What should you feed your 1 year old?
25 Answers
Tips For Making a Healthy Breakfast For Kids
The morning is a very busy time for moms who have kids to get ready for school. What are your tips for making sure you still have time to make a healthy breakfast for your kids before they head off to school?
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39 Answers
23 Votes
I love this question, because I've just recently eliminated all prepared cereal from my shopping list (even the "best" is pretty processed and if you look at the price per 100grams? Well it was the most expensive thing I was buying). I switched to bulk grains. Millet, Barley, Brown Rice, Steel Cut Oats, I just throw it in the pot and cook it up sometime the day before. In the morning, I reheat, topped with whatever the kids are in the mood for (honey, nutella, fruit, or something savoury). The fibre content of these natural grains blows Raisin Bran out of the water, and many like Millet and Quinoa are very high in protein and amino acids. And reheating it takes barely any time at all. And the cost can't be beat! Healthy, cheap and easy (and with four kids, that's the frugal mom's trifecta!)
21 Votes
I make up a double batch of pumpkin pancakes on the weekend (1 can of pumpkin, double recipe of whole wheat pancakes, a little cinnamon and nutmeg) and freeze them. During the week, I can pop them into the toaster oven and spread them with some sunbutter or peanut butter. Quick, yummy and can be taken on the go if necessary.
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Nancy - commented on Feb 15, 2012
I usually have several different types of homemade pancakes in the freeaer and top them w/ peanut butter, dark chocolate almond butter etc. Another great recipe is Baby Dutch Pie, or something like that on weelicious.com--which is healthy and different
10 Votes
My boys loooooove 'egg in a basket' in the morning: heat up skillet to medium heat, cut hole in middle of piece of bread (the more whole grain it is, the heartier the flavor!) put bread onto lightly oiled skilled, crack egg into hole, put bread from hole on side to also toast -- allow to cook egg in middle, flipping before toast burns...cook lightly (unless your child likes fully cooked yolk) on other side and serve. When they were little, the kids liked dipping the little toast circle into the yolk. When they were older, they just loved the flavor. I loved the ability to do 3 at once and in less than 5 minutes. you can use cooking spray, olive oil or butter depending on where you are with those. All are yummy!
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Kathrine - commented on Feb 23, 2012
Hi Lesley. Thank you for the excellent 'egg in a basket'-advice. I'm going to try it out this weekend. Lots of joy from Kathrine, Danmark
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Anushina - commented on Feb 29, 2012
This is interesting and innovative.. :) I'm sure my daughter, who absolutely loves to dip her toast in bread, will be thrilled. Thank you for the tip.
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Becky - commented on Mar 19, 2012
Thank you so much! I ate these when I was very young but couldn't remember how to make them. I'm Making them in the morning!
8 Votes
We like smoothies. Anytime we have bananas that are getting too ripe, I throw them in the freezer. We enjoy trying new combinations. Smoothies are healthy quik to fix and can take them on the go.
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Brandi - commented on Feb 23, 2012
I never thought of that! How long do the bananas keep in the freezer?
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Bridget - commented on Feb 23, 2012
We love smoothies. We also add oatmeal, flaxseed and lots of baby spinach. You can't even tell the spinach is there! We also use the freezers trick for bananas.
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Jamie - commented on Feb 23, 2012
I'm not for sure how long the bananas last. We usually don't leave them in there long cause we eat them but I would think that they would keep a while. The best way is to peel them and break them into pieces and then put in a freezer bag.
7 Votes
homemade fruit smoothie and a slice of whole wheat om multi grain bread/toast
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Colleen - commented on Feb 23, 2012
We have got the kids hooked on fruit smoothies! They love to come up with different fruit combinations and we have brought fruits back like mango that they don't necessarily like to eat by itself.
6 Votes
Preparing a bowl of fresh cut fruit for the next morning so while she is getting reading she is eating her fruit.
