Seeking Breakfast Ideas.

There's one amazing web site that I've recommended to so many parents. It's the web site of British Baby, Child and Family cook named Annabel Karmel. Her web site is: www.annabelkarmel.com
This wonderful author of so many recipe books has great sections on her web site for toddlers and families and different meal suggestions. Her meals are healthy and very easy to make.

All the best.

I really liked what Melody T. said. Ask hubby what he thinks they should be eating and go with that. It it is very difficult/inconvenient, let him prepare it. The diet you have is ok and they will be just fine on it. If hubby feels strongly on this, let him take the lead!

My kids perfer cereal or eggo waffles with butter, no syrup. Canned peaches, pears or oranges. Fresh fruit when we have it in the house.

I am also not a big breakfast eater, but my husband is.

Both my daughters eat the following for breakfasts:
*Scrambled egg (cooked in microwave) with cheese/avocado
*Cold cereal with milk
*Whole wheat toast with peanut butter
*Frozen waffles with peanut butter or lower suger syrup
*Blueberry muffins or zuchini bread
*Small breakfast burrito (egg, bell peppers, cheese, etc.)

I may be old fashioned but I serve my kids and daycare children scrambled eggs many times a week in the morning. Many toddlers and young children are not big meat eaters but many kids like eggs and it is an excellent source of the protien they need. Plus, combining a healthy protien with a starch(oatmeal, toast, or cream of wheat are my favorites) in the morning doesn't send their sugar levels high fast and then the low later and they get grumpy. Just an idea, works for me for happy, healthy kiddos.

I have 3 young girls and I have always started their day off with some fruit. Bananas are easy and healthy. Peaches, grapes, pear or apple slices are a few of their favorites. Raisins and dry Cherrios are always a good mix also. If you get a loaf of GOOD WHEAT bread, then a peice of toast is a good choice also. Sometimes I boil eggs and then they have those for a quick, easy protein source. Those are just a few SIMPLE ideas. Good luck!

we go shopping once a week and get breakfast stuff for our daughter (son eats at daycare). My husband and I drink breakfast shakes or eat hard boiled eggs. I let my daughter help pick out what she wants (making sure its healthy). Then we put 5 days worth of breakfast into individual containers (like the glad ones for left overs). Then she can get her breakfast out all ready to go. Nothing to think about everyday. I love it.
As for what to use: We balance it with fruit, protein, whoel grains. We dont eat processed carbs, so teaching our kids heathly "fresh" eating habits is very important.
Examples
1. mini begal w/ cream cheese and 4 strawberries
2. toast with butter (peanut or almond butter is a better option, but my daughter only like butter on her toast), handful of blueberries, 1/2 string cheese.
3. Yogurt, 1/2 mini begal, 3 strawberries.
4. 1 cracked egg (hardboiled, she calls them cracked, you might be surprised to find your daughter likes them too), a few apple slices (you can buy bags of already sliced), 4oz milk.
My daughter is almost 5, but we have been doing this a while now and I am sure your daughter would also love being involved in making healthy choices. Plus taking 20 minutes or so once a week to have the entire weeks breakfast ready is a MAJOR plus!!!

My kids eat eggs if I turn them into German Pancakes:

You have to have an ovensafe skillet, I use cast iron:

preheat to 400*F
melt 1/4 C butter in the pan
pour in well-beaten mixture:
6 eggs, 1/2 C flour, 1/2 C milk, 1/4 teaspoon salt

Bake for 15 minutes. Put on toppings of your choice. Jam is what my girls usually want. I do lemon juice for myself.

I use whole wheat flour from Bob's Red Mill, as it is finely ground enough that it doesn't completely weigh down the pancake.

Hi M.,

Same here. In fact I'm not much of an eater at all so this whole feeding thing has been tricky!

My son is in love with my french toast.
1 egg, a bit of milk (eyeball it until you figure it out but about a 1/4 cup) and a dash or two of cinnamon.
We use Milton's Plus wheat bread and one piece of bread soaks up the whole mixture.
I cook in a pan over medium heat about 3 minutes per side. I dress with a SMIDGEN of honey or maple syrup before cutting since we didn't add any to the mixture.

