September 10, 2015 Tiffany Miller BLOG, Child Physical Health

Breakfast has long been known as the most important meal of the day. Eating a healthy, nutritious morning meal truly sets the stage for how children will arrive at school ready to learn. Unfortunately, parents are no strangers to the morning battle of crunch time—wake up, get dressed, brush your teeth, grab your backpack, and check to make sure you have your lunch.

But wait! Whatever happened to breakfast? Because time can be limited during school mornings, this calls for parents to be creative with healthy kids breakfasts that are quick to make and the perfect travel size for small hands.

Remember, it’s not just about having a breakfast but about offering healthy choices. It’s important to read food labels. Be leary of quick options like PopTarts or Toaster Strudel because it’s likely that as the morning progresses children will experience a sugar crash from all the not-so-healthy ingredients packed in those breakfast treats. Below are some nutritious, easy, grab-and-go ideas to have just in case morning minutes tick tock away too quickly before school starts.

Whole-grain toaster waffles or whole grain bagel topped with peanut butter or all-natural fruit spread
Whole-wheat pita stuffed with sliced hard-cooked eggs or a combination of scrambled eggs, feta cheese, and tomatoes. Boiling eggs the night before will save even more time in the morning.
Make a breakfast smoothie in a travel cup with lid (low-fat milk or yogurt, fruit, and teaspoon of bran, whirled in a blender)
Bran muffin and a bag of berries
Lean turkey and tomato on a toasted English muffin
A banana and ziploc of raw almonds
Shredded cheese on a whole-wheat tortilla, folded in half and microwaved for 20 seconds
A small container of greek yogurt with fresh fruit to mix in (don’t forget a spoon!)
Granola bars and some dried fruit
Whole-wheat tortilla topped with peanut butter or a hummus spread

The Parenting Hub would love to hear about your recipes for healthy on-the-go breakfasts that your children enjoy. Please send your comments to: parentinghub@earlylearninghub.org.

OTHER RESOURCES:

10 Easy Breakfast Recipes for Kids

http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/recipe-collections-favorites/easy-breakfast-recipes-kids

10 Easy Back-to-school Breakfasts

http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20725555,00.html

15 On-the-go Breakfast Recipes

http://www.parenting.com/gallery/on-the-go-breakfast-recipes

5 min Breakfasts that are actually Healthy

http://www.womenshealthmag.com/food/quick-breakfast-ideas?slide=2

Breakfast: Eating Healthy on the Run

http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/NutritionCenter/SimpleCookingwithHeart/Breakfast-Eating-Healthy-On-The-Run_UCM_430080_Article.jsp

The Case for Eating Breakfast