6 Votes
these must be most American ideas I think as not heard of half the stuff, my children wouldn't eat quiche or sandwiches for breakfast either. Has to be toast and marmalade or cereal. At the w/e might be eggs and/or bacon
5 Votes
Chicken breakfast sausage from Whole Foods with a bowl of oatmeal made with apples, raisins, chia seeds and coconut oil. My boy loves it!
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Gail - commented on Feb 22, 2012
excellent choice!
5 Votes
always have instant oatmeal (variety pack) on hand. all you need is milk/water (prefer milk) and microwave it for 3 min. that's all! and it is very healthy!
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Nancy - commented on Feb 15, 2012
oatmeal is always yummy especially when cinnamon is added along w/ dried fruit, like apples, or fresh fruit always!
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Katishi - commented on Feb 16, 2012
Rolled oats (which are affordable), fresh fruit (cut previous day) or dried fruit, granola, brown sugar, small amount of butter (containing olive oil), and boiled water. Mix. Sprinkle some extra fruit and granola on top. Very delicious, fulfilling, and healthy. My four year old loves it!
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Linda - commented on Feb 22, 2012
I also do the instant oatmeal. I make it with milk and microwave it and sometimes if I have peach or strawberry ones I also add peach or strawberry yogurt to it fresh out of the microwave mmmmm sooooo good.
5 Votes
My 4 year old daughter will usually eat breakfast at school but I hate having her leave the house on a completely empty stomach. She will rarely ever finishes cereal before it turns to "mush" and at that point she refuses to touch it. So I have found that it is easier to give her milk in a spill proof cup and a bowl of dried cereal (high in fiber not in sugar) to snack on throughout the morning while she is getting ready for school. It usually takes her a full 1/2 hour to get through it all and its easy enough to take with her on the way to school if she has not finished it all when its time to leave. No mess, and she is getting to school with something in her stomach instead of an empty belly.
3 Votes
Make eggs with ham in a muffin pan on the weekends, freeze them. Then microwave on week days and put it on a english muffin.
2 Votes
My boys love eating cottage cheese with fruit (blueberries, strawberries, etc.) One of their favorites
2 Votes
I have some pre-made muffins and portion sized baked oatmeal ready to go in the freezer for crazy days. On Mondays we usually have left over pancakes ready to warm from the morning before. On other days I make sure to get my boys breakfasts ready to serve as I get mine (I am up earlier than they are). This makes wake ups a lot easier and the rush to get out to school a lot faster as things are set and ready for the moment they sit in heir chairs!
2 Votes
my kids were refusing to have breakfast at one point..untill i put my foot down and said they can't go to school till they have it...they either have weetabix, ready break, fresh fruit smoothie or if running late a cereal bar with milk...
2 Votes
My kids love quiche and you can make them the night before if you prefer. Get pre-made crust mix eggs and then add different ingredients like chicken & broccoli, mexican-ground beef and tomatoes,I also add flax meal for added nutrition. Just layer you ingredients in pie crust and whip up 5 eggs and pour over top bake for 35 minutes at 375.
My kids also love tortillas with scrabbled eggs and bell peppers with sausage.
Oatmeal with frozen berries is very healthy and fast.
2 Votes
Oats is quick and my 8 year old likes it.
pancake or course with syrup
His favorite is egg sandwich
2 Votes
Young kids experience a phase where they take a long time to eat their food because they're busy exploring their newfound powers of communication (read: talking) or the chemistry of mixing foods they shouldn't be mixing (ketchup with milk). They're also at a stage where they like to dawdle, and everything seems to take twice as long to accomplish: getting up from bed, finishing their milk, putting on socks/shoes. While breakfast is an important meal, I am realistic about how much and how fast I can get Aidan (3 years old this 15 February) to eat first thing out of bed. So I make sure he gets enough nutrients in as non-messy and easy to eat way as possible.
One option is 1/3 bowl of whole-wheat Cheerios with milk (I usually pick cereals that have less than 7g of sugar and with at least 1g of fibre. I also give a small portion because it takes Aidan ages to get through a big bowl and cereals get soggy real quick.) Then I give Aidan a slice of cheese and half a banana, two things which he likes. Sometimes he skips the banana but these are healthy additions that can be easily snacked upon in the car on the way to school.