I feel good knowing he had a piece of multigrain toast, an entire egg and some milk for breakfast. You can make a couple in advance and freeze them but I just whip them up each day and it doesn't take long at all. (makes the house smell nice too)

Good luck!

T.

You can stay in your comfort zone with breakfast, but if you skip the processed foods it will be MUCH healthier for you and your son.
Instead of granola bars, make cereal. Cold cereals without much sugar (such as cheerios) with some fruit (banana is our favorite), you can soak some granola in milk for him or put some on natural yogurt. Warm cereal (like oatmeal) takes 3 minutes in the microwave, serve with a dab of brown sugar and cinnamon or mix with applesauce.
Instead of poptarts, make some pancakes or waffles, freeze them and then just pop in the toaster when needed. Look up recipes with healthy ingredients, such as apple pancakes or sweet potato waffles to add a healthy twist.
Nothing wrong with egg and toast, make it whole grain toast though. I also keep some hard-boiled eggs in the fridge for snacks and quick breakfast.

Serve some fruit with breakfast every day (banana, berries, apple slices...).

It's quite easy to go off the sugar laden prepackaged foods for breakfast - once you have a few favorite recipes it will be a snap!

Cheerios, any of them dry, fruit leathers, apple sause, bananas, apples, oranges. Even fruit from a can is better for your child then poptarts. Yogurt (not the sugery kind). My daughter likes wheat toast with apple sause on it.

First, does your husband have any suggestion on what he thinks would be appropriate to feed your daughter, instead of just complaining about it? I personally don't understand when people choose to point out problems without offering an idea for a solution.

Secondly, during the school week, I usually keep it simple and feed my boys oatmeal, a granola bar (a real one - not the chocolate covered ones) and a yogurt or a low sugar (preferably high fiber & iron) cereal. On the weekends, they often get something with eggs, usually scrambled or an omelet. Fruits are always a good solution too, although my kids won't eat fruit in the morning. They like it for a snack and with lunch - just not for breakfast for some reason.

Best of luck to you!

My son & daughter love oatmeal. I mix it with milk & sometimes applesauce to cool it. They also love it with rasains in it, especially when I make a face out of the rasains. It gets the whole grain, dairy, & fruit in one sitting. Also, if you use the instant oatmeal packets it much faster.

Our son loves cereal and banana or oatmeal or even cottage cheese and applesauce. Also if we make pancakes or waffles on the weekend and have some left over we freeze those and he will happily eat them throughout the week.

I have a 4yo girl and I get it. I am a granola/milk person, but she is not. Three is pretty verbal, so why not ask her what she wants. We do that - and usually we end up doing fried egg whites and whole grain toast, or organic frozen waffles and garden sausage. Even healthy cereal or oatmeal is ok. It's all she knows.

Our main goal is to get protein in there in case she doesn't eat right later in the day (when she is at preschool and picks what she wants out of her lunchbox - which means veggies, etc are usually at the bottom of the list). Just avoid things with sugar as it ramps a kid up and then they crash early in the day. Good luck!quick

My toddlers love oatmeal, fruit smoothies, "dipping" eggs and toast, toast with peanut butter, whole grain waffles or pancakes with pb & j instead of syrup, breakfast sandwich with english muffin, eggs and ham or morningstar sausage patties.

E.

http://www.babysignswithelizabeth.blogspot.com

I feed my kids Peanut butter toast, pancakes, waffles, cold cereal. You can buy almost anything frozen now a days too if you don't cook! Put some fruit on the pancake to to make it more healthy! I try to buy cereal that has good fiber in it too! They even have breakfast drinks if you are in a real hurry!
Mom of a 7, 12, & 14 year old.

Hi... My toddler usually eats cereal with raisins and yogurt, and sometimes also whole wheat toast with homemade jam (to minimize corn syrup intake). On weekends we sometimes do pancakes (with flax and wheat germ), and sometimes eggs.

