to give her syrup put it in the dish where she can dip into it with her french toast stick. My little boy loved this.Yogurt and fruit with granola sprinked on top is also good.
L.

My son loves blueberry waffles with peanut butter. So easy! Another good one is yogurt with cheerios mixed in, can even add fruit to it. You are lucky - my son won't eat eggs!

My daughter is 19 months and I alternate between 3 different breakfasts (she won't eat eggs).
1. Oatmeal and applesauce with a sprinkle of cinnamon. I use the Quaker Old Fashioned oats (made in the microwave takes 2 minutes) and the Mott's unsweetened applesauce so it has the most fiber, vitamins and least sugar. And often she has some blueberries too (b/c she loves them)
2. Whole wheat organic blueberry waffles (Earth's Best I think is the brand) and applesauce or blueberries (or some other fruit)
3. Whole milk unsweetened yogurt that I add a little bit of honey too (she used to eat it plain, but her sweet tooth is developing) and a sprinkle cinammon. Sometimes I mix in fruit, sometimes I serve the fruit on the side.

Hope that helps!

Yogurt is good, oatmeal, waffles with PB chips (peanut butter chips) -Nita

Hi M., I sometimes prepare hot cereal for my family's breakfast and they love it. Malto Meal is easy and quick to prepare. One Minute Oatmeal with/without fruit is easy and quick to prepare. You can choose any fruit that your child loves as an added treat, such as bananas, apples, peaches, or applesauce. I find hot cereal for breakfast to be nutritious and filling. Good luck.
K. L.

There have been some great ideas given - so if I may add 2cents worth.....if you want her to have fruit like apple slices, take powdered C mixed w/ a little water and dip the slices in to cover so they won't brown. Also, as a working Mom you don't have much time, but if you could make time on the weekends to "cook" with her, that would give you an idea what she likes and give you notice of when her tastes are changing. Maybe a Sunday Tea Time? May you enjoy you time with her! :)

How about a smoothie. I make mine with JuicePus+complete, some mango juice, a banana, and some frozen strawberries. Quick easy and very nutritious.

Hi M. -

I'm a stay at home mom to a wonderful 17 month old boy. Here are some foods that he eats for breakfast - bananas, apple pieces, organic cereal bars, whole wheat toast or bagel with strawberry cream cheese, whole wheat pancakes w/o syrup, Chex rice cereal, Gerber all fruit strips, cinnamon toast, thick oatmeal and yogurt that he can feed himself. I'm glad you asked this question. I would like some new ideas too. I'm excited to read your answers! Thanks!

I always buy my kids (they are a little older) those Diego and Dora Yogurt drinks - I put a straw in them to make them easier to drink and I will put it with a piece of fruit! They love these and they are simple!

Hi M.--

My kids love Quaker Cinnamon & Spice oatmeal. If we are running late, they can take the packages of oatmeal balls or the cereal bars with fruit in the middle to eat in the car. They also love, love, love bananas or apples with peanut butter on them. Hope this helps!

I would make good hearty muffins - not from a box! You can make some great cinnamon muffins, applesauce/oatmeal muffins, banana muffins, etc. You can get some mini muffin tins, make them the night before and they are fun and easy to eat (or take in the car on those days you have to rush out the door) I always would grind my own wheat, which of course made them mega nutritious, but you can just use as many grains as possible with white flour too. Sue Gregg has an excellent cookbook for muffins and other breakfast items that are very healthy. I don't know if this is allowed, but on my website, www.terricamp.com, I have a section called, "cook" which has my six weeks of menus. There might be some additional breakfast ideas for you there as well.

Slivered (read long and skinny - not chunks) fruit and cheerios

Toast with refried beans and melted cheese on top

Slivered fruit and cheese

Smoothie (yogurt and fruit blended together)

S.

My kids would eat Oatmeal and Nutragrain Cereal Bars everyday if I let them. Pancakes are quick and easy (if you use the mix) and fruit smoothies are a nice change especially if you are on the run.

Good Luck!
E.

My daughter loves a "sausage sandwich", sometimes cheesy, sometimes not..... She can eat it on the go, its hot and filling..... She loves them! I buy the pre made saugage patties and put them on toast. Takes 5 mintutes.