Another option is a glass of milk, a tub of yoghurt with diced fruit which he likes and whole-wheat breadsticks/fingers (which he can in the car on the way to school if he has the appetite for it).
Sometimes an egg sandwich is easy to put together. Before Aidan wakes up, I simply hard-boil an egg and steam two slices of whole-meal bread. Then I mash up the egg with 1/2 a teaspoon of mayo, and a dash of honey mustard and sandwich it between the bread. If he doesn't feel like milk, I give him a tub of yoghurt or add a melted cheese slice to the egg in the sandwich. He gets OJ to wash down the breakfast (I'd squeeze the OJ before Aidan wakes up too) Both the sandwich and OJ are easy to pack for the ride to school too.
Hope this helps.
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Nancy - commented on Feb 15, 2012
my 3+ year old son loves hard boiled eggs and peeling the shell off is a great fine motor skill! I often add that if he is just eating cereal for breakfast--as well as fruit!
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Carolina - commented on Feb 23, 2012
I really like the egg sandwich idea! My 2 yr old is picky but I'm going to try that this morning! Great healthy idea Lisa!!!
1 Vote
Saw this on facebook take a waffle cone and fill it with mixed fresh fruit.
1 Vote
my 3 boys, 14, 5 & 2 get shakes every morning with the shake mix from www.landofthefit.com I mix either strawberry & bananas or other berries, all frozen. I get fresh fruit and veg from the farmers market and freeze a weeks worth. sometimes I will also throw in a carrot or Kale and they have never noticed. We have even thrown in Cheerios to the blender.
1 Vote
I try to make things ahead of time as much as possible. Weekend pancakes are made in a huge batch and frozen. Bran muffins are another option. We also make a smoothy of oatmeal, banana, peanut butter, milk and flaxseed. I'm going to try the frozen banana trick for those that someone else mentioned.....great idea.
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Sandi - commented on Jun 7, 2012
I forgot an ingredient to the smoothie....honey.
1 Vote
I don't know if you have ever heard of doTERRA CPTG Essential oils. But their company makes something called a Trim Shake, it is intended for weight-loss; however our whole family loves them. They are super healthy whey-based shake that our sweeten with Stevia, so no sugar at all - you can add milk, almond milk, coconut milk, I don't recommend water as they are pretty high in fiber. You can also add fruit and make a smoothie that really sticks with them. If you want more info check out: http://www.thinkdoterra.com/19664/Buy-Products.html
1 Vote
All of these ideas sound delicious but seriously, with 3 daughters and trying to get out the door before 8.30 for kinder and School who has the time to Cook these meals. Might try some of the ideas for weekends though....
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Kimberli - commented on May 31, 2012
I like to keep chopped veggies and things in ziplock containers in the fridge, they are already prepped and ready to sautee in an omelet or scrambled eggs. Throw a whole wheat tortilla in the microwave as it cooks-guaranteed healthy and yummy breakfast in less than ten minutes. Keep some egg beaters on hand for really hectic mornings.
1 Vote
Multi-grain bagles with cream cheese, lox and capers are a hit with my 11yr-old. Greek yogurt with fruit is an easy sell to both kids. The 8yr-old likes eggs. Egg in a basket (sunshine toast at our house) is a quick go-to most mornings. We also do smoothies and oatmeal a lot.
1 Vote
No sugar cereal is best and is pretty tasty when you add on some apple juice sweetened cranberries on top. Add a tsp of ground flax, hemp seeds, and or chia for a protein and omega packed bowl of cereal. Oatmeal loaded up with pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds and raisins - yum! Or wholegrain bread, again, watch the sugar, with natural almond butter and bananas on top. Healthy muffins are great too.
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Robyn - commented on Feb 18, 2012
Apple juice is high in sugar as I would imagine sweetened cranberries so really what is the point of having no sugar cereal. That just doesn't make sense.
