Weekday mornings are the worst: dealing with sleepy kids, preparing yourself and the whole family for the day, checking school bags, filling up lunch boxes, and feeding the pets...
No wonder that there is no time to have other that a bowl of cereal for breakfast...
Are there other alternatives?
Here are 6+1 really quick and healthy breakfast ideas not just for kids but for the whole family.
Why is breakfast so important?
In a previous post, I already wrote about the importance of breakfast in weight loss giving ideas what to eat when you have only 1 or 5 minutes to eat something in the morning.
WHAT WORKS IN WEIGHT LOSS: BREAKFAST - EVEN IF YOU ARE A BUSY MUM
We all know how important is to start our day with a nutritious breakfast - especially for children. A good breakfast fuel us up and gives a good start for the day. Having breakfast children are able to perform their best in the school, their growing bodies and developing brain need a good start and regular refuelling during the day. Without breakfast they cannot concentrate, they have no energy for play time and the snack on unhealthy foods such us crisps and chocolate bars.
I have read an interesting article recently from a Good-Sleep specialist (sorry, I was not able to find this article for you) and she says that eating in the morning speeds up body, so basically help us to wake up.
When we have breakfast we are also tended to eat healthier throughout the day.
So breakfast is an investment. It is an investment into our day: if we find just a couple of minutes to have breakfast, we will be energetic, we can perform our best, so we get that time back. It is also an investment into our children's health as they get into good eating habits.
Writing these I have to make a note: offering breakfast for the children is good, but it is even better if we sit down with them to eat. Just 5 minutes can make a huge difference: we do not just invest this time into our own health but we give the personal example for our children which is much more powerful than just "preaching" them about the importance of having breakfast.
What to eat for breakfast?
The best to start the day with good carbohydrates, fibre and protein. There are plenty of options. It really depends on what your family likes.However do not forget that breakfast should fill up children for a longer period, but should not push up blood sugar level quickly - what drops just as quickly in school making children unable to focus. So sugar and refined bakery products - like pain au chocolat, Danish pastries or Chelsea buns, are not ideal.
What should be on the breakfast table on a busy morning then?
Oats are a perfect choice, just avoid the flavoured ones, they are always high in sugar. You can always add milk, a little bit of honey or fresh/dried fruits to make them tasty.
The beauty of overnight oats and porridge, that the number of variations is endless.
Yoghurt, soft cream cheese and quark are high in protein, support healthy digestive system and combined with fruits, nuts, or oats can give a perfect start for your day.
Quark is an undeservedly overlooked dairy product. However, I have found that kids who refuse eating yoghurt or cheese, very often accept quark (or fromage frais). Quark, unlike yoghurt, has a naturally sweet taste and creamy texture. It is naturally low in fat (about the same fat content as yoghurt), completely salt-free, and high in protein. Quark is also a good source of calcium.
You can find quark in big tubs on the supermarket's shelves, Look for the unflavoured ones, they are really inexpensive.
Eggs are a really good source of protein, Vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids. It is really just a minute to make a quick scrambled egg on toast.
Here is a funny video how American kids find breakfasts from around the world.
Cereal ads suggest us there is no quicker and healthier breakfast than a nice bowl of crunchy -chocolaty - sugary cereal.
Sugary Healthy looking cereal boxes...
6+1 quick healthy breakfasts for kids a hurry
#1 Overnight oats with coconut and mango
This breakfast needs a little preparation in the night before, but nothing complicated.
Mix together per person: 2 tbsp porridge oats, 1 tbsp desiccated coconut, 4-5 tbsp natural live yoghurt or Greek-style yoghurt, 2 tbsp milk. Place the mixture into a food container or pretty glass bowls and top it with fresh, diced mango, cover and leave it in the fridge overnight.
In the morning you do need to do anything else - just enjoy.
The beauty of overnight oats, that just like porridge, the number of variations are endless.
#2 Porridge with pear and cocoa
No question that porridge is a great start. This is a big family favourite, this is light, still filling porridge. Just mix porridge with grated pear (great the pear into a sieve draining the juice into a cup), then just top it with 1/2 tsp cocoa powder. Pear gives sweetness to the porridge, so no need to add sugar or honey.
#3 Lemony quark with fruits
Mix about 150 ml (per person) quark with a zest of a half lemon and add 1 tsp Maple syrup. Place fresh or frozen raspberries, strawberries or blueberries (or a mix of these) into a breakfast bowl and top it with the lemony quark. You can top it with almond flakes or other nuts if you want.
#4 Home-made granola with yoghurt and berries
I am still very enthusiastic about this home-made granola, and now my daughter has joined the club, so I make it and top up the jar regularly. :-) Recipe is here. Just add milk or yoghurt or orange juice and breakfast is ready.
#5 Morning smoothie
Smoothies are not just quick and healthy but usually very popular among children.
You can create your family favourites easily, please find help in this post:
HOW TO MAKE PERFECT SMOOTHIE
Our favourite for the kids:
Banana chocolate smoothie
100 ml milk (or almond milk),
1 ripe banana
1 tbsp oats
1/2 teaspoon cocoa powder
optional: 1/2 cup berries
#6 Morning muesli sundae with blueberries
This morning muesli sundae is ready in less than 1 minute. What you need: sundae or deep glasses, natural live yoghurt, good quality muesli or home-made granola and fresh or frozen blueberries (or other berries, whatever you have at home). All what you need to do is just layer all ingredients into the glasses: yoghurt, muesli, fruit and again, yoghurt, muesli, fruit. Although it is simple and quick, it looks and tastes luxurious.
+1 Morning loaf with yoghurt
This breakfast needs some preparation, the best to bake it at the weekend and you can enjoy it as breakfast or a snack in the following days. It keeps well for a couple of days. I shared the recipe in this post. One slice of this with a pot of natural live yoghurt or with a cup of latte (for adults) is perfect for breakfast.
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