Healthy, Easy, and Quick Breakfast Food Ideas for You and Your Kids

We are all guilty of it. It’s six in the morning and you’re running on almost no sleep after putting the little ones to bed and doing the clean up from the disaster they left the house in after a day of play. And now, you get to rise out of bed and do it all over again. One of the last things we have time for is making a fry up breakfast before whisking them off to pre-school, daycare, activities or class. Thankfully, there are foods that will give both you and your children the energy and, more importantly, nutrition that will be needed to make it through another energized day-all in minutes! We will list seven of those foods right here for you to make in those rushed mornings!

1. Oatmeal.

One of the most magical dishes known to the breakfast table, oatmeal is a great source for soluble (great for cholesterol and glucose levels) and insoluble (amazing for the colon) fibers as well as minerals like zinc and iron. To top it all off, oatmeal also contains a good amount of protein and is naturally gluten-free!

To make bowls of oatmeal for the whole family, it’s only 5 minutes on the stovetop or about 1 minute in the microwave for each bowl!

2. Yogurt.

Yogurt. A great little snack to bring on the go, yogurt is a perfect food for a get-away breakfast. There’s no need to feel guilty about this easy breakfast either; yogurt is a good source of calcium for your kids and contains protein as well so they’re less hungry during the day. It’s also a great source of probiotics to help your digestive system.

The time to make this is the quick 10 seconds to your fridge, opening the package, and grabbing a disposable spoon. To keep this option healthy though, avoid the flavored yogurts at the store! Grab the plain yogurt to dodge the added sugars and put some in season fruit in there to add natural sugars instead.

3. Carrot Sticks.

Carrot sticks. Carrots are a great source of vitamins A, B, and K as well as beta-carotene!

Putting these little sticks into a baggie for the kids and eating them on the go is an easy quick fix! If you and your kids like dips, you can put a little honey and ground cinnamon in the low-fat yogurt recommended from before to make a sweet, healthy complement!

4. Trail Mix.

Kids love a bit of trail mix and it is easy to make a lot at once and store the mix for them to eat in the mornings or out and about. There are lots of versions to make with trail mix, so be sure to make one with unsalted and unsweetened nuts to limit sodium and sugar intake. Good options are seeds like pumpkin or flax seeds. Dried fruit is a good option, but make sure the added sugars and preservatives are low.

A fun mix would be banana chips (which you can make with the kids at home), almonds, peanuts, and dark chocolate and peanut butter chips.

5. Whole Grain Breads.

Using whole-grain instead of white breads is an easy way to introduce more fiber into you and your child’s diet. Be sure to check the ingredients in your packaged bread to make sure it is not bleached or enriched; these are not whole-grain breads.

6. Nut spreads.

Using peanut or almond butter is a yummy, easy way to bring more protein into your foods and still provide health benefits. Almond butter is usually superior because it is free of hydrogenated oils compared to its peanut butter counterpoint. Sunflower seed and cashew butters are also fun alternatives for a classic peanut butter sandwich.

A quick almond butter and whole grain sandwich takes about 2 minutes!

7. Fresh Fruits.

These are an easy, quick fix that kids and parents love eating anyways! You’re getting plenty of nutrients and also a sweet little breakfast snack! Fruits are best to buy when they are in season to have the highest amount of nutrition and avoiding highly preserved fruits.

In August, good fruits to get are blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, peaches, watermelon, cantaloupe, and kiwi.

September is a great time for grapes and pomegranates, while October adds cranberries and apples. If you want to see what’s in season right now, you can visit http://eattheseasons.com/!