I totally understand the need for her to be able to eat it with her fingers by herself. For us, this rules out yogurt and oatmeal if we're in a hurry. (She just gets too messy with them.) My daughter LOVES breakfast sausage cooked crumbled up, not in patties, with hash browns. I just cook the sausage and then remove it from the pan, and then cook the hash browns and when they're done, I put the sausage back in. She can eat it with her fingers and it's delicious. You can even cook up all the sausage ahead and just have to cook the hashbrowns that morning, and warm up the sausage with them.

Hi M....when my daughter was little, her favorite breakfast was toast with a little butter and jelly...I would cut it into little squares that she could pick up and feed herself...every day, she had to have toast! Another
thing she loved was waffles, with butter and a little syrup...cut up into little squares that she could easily pick up...she'll still eat her waffles like that, and she's 14!

Good luck!

S.

I don't know how far you live from your daycare (for reasons of "heated" food) but I take my sons breakfast too... On the weekends, I will make whole wheat pancakes (his size- not adult size) put them in baggies and freeze them for the week; he also loves the Morning Star farms (frozen) sausages (made of vegetables-no meat)- I will heat up the pancakes and the "sausage" and put them in a container or baggie and take them to school with us, along with a glass of Juicy Juice or Milk. I also pack "fruit bars" they have wholegrain and fruit ones that he just loves!!! That with a glass of milk! Occassionally I will pack some fruit, usually grapes or bananas but fruit can be hard to "keep"... but those Morning Star Farms frozen breaskfast things (they have a lot of other items)...are real good- great way to get VEGGIES in too!!! :)

I found this recipe when I was looking for thing for my daughter's borthday brunch. I makes about 24 BUT they freeze well and aren't too spicy. We normally have some the first day and then freeze the rest. Then about once or twice a week I'll pull out a couple and pop in the microwave. This is for the whole family and it isn't a "sweet" breakfast.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Sausage-Brunch-Muffins/Detai...

You can make your own waffles or pancakes and freeze them. Either can be placed in the toaster to warm up. My family loved to eat waffles with applesauce on them. It is a good snack time treat too. I made pancake, egg and bacon/sausage patty sandwiches. Another unusal option is sliced deli turkey or ham rolled around a slice of cheese. My child with ADD needed to stay away from high carbs and the meat/cheese option is high in protein. You can roll it up in a wheat tortilla and add veggie slices. These can be made the night before rolled up in saran wrap, sit out on the counter for 5 minutes before eating. Instant oatmeal comes in a variety of good flavors and is a healthy option for her to learn to have in her life now. Hope these help.

I have a 16 month old and you're right eggs is just not enough at times and gets boring. What my husband has tried is slicing up a whole banana (so she won't choke) for her to pick up and feed herself. I've also made her frozen waffles cut up into bit size pieces along with her banana. Mix it from time to time with different fruits if your baby likes them like strawberries, grapes, oranges, apples,etc. My little one loves milk so I also give her milk 2% or juice and sometimes chocolate milk. The little smoked sausages are also good and not so time consuming when heating them up. I also have two older children, 9 & 5 years old that love all of these as snacks too. Hope this helps.

How about cereal straws or slices of bacon? Have you used the microwave, pre-cooked bacon? You heat 3 slices up for 20 seconds and they are good and healthy. Good luck!

We have discovered the frozen mini pancakes that are perfect for self-feeding. They take 30 seconds in the microwave, and don't even need syrup, so there is less mess. Or, the cereal bars with fruit in them are a great way to get them breakfast in a hurry or on the go. There are also fruit roll-ups or fruit strips, and toddler yogurt smoothies. Try those! H.

I frequently make my grandaughter French Toast using whole grain bread. I mix the egg with just a little milk, put a bit of butter in the pan and then just cut it into small squares. She loves it and doesn't mind eating it cold. Another idea is make pancakes (silver dollar size) on the weekend and just put in the freezer; microwave for about 45 sec. to 1 min. She loves those too. I try different recipes so they are more healthy than Bisquick. Also she eats cut up fruit with this (oranges, banana, blueberries). Good luck!

You got lots of ideas...and I am taking a few for some myself too. I give lots of fresh fruit and yogart for dipping...my 2 year old loves it. Yoplat thick and creamy vanilla is not messy and easy to self feed with a spoon or use grapes and strawberries to dip. There is some sugar, but protein too. A slice of whole grain toast is easy too.

