Healthy, QUICK, Whole Food for Kids—Breakfast

In light of recent comments on the last post, I thought it might be helpful if we talk about some ideas for healthy and quick whole foods for kids.  Because to be honest, that’s one of the big problems for many of us.  When it comes to feeding ourselves, no biggie, but feeding our kids is often a different story.  Some of you might be blessed with kids who will eat anything, but I would guess that most of us probably have the typical kid who balks at much of the food that is offered.

For us pickiness has been the biggest challenge, but convenience is also a HUGE one.  Even those who have good eaters still need to figure-out how to quickly and conveniently get that good food in them.  Well…. I don’t have a lot of brilliant ideas.  I kinda just want to hear from you!  Here’s what I’ve come up with so far and what my kids mostly eat, starting with breakfast:

Breakfast

scrambled eggs, yogurt, oatmeal, waffles, fruit, cheerios

*I usually make eggs in a pan because that’s how I like them and I usually eat them, too, but if it’s just for one of them, I’ll just microwave them.  Yes, you can make scrambled eggs by simply microwaving a whipped-up egg for a few minutes in a bowl.  It actually comes-out in a circular shape that makes it easier to cut into small bites, and I think because it’s a little overcooked, it holds together better instead of falling off their fork.

*Ev is loving oatmeal these days since I started letting her mix-in the cinnamon and frozen blueberries on her own.  She likes stirring it up and turning the oatmeal purple.  It was kind of a pain to make, but I recently read on the back of the container that oatmeal is easily microwavable, too!  I put about 1/4 of a cup in a bowl (Ev won’t usually even finish this amount), add 1/2 cup of water, and microwave it for about 3 minutes.  Why in the world buy those small little sugary packets of instant when you can just microwave the regular old-fashioned oats that come in a huge container?  (without sugar and much cheaper!)  I try to add-in lots of butter and sometimes sprinkle some shredded coconut in there, too, when she’s not looking, for healthy fats.  Make sure to see if your grocery store has a bulk grain section and compare the prices of oatmeal there to the ones in the containers.  (Quakers and such)  Often the price per pound is cheaper if you buy it in the bulk section, and you can get as little or as much as you like.

*Ev still doesn’t love regular yogurt, but on the rare occasion when she’ll agree to it, we mix-in blueberries and I add some xylitol or real maple syrup for sweetener.  Harris will eat it plain or with fruit.  Sometimes I’ll even mix yogurt and oatmeal together!  (is that weird?)

*My trick for making waffles easier is to make a big batch and then use it for the rest of the week.  I use this recipe (love it!) and usually double it. I’m sure it isn’t what you’re “supposed” to do, but I just stick the big bowl of batter back in the fridge and use it for the rest of the week.  That way all it takes is for me to warm-up the waffle iron, plop some batter on it, and in a couple of minutes we have fresh waffles.  (or pancakes)  SO easy.  I know some people make ahead all their waffles and keep them in the freezer, reheating them when necessary, so you could do it that way, too.

*Ev has been used to eating dry cereal, usually Cheerios, for breakfast for years.  It’s still a part of her morning routine and something she’s not ready to give-up yet, but I’m trying to make it more of an appetizer by giving her a small amount.  She eats that and is still hungry afterward, so then she gets her “real” breakfast.

Alright, that’s all I got.  What other ideas do you have for a quick breakfast for kids using whole foods?  (quick being the key since the kids are usually fussing around my feet in the kitchen whining because they’re so hungry.  Oh yeah, and I am NOT waking-up before them to prepare something, don’t even think about suggesting that!)