Just out of curiousity, what does your husband feed your child when it's his turn? Perhaps that would also add to your repetoire.

Some mornings are a little hectic for us, but since I'm asian, we always have rice in our rice cooker, so for the cold morning, my 2 year old loves warm rice and milk. But she does love the occasional pop-tart, which is better than nothing when time is tight. We also do yogurt and fruit.

I am like you and everyone i know does breakfast like you. I do it for my little girl. She does cereal and pop tarts. Occassionally I will scramble her an egg and melt cheese on it but to be honest, I waste my time and eggs. She would rather have cereal or poptarts. On Sat or Sun we may do pancakes or pillsbury canned cinnamon rolls (she loves that... she likes the icing) But those things are a weekend treat. Now if we decide to really treat, we will go to Sharis and eat breakfast but there again, she doesn't really eat. If we are lucky she will eat a few bites from us. We have ordered her the happy face pancakes but she just eats the chocolate chips from that. (boy your hubby would really have a fit about that breakfast)
So ..... if I were you I would just ask him what is his suggestion. Tell him you will be glad to feed her anything he wants but you need to know the menu. Now I would refuse to go all out and fry bacon and make eggs and biscuits every morning.
Just see what he suggests to you.

How about good old-fashioned oatmeal? Boil the right amount of water (I throw some raisins into the water as it heats--makes them plump and sweetens the oatmeal a little bit) once it boils, put the right about of rolled oats in, turn the water down to medium and cook for 5 mins. It's easy and delicious! We usually put a little bit of milk and some maple syrup in.

We're like most parents - kids are tired and crabby. Most mornings it's frozen waffles, granola bars, bananas. When fruit is more in season, we do a lot of grapes, blueberries. Ours are 21 months and 2.5 years, so cereal takes a long time. Instant oatmeal is great, but it can be time consuming and messy. But, you can purchase the Quaker oatmeal bars.

I'm all for being healthy. One caution, though, is that all fruits contain fructose. So, even though they should be incorporated into meals, it's always best to choose fresh and to limit portions. A lot of people mentioned raisins which are horribly caloric and high in sugars. So, if you're trying to limit sugar intake, that's just something to take into consideration.

Our kids also love string cheese. We get the huge packs of Poly-O from Costco which are part skim. You also have to limit their consumption, but if your LO doesn't have much of an appetite, it can be a good snack to tie them over.

Good luck!

we don't have much variety, but here are some ideas...eggs with cheese, mini bagels with cream cheese or peanut butter, waffles and mini pancakes, oatmeal, fruit smoothies, yogurt, biscuits.

you can do oatmeal, I put milk/sugar/butter in mine to make it creamy. You can do cold cereal, there are some good ones for kids. Kix, Cheerios, my 4 year old loves frosted mini wheats. I do french toast, eggs and toast, pancakes or waffles. There are great "just add water" for pancakes using most storebrand mixes.

You could compromise with husband by feeding DD yogurt and a banana...quick but still very nutritious and healthy...both my almost three year old and my one year old love to have the yogurt and some kind of fresh fruit...sometimes banana, sometimes an orange...sometimes even just have with instant oatmeal....it's always quick as I have recently become a single mom and don't have a lot of extra time either...Still healthy good stuff though. :) Best of luck! :)

L.

I have a three year old and she only likes simple simple simple. If something looks strange she won't even try it. foods she likes are Dora the explora yogurt, wheat toast with butter, jam, or plain peanutbutter.

She also loves fruit so I can make make up a bunch of plastic container with grapes in them ready to go. She loves bananas, most berries etc too. We bought an apple slicer that cuts peels and decores the apples all at one time and she loves to watch us do it.

If I have time I will make oatmeal with raisins or fruit as well as cinnamon and brown sugar. I don't know if you have tried Starbucks oatmeal, but I found the same nuts and fruit mix at Trader Joes and I add it to my Trader joes oatmeal that is from scratch, but I make it in the microwave. If you want to be fun you can suprise her and hide the fruit, chocolate chips or whatever at the bottom and let her fine it. Home made Teddy bear pancakes are a favorite around here and only take about 15-20 minutes to throw together (home made syrup with sugar water and maple flavoring).