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Jennifer - commented on Feb 20, 2012
It's natural sugar, there is no added sugar. And it's minimal - you can control the little bit of sweetness you add.
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Kyshia - commented on Feb 23, 2012
My kids dont like breakfast so the 4yr old always has a cup of 2% chocolate milk & the 15 yr old has a glass of oj ....its not much but at least they have something on their bellies..
0 Votes
With six children (four of mine, two of his - we're a blended family) we're constantly looking for ways to make breakfast time less chaotic. The simplest way we've found is porridge (or oatmeal, as it's known in the states) in the crockpot overnight. A variety of toppings on the table for everyone to help themselves and everybody's (reasonably!) happy. Not quite what my Scottish family would approve of, though - back home it's served with nothing but a pinch of salt. Yeuch!
0 Votes
My Boys created the "Micro K-egg"
~Scramble one egg & tsp of water, (or we use egg whites, no water needed)
in small shallow microwavable bowl, sprayed first with Pam
Add if desired: salt, pepper, cheese, onions, tomato, spinach, ect...
~Place in microwave with safe cover
~cook one minute
~Remove and pop out of bowl. Put ketchup on top = Micro K-egg
Or we put the now scrambled mini omelet it between to organic frozen flax seed waffles or Bagel thins toasted
~Add 2 slices of Canadian bacon cooked in pan (one minute)
You have a Micro K-egg sandwich to go!
We also make "Toad in the Holes" which I see several moms do as well.
The final quick breakfast we like are Protein Shakes:
Chocolate Almond Milk
Protein powder
1/2 frozen banana
3-4 frozen strawberries and My Magic Bullet, these cups can travel if necessary too!
0 Votes
There are so many great ideas on here. However, I have 2 picky eaters, they don't really like breakfast. 1 also has serious food allergies. So no peanuts, almonds or eggs. That cuts out a lot of these great ideas. They both do oj and vitamins. They won't do cereal and milk or milk and something else. 1 eats fruit but no veggies and 1 eats veggies and not fruit. Very frustrating. They do leave the house with some food; dry cheerios or a pop tart. I hope a lot of this pickiness is age related as I have tried many things. Maybe now that it is summer, I will discover something new. Still love your ideas.
0 Votes
My 4 year old likes hard-boiled eggs and she has called them "farm eggs" for some reason since she was 3. You can hard-boil several at a time, and keep them for almost a week in a covered bowl of water in the fridge. But-I usually just peel them and put them in a ziplock in the fridge and they last a couple days that way. When my little one knows "farm eggs" are in the fridge, she won't leave them alone. Less than 100 calories but lots of protein and if you pair that with a slice of wheat toast and a half cup of OJ, that's a nice breakfast.
My oldest daughter (15) does not like the yolk, so she eats two hard-boiled egg whites. Still healthy and actually cuts out a lot of the fat, but also some of the protein. But being a teenager, I have to fight her to eat healthy enough since she likes junk food and sometimes doesn't eat enough (if that makes sense) and she's an athlete who weighs a grand total of 100 pounds...getting proper protein is a struggle at my house for this one! :)
Another suggestion is to make homemade waffles and they freeze wonderfully after cooled...you can store them for a long time in a ziplock bag. I make 3-4 batches at a time (takes forever, I know) but then you save tons of time in the AM...pop in toaster or nuke for a few seconds, add preserves and REAL butter and voila! It's healthier and cheaper than the store-bought by far! And my kids prefer my waffles to Eggo or any other brand...So there! :)
0 Votes
I'm a big fan of sneaking in extra goodness into everyday foods. For boxed pancakes, I'll add frozen blueberries and flax seeds. To their scrambled eggs, I add chopped baby spinach and flax seeds. For breakfast sandwiches, instead of bacon, I'll put in avocado or tomato slices (although nothing really replaces bacon, this is a tasty substitute that adds flavor and texture). For more healthy food ideas, check out: http://littlebellymonster.com
0 Votes
my 4 yr old daughter likes to eat strawberries, grapes, apples, or even a fruit cup with boiled egg whites. my two boys (6 and 2) eat fruit cup and multi-grain cheerios, honey nut cheerios or oatmeal. but i must admit my boys love sausage for breakfast, so i may serve them that with fruit and toast 3 times a week. i need to try the smoothies. we are often running late and something they could have in the car would be great.
