The No More Fights Way to Serve Breakfast to Kids

People often ask me for breakfast ideas for kids. While I can definitely suggest delicious breakfasts like make ahead oatmeal, yogurt parfaits, muffin tin eggs, frittatas and more, many young children do not want a breakfast like this. And, that negotiation of trying to get them to eat “breakfast” can be exhausting. For many kids, the idea of an omelet or a bowl of oatmeal with fruit is not what they want to be eating and is intimidating. The most important part of the morning is making sure your child has had something to eat. Rather than focusing on breakfast-type meals that appeal to you as an adult, focus on the components and trying to get your child to eat those (even if they aren’t actually assembled together). What do I mean? A deconstructed breakfast often works best for kids, especially younger ones. So, try to get them to eat 1 item from each of these groups below. And, rather than offering all of them each day, offer 2 choices each morning.

Group 1: Starch

-dry cereal (see my blog post on good cereal choices)

-toast

-mini waffle

-english muffin

-mini bagel

Group 2: Protein

-hard boiled egg

-1 tbsp nut or sunflower butter

-1 c milk

-scrambled egg

-string cheese

-drinkable yogurt

-slice of American cheese

Group 3: Fruit or Vegetable

-fresh fruit

-fresh vegetable (yes, some kids are happy with baby carrots for breakfast)

-smoothie made from frozen fruits

-unsweetened applesauce

-handful of raisins

Sample breakfast ideas:

dry cereal, cup of milk, raspberries - all separate rather than in a bowl together

Van’s waffle, slice of American cheese, raisins

cinnamon raisin toast, yogurt smoothie drink, baby carrots

1/2 soozy’s muffin, apple slices dipped in peanut butter

Have another favorite that works well in your house? Let me know!