Hope that helps, I am all about quick and easy and I put things in plastic containers so if we have to go and she hasn't eaten we can take it to go.

Good Luck with the little one!
G.

i give both of my boys oatmeal or malt o meal, scrambled eggs w/ cheese & toast, frozen waffles/frenchtoast stix, with fruit or yogurt, jimmy dean's breakfast sandwich. Give him some milk or juice to drink w/ it. All of those meals take less than 5 minutes to make, and they are pretty health for him too.

Pancakes, scrambled eggs, oatmeal, yogurt, fruit....
keep it simple. I am not a breakfast person at all, but pancakes are super easy and scrambled eggs are simple. Sometimes I make eggs into an omlet with cheese.
My daughter loves when I put eggs with cheese with mild salsa in a tortilla for a burrito. So easy and portable too!

Yes, both of you need better breakfasts!

Cheerios is great for both of you, and look at the other healthy cold cereals. Not all cereals are healthy so pick and choose.

Add a fruit, either on top or to the side. Bananas! And orange juice to drink.

All this takes minimal time to fix and consume.

You are building her future health habits and body!

My kids love oatmeal and have it most mornings. They LOVE it when I have time to make them pancakes. I like to throw some applesauce or pureed pumpkin, banana or blueberries or pureed fruit into the batter to get some fruit in their breakfast. Or the toaster waffles, they love to have me spread applesauce on them or even peanut butter and then they dip in syrup. My oldest son ADORES Wheatabix. It's a packed wheat biscuit. I pour milk in the bowl and drizzle a bit of honey on top.

I feed my son scrambled eggs with veggies (cut up really small) & whole-wheat toast, Earth's Best organic whole grain oatmeal cereal (you can mix it with milk & microwave slightly to make a warm porridge), or ground turkey patties (I like the Shelton's brand) with organic buckwheat pancakes (you can buy the Arrowhead Mills' brand at PCC or Whole Foods). He also likes buttermilk pancakes with fruit (like peaches) (also the Arrowhead Mills' brand). I always serve fruit first (banana, pear or strawberries), whatever happens to be in season. Stay away from high fructose corn syrup, artificial colors, overly processed & sugary foods (like Pop Tarts).

We feed the same things at all meals. Pasta w/veggies for breakfast? Sure! Pancake for lunch? Sure! Oatmeal and chicken nugget for dinner? Sure! It totally varies, but oatmeal or warm quinoa are both big hits for our toddler and are more typical breakfast foods.

I do very quick portable things in the morning. I make fruit and yogurt smoothies and take them with us in the car. Sometimes I even blend them the night before, store the blender in the fridge and pour them in the morning. Sometimes I buy them pre-made if they are on sale. I keep whole grain crackers and raisins in the car at all times. It is a balanced breakfast, with fruits, grains and dairy/protein.

Pieces of cooked egg, small pieces of bagel or bread (whole grain) diced fruit from a fruit cup, shredded cheese, torn pieces of lunchmeat, milk, dry cheerios or Kix. Whole grain graham crackers.

I know you have a bajillion ideas already, but two staples in my house for breakfast when my son was 3 were: bean and cheese burritos (very good nutrition-lots of fiber, protein, go whole grain on the tortilla and it's great) and whole grain frozen waffles with peanut butter (cut into little hand sized pieces).

Hoe about some instant oatmeal,French toast with fresh fruit on top,or pancakes with peanut butter and jelly. You can buy the ready made pancakes and french toast or make a big batch and freeze them yourself. You can always use whole wheat breads . You can make your own Egg McMuffins or a small breakfast pizza.
I hope this helps.

Well, what does your husband eat in the morning?

My kids like cold cereal- and most of them are fortified or have fiber so I don't mind feeding them cereals like Cheerios, Fruit Loops, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, etc. My kids are 2 and 4 years old. They also really like some canned peaches or pears with buttered toast. We also eat things like Eggo Waffles and sometimes I make french toast or pancakes, but that is when I feel like it.