0 Votes
My boys have a Carnation Breakfast Essentials (no sugar added) shake every morning which has as much protein as an egg made with 1% milk. They also eat a Trader Joe's breakfast bar. This seems to give them the nutrition and energy they need in the AM. The only problem is the cost..$4.99 a box for 8 shakes. Otherwise seems to be a healthy choice.
0 Votes
I have aslo found that making up a simple pancake batter the night before, and having a few toppings ready, anything they like, I like banana and strawberries, my kids prefer syrup/honey, or traditional lemon and sugar! I use 8 ounces flour, pinch of salt, squirt of flora cuisine, 2 eggs, and a pint of milk. When whisked, store in the fridge overnight, and just give another quick whisk in the morning. Quick-fry and serve! They love them, they eat a decent portion, and they give them that all important energy boost for the walk to school!
0 Votes
Any moms of teenagers out there? My son is 14yo and has to leave at 7:00am, school starts at 7:15am. He is no hungry at this hour but I manage to make him drink either hot or cold chocolate milk. I heard that kids and adults have that for breakfast in France. By the way his school 'lunch' is at 10:50am
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Jamie - commented on Feb 23, 2012
My 13 year old really likes smoothies. They are quick to fix. Also carnation instant breakfast is good but expensive.
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Dawn - commented on Feb 24, 2012
Teenagers are tough, partly because of the early starts, and they just arent awake enough to want to eat! Keep in a few handy snacks that he can pop in his pocket or school bag to munch on the way, bananas are great, as are cereal bars, croissants, anything in fact that is quick, easy and he will like. Drinking the milk is a good start, but I find that as they are growing at this age, some carbs are necessary too.
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Stephanie - commented on Feb 25, 2012
Jamie, I make smoothies using the powder version carnation instant breakfast (less expensive), vanilla yogurt, and whatever fruit I happen to have. I do try to use fruits that don't have seeds, as my kids have issues with texture. I have used different stirred fruit yogurts as well for a variety of flavor. If the smoothie is too thick, I put a bit of orange juice in it. If the kids are looking for more of a frozen kind, usually in the summer, I will put some ice cubes in the blender or if planned ahead, frozen cut up bits of fruit. My kids love it and quite frankly, so do I. :)
0 Votes
omlettes! It takes 3 minutes to prep and cook and there are so many options. pair this up w some turkey sausage and a few pieces of fruit.
0 Votes
My son likes scrambled eggs with sausage and sometimes with hashbrowns.
0 Votes
I have tried the homemade oatmeal/grits and that did not go over well at all. They do eat the instant oatmeal though. Smoothies take too long to make and drink and end up getting wasted during the week. My kids are cereal junkies so I try to buy the heathier choices and only what is on sale. However, I bought nutrigrain blueberry waffles and they loved them. Neither child will eat peanut butter. How weird is that!
0 Votes
I normally give them scramble eggs and some fruit on the side. The protein is very important for their brain development and their muscles so is essential in a good breakfast the fruit has antioxidants and vitamins.
0 Votes
Trying to eliminate cereal. A favorite of my 12 y.o is a piece of toast with cream cheese or nutella and slices of any kind of fruit (instead of sugary fruit juices), if we are running a little late then she has time to eat her breakfast in the car when I take her to school.
0 Votes
My girls grew up on soft boiled eggs. They take 3 - 4 minutes to boil, pan isn't dirty, and with toast (high fiber) and some local jam or preserves they had a great source of protein as well as a complex carb. I found as they grew older they needed some substantial protein besides cereal or oatmeal that seemed to sustain them after about an hour or two (especially during exam weeks!)
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