Quick Kid-Friendly Breakfast Recipes
Outside of giving your kids straight up candy, there are two primary ways to get them excited about their breakfast. The first is to make their food fun! Change it up, incorporate a lot of color, and even try different containers! The second is to let them participate in the process. Maybe that means they choose the star ingredients in a recipe, or maybe that means they help you prepare the dish. Of course, the food should be tasty, too. With the help of a registered dietician and kid’s food expert, we hope to help you do all the above with the quick and easy breakfast ideas below.
Gluten Free Pancakes
What kid doesn’t love pancakes? By letting them add their choice fruit, or cut out a shape with a cookie cutter, you can get them involved, too! “I like these because there are so few ingredients, and it takes very little time to prepare,” said Lisa Rotondi, health food enthusiast and president of Organic Kids LA. “You can use syrup or make a quick simple syrup with honey or sugar and water.” To make, combine a large ripe banana, two eggs, 1/8-tsp. baking powder, pinch of cinnamon, and 2-tbsp. of butter. Mash your banana, mix in the other ingredients, and cook per usual.
Yogurt Parfait
“This is my go-to at home,” said Rotondi. “It’s a complete meal and there are a hundred ways to do it. My seven-year-old likes this when he is feeling spunky before school, for breakfast but he also loves this as a bedtime snack.” Customize the parfait, with your child’s input, by combing your preferred store-bought granola (homemade works, too) with plain Greek yogurt and sliced, in-season fruit. For a hint of sweetness, add a drizzle of honey, or mix it into the yogurt before dishing. For more fun, let your child help you create the layers!
Rebecca Lewis, a registered dietitian for HelloFresh, agrees this is a great option. “I pack [the parfait] up in a small, round Tupperware container at night so I can simply grab and go in the morning. A mason jar is another option that is more ‘fun’ to eat out of if you’re having it at home.”
DIY Breakfast Box
Here’s another fun one that’s easy to transport. In a plastic container — ideally one with dividers to create compartments — create a DIY breakfast box with your child’s favorite healthy food items. Lewis suggested cheese sticks and slices, a handful of whole week crackers, pre-cut fruit, and a hard-boiled egg. You can also add a tiny package of peanut butter, nuts, sliced meat, and veggies.
French Toast Dippers
We can assume most kids have had French toast, but by recreating the shape and making it more of an interactive process, this standard breakfast option suddenly seems way more appetizing. Plus it’s easier to grab and go for rushed mornings. Rotondi said, “Cut each slice of bread into four pieces. In a small bowl, stir together ¼-cup of melted butter, ¼-cup of coconut sugar, 1-tsp. of nutmeg and 1-tbsp. of cinnamon. In another bowl, whisk together 3 eggs and 1/3-cup of milk.” From there, prepare as normal by slathering the cinnamon mixture on the bread, dunking it into the egg mixture, and cooking over medium heat. Service with a side of syrup if you’re sitting down to eat, or just grab the French toast sticks and head out the door!
Banana Sandwich
This is a healthy spin on the banana split! Simply take a banana and slice it in half, longwise. Spread peanut butter on one side, and add a couple raisins if your child likes them, and press the other banana onto the peanut butter to create a sandwich. Lewis recommended switching out peanut butter for another nut butter, such as sunflower or almond, if your child has an allergy.
Wendy Rose Gould is a writer based in Phoenix, Arizona. She covers women’s lifestyle topics for numerous digital publications, including InStyle, xoVain, Refinery29, Revelist, PopSugar and ModCloth. You can follow her on Twitter and Instagram or at WendyGould.com