I've heard other moms say their kids like instant oatmeal but I've never tried with my kids.

If you are looking for recipes or other ideas, check out www.allrecipes.com - they have great recipes, just the other day I saw one for "Breakfast Pies" which are muffin size biscuits with sausage, egg, and cheese, and sounded quite tasty. The recipe said you can make them ahead and then freeze/refrigerate them and just stick in the microwave for a few seconds to warm up (you can also do this with muffins).

Anyway, good luck! Maybe your husband just wants you to make him breakfast in the morning :)

Hi M.,
I rep for a green Manufacturing Company and we have a nutritional line that includes organic snack foods, great organic and tasty cold cereal, awesome bars and shakes. Our price point is competitive to the grocery store brands. I am a rep and not a distributor. If you would like to get more information I would be happpy to share with you.
N. B

You have received great ideas. You don't really need much more, but I will add a few thoughts on some items I find convenient and healthier alternatives:

For Pancakes/waffles/biscuits I use multigrain mixes. Such as Trader Joe's Multigrain mix (taste is better than just plain whole wheat).

I always have frozen blueberries and strawberries in the freezer as well as a froze banana or two (when too ripe, peel and freeze). I add the frozen fruit to her plain oatmeal (cools it down) with a touch of honey and cinnamon. I don't buy the pre-packaged sugar added kinds - waaay too much sugar. Of course the fruit is handy for many things.

I only buy Non-Fat yogurt and those with the least amount of sugars. No High Fructose Corn Syrups, etc. All natural with all the good bacteria. Cascade Fresh is a great brand and not premium priced. Avoid yoplait, etc.

I buy Applegate Farms chicken & Apple breakfast sausages. They sell them at New Seasons. Very tasty and good protein alternative with no nitrates no added sugars, fillers, etc. They are precooked, so just put in micro for 20 mins and good to go. My daughter loves them and they are low fat, low cholesterol and have I think 5 ingredients in total.

Peanut Butter Toast is one of my kids favorites. They've eaten this for years. Add some sliced banana and you have quite a balanced meal.
They also eat cold cereal with or without milk on it. Fruit, yogurt and sandwiches. (They are teenagers now!)
Breakfast does not need to be pancakes and sausage.
Just be creative, and as long as your child is eating, then things are good!

Fruit and/or yogurt is quick and easy. Also, I have three kids that are all in elementary school so our breakfast time is quick to get them all out the door on time. I found that they love the whole grain Nutrigrain Eggo waffles. They are made with whole grains and have lots of fiber. Pop it in the toaster and then I put a smear peanutbutter on top for protein and viola breakfast. :) Quaker instant oatmeal is also a fave at our house and is super fast to make. Even a piece of toast with a little peanutbutter and half a banana is good too. I have also made fruit smoothies for them...milk, fruit, yogurt and a little ice, blend and enjoy. I hope some of these help you. Best of luck on your breakfast endeavors! :)

K.

My little girl likes yogurt and fruit for breakfast. She won't eat cereal early in the morning. And I don't see anything wrong with granola bars or eggs and toast either.

An easy, healthy one is oatmeal (don't get the quick oats, or the packets with sugar, but the normal Quaker type are just as easy and healthier) made with milk instead of water, and throw in some cinnamon, raisins or apples while they're cooking. You can make 3 days worth at once and reheat. I would not get my child used to having something with added sweetener in the morning especially. Cinnamon has properties that regulate blood sugar, and the fruit will give it enough sweetness for a child.

Other than that, I would encourage a high protein breakfast; maybe eggs (my son won't eat eggs) with cheese, or melt some cheese on toast. There has been good research lately that show what a difference a high protein breakfast makes in our overall health. And other research shows that any "added nutrition" in cold cereals is not absorbed by the body, so I would avoid cold cereals for little ones, they'll get a lot more out of hot grains or eggs and toast.