FRUIT!!! If she can use a spoon then oatmeal, cottage cheese, there are plenty of whole grain foods now too like waffles, pancakes and even pop tarts. Try eggs rolled in a tortillia even. What about peanut butter toast or pb and banana sandwich or with a bagel. YOGURT and graham crackers, the stick kind so she can dip. You have tons of choices.

Yogurt and cereal is good, depending on the type of cereal you mix together. THere is nothing wrong with cereal for breakfast. Have you tried the cooked cereals - oatmeal, cream of wheat, cream of rice, malt-o-meal. There are even some dry cereal that you mix with water or milk and heat that are tasty. Toast with banana and peanut butter. French toast is good - it does contain egg and milk. Use jelly on the french toast instead of syrup. Yogurt with fresh fruit - raspberries, blueberries, pineapple, peaches, banana. Use the plain or the vanilla flavored and add your own fruit. Does she eat at home or at day care?

Have you tried eggs and oatmeal? My daughter (is 8) and eats oatmeal nearly everyday before school. She loves it. I put cinnamon, walnuts and about a tablespoon of brown sugar. Sometimes I even drizzle a little honey on it.

Maybe you could mix it up a bit with the eggs. What about a breakfast burrito? She can eat that with her hands. You could add all kinds of flavor to that, like sautee'd onions, bell peppers, and cheese as well as a breakfast meat of your choice. Breakfast burritos are long lasting too. They are one of my personal favorites for breakfast. You can buy whole wheat tortillas now, which I think is great.
There is also whole wheat pancake flour you can buy and lower sugared syup too, if you are trying to avoid excess sugar. Blueberries are great in pancakes, as I am sure you already know, as well as walnuts and bananas. Whole wheat pancakes with fruit and nuts, with a scrambled egg would also be long lasting and balanced. Not to mention you can cook a bunch on the weekend and heat them up through the week for your convenience. Have you thought about yogurt as maybe a side?
Breakfast is my favorite meal. So I add all kinds of things to eggs. I like mine with feta cheese, chives, baby portabellas and a little fresh dill weed. There are a million and 1 ways to fix up eggs. If you need any more egg-gestions, feel free to email me.

C.

Looks like you have received some great ideas and responses already. Most options come in healthier versions if you are willing to pay a bit more. Wal Mart carries some pancakes that are healthy and come in a variety of flavors, even sweet potato). Target also carries a wide variety of organic cereals for kids. Fruitaboo is an organic smooshed fruit snack that my daughter will eat and she is not big on fruits. You can find it at Walmart, Target or Marketstreet.

Good luck!

What about fruit and yogurt, toast and ham sandwich pieces with fruit or yogurt, mini blueberry pancakes, breakfast rolls (stuffed with sausage or egg/sausage and cheese). I would check www.allrecipes.com and see if you can find some delicious ideas. :D

Have you tried cheese sticks or lunch meat? You can even roll the lunch meat in a tortilla and cut it into little spirals, which look fun and are easy to pick up and eat. It may not be your first "breakfast" idea, but it's good protein, which is what you want. Even my starch-crazy daughter loves cheese sticks and a piece of sliced turkey for a snack. I hear you about the cereal, pancakes, etc., and I cannot wait for my three-year-old to get back to her old healthy habits and away from her starch phase!

Eggs are healthy, but bacon, potatoes and especially biscuits AREN'T! Why don't you include some of the wonderful fat-free breakfast muffins available, or make them yourself. You can use applesauce instead of cooking oil to make them even more healthy. Or give fruit breakfasts with the egg. There are lots of choices there. Some of the cereals available on the market now are terrific, low in sugar and wonderful breakfasts as well. And milk is so important for growing bones and developing teeth. And you can take whipped cream and decorate a muffin with a face -- whip it yourself the night before with almost no sugar -- really don't need sugar to get it whipped, so you have a low calorie and healthy topping. Any other questions about what I make, please don't hesitate to give me a call. I'm a mother, grandmother, nutritionist and doctor. Be glad to help more if you wish.

Doc M.

Waffle Sandwich - Toast a whole wheat waffle, cut in half, spread with a little peanut butter or nutella (add thin sliced banana sometimes), put the other half on top, quarter it and you are ready.

Muffins. There is a fantastic recipe on the back of the bag Bob's Red Mill Flax Seed that includes carrots, wheat germ, rasins, applesauce and (ground) walnuts. Its a complete meal! Super healthy and tasty. I freeze the mufffins then pull them